One year before the Salt Lake Temple reopens to the public, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints welcomed media for a first look at its fully renovated Temple Square Visitors’ Center — and announced when tickets for the temple open house will be available.

The newly refreshed visitors’ center opens to the public May 18, 2026, daily from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. It’s a nearly 40,000-square-foot experience set in the shadow of the Salt Lake Temple. “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,” said President Emily Belle Freeman of the Young Women General Presidency, calling Monday’s unveiling a milestone moment.

The center invites guests to discover how temple teachings connect to everyday life and to see Latter-day Saint beliefs in the broader context of family and Christ, said Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. 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 — a depiction of the Savior extending an invitation of peace and compassion. “They didn’t want to have another standing Christ, but a sitting one… towards humankind,” Bolt said of the new work.

Immersive, accessible exhibits lead visitors through the story of the temple, beginning with Brigham Young’s 1847 declaration: “Here we will build a temple to our God.” A dramatic introduction features a video wall that opens into a replica of a temple lobby. The center includes 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 with a nearby temple globe, and a narrative designed to be understood by anyone, whether or not they are members of the Church.

Outside, landscaped gardens showcase bronze sculptures, including two new statues: Jesus Christ carrying the cross and Christ in Gethsemane, placed at 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 of the General Authority Seventy. Temple Square leaders described the reopening as the start of a big year ahead.

Tickets for the visitors’ center are free. While general entry requires no ticket, a reservation is required for the 30-minute “Inside a Temple” tour; reservations may be made through the Temple Square app or online. Free parking with validation is available at the Conference Center; City Creek parking south of Temple Square offers two free hours. The Temple Square TRAX station provides direct access to the center.

Reservations for the Salt Lake Temple open house celebration — scheduled April 5, 2027, to October 1, 2027 — become available beginning September 1, 2026. “We’re very proud that it’s on time, on budget, and that it looks good, and we are looking forward to a wonderful celebration online and in person,” Uchtdorf said. “We can only say thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has accomplished this process.”