One year before the Salt Lake Temple reopens, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints unveiled a refreshed Temple Square Visitors’ Center and announced when reservations for the Salt Lake Temple open house will be available.
The newly renovated visitors’ center opens to the public May 18, 2026, and will be open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. The temple open house celebration runs April 5, 2027, through October 1, 2027, with reservations for the Salt Lake Temple becoming available September 1, 2026.
“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, and I am going to tell you this is not that.” Church leaders called the unveiling a milestone and described the center as unprecedented.
Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said the center invites visitors to see how temple teachings connect to everyday life, family, and Christ. A replica of Bertel Thorvaldsen’s beloved Christus occupies the west wing, while a new marble sculpture by Swiss artist Christian Bolt—titled “Come Unto Me”—anchors the lower level, portraying the Savior offering peace and compassion. “They didn’t want to have another standing Christ, but a sitting one…towards humankind,” Bolt said of his work.
The 40,000-square-foot center begins with Brigham Young’s 1847 declaration, “Here we will build a temple to our God.” Guests can move from a video wall explaining temples into a faithful replica of a temple lobby and then explore full-scale replicas of sacred rooms—baptistry, instruction rooms, a celestial room, and sealing rooms (note: these are not replicas of rooms in the Salt Lake Temple). Other features include a scale model of the Salt Lake Temple, a display of 11 built-to-scale miniature temples with a nearby temple globe, and a narrative presentation designed for visitors of any background.
Outside, landscaped gardens include new bronze statues of Jesus Christ carrying the cross and of Christ in Gethsemane flanking the east and west wings. “It really is one of the most exciting points in this period in the history of the Church,” said Elder Matthew S. Holland, a General Authority Seventy.
Visitors’ center admission is free. While general entry needs no ticket, a reservation is required for the 30-minute “Inside a Temple” tour; reservations can be made 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.
“We’re very proud that it’s on time, on budget, and that it looks good,” Uchtdorf said, adding thanks to everyone involved. The new visitors’ center marks the start of a big year ahead as the Church prepares for the Salt Lake Temple celebration in 2027.