Salt Lake City — One year before the Salt Lake Temple reopens, media were invited to a first look at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ newly renovated Temple Square Visitors’ Center and were told when tickets for the Salt Lake Temple open house will be available.
The visitors’ center opens to the public May 18, 2026, daily from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. The Salt Lake Temple open house celebration runs April 5–October 1, 2027; reservations for the temple open house begin September 1, 2026.
Church leaders called Monday’s preview a milestone. “This visitors’ center sits in the shadow of the Salt Lake City Temple,” said President Emily Belle Freeman of the Young Women General Presidency. “Now, you may think you have been to a visitors center experience with us before — I’m going to tell you this is not that.” Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Dieter F. Uchtdorf said the center helps guests “discover how temple teachings connect to everyday life and uncover the greater context of Latter-day Saint beliefs and commitment to family and Christ.”
Anchored by a replica of Bertel Thorvaldsen’s beloved Christus in the west wing, the nearly 40,000-square-foot center also features a new marble sculpture by Swiss artist Christian Bolt titled “Come Unto Me,” placed at the lower level’s central point. Bolt described the new work this way: “They didn’t want to have another standing Christ, but a sitting one…towards humankind.” Outside, bronze statues in the landscaped gardens include new depictions of Christ carrying the cross and Christ in Gethsemane.
The visitors’ center traces its story from Brigham Young’s 1847 declaration, “Here we will build a temple to our God,” and offers a broad, approachable narrative designed for anyone in or outside the Church. Immersive experiences include full-scale replicas of sacred temple rooms (not replicas of rooms in the Salt Lake Temple), a scale model of the Salt Lake Temple, a display of 11 built-to-scale miniature temples and a nearby temple globe. One memorable moment begins with a video wall that opens to reveal a replica temple lobby; visitors can then explore replica baptistry, instruction, celestial and sealing rooms.
Admission to the visitors’ center is free. While general entry requires no ticket, a reservation time is required for the 30-minute “Inside a Temple” tour; reservations are available through the Temple Square app or online. Free parking is available at the Conference Center with validation; City Creek parking south of Temple Square offers the first two hours free. The Temple Square TRAX station provides direct access.
“This is one of the most exciting points in this period in the history of the Church,” said Elder Matthew S. Holland of the General Authority Seventy. Uchtdorf added, “We’re very proud that it’s on time, on budget, and that it looks good. We are looking forward to a wonderful celebration online and in person — thank you to everyone who has accomplished this process.”