One year before the Salt Lake Temple reopens, Temple Square unveiled a refreshed Visitors’ Center and announced open-house reservation dates for the Salt Lake City Temple — a renewed invitation to explore Latter‑day Saint faith, art, and history.
A fresh welcome on Temple Square
Beginning May 18, 2026, the newly renovated Temple Square Visitors’ Center will be open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Media and guests were given a first look this week at the nearly 40,000‑square‑foot center, which sits in the shadow of the Salt Lake Temple and marks a milestone ahead of the temple open house celebration scheduled April 5–October 1, 2027.
“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. Church leaders described Monday’s preview as an unprecedented moment.
Art, atmosphere, and invitation
The center invites visitors to discover how temple teachings connect to everyday life and to see Latter‑day Saint beliefs framed around family and Christ, said Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. A replica of Bertel Thorvaldsen’s beloved “Christus” welcomes guests in the west wing, while a new marble sculpture by Swiss artist Christian Bolt, titled “Come Unto Me,” anchors the lower level between the two wings — a seated depiction of the Savior extending an invitation of peace and compassion.
“They didn’t want another standing Christ, but a sitting one — directed toward humankind,” said sculptor Christian Bolt.
Immersive learning and sacred space
Visitors can move from an introductory film about temples to a surprise reveal: a faithful replica of the temple lobby leading into recreated temple rooms such as the baptistry, instruction rooms, a celestial room, and sealing rooms. These are full‑scale, interpretive representations (not replicas of rooms in the Salt Lake Temple) designed to help anyone — whether a member or a visitor — understand temple purpose and meaning.
Other highlights include:
- A scale model of the Salt Lake Temple and a display of 11 built‑to‑scale miniature temples with a nearby temple globe.
- A narrative presentation crafted for universal understanding.
- Landscaped gardens with new bronze statues depicting Christ carrying the cross and Christ in Gethsemane outside the east and west wings.
Practical information
- Visitors’ Center opens to the public May 18, 2026 — daily, 9:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. Admission is free.
- While general entry requires no ticket, a 30‑minute “Inside a Temple” tour requires a timed reservation, available 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 the first two hours free. The Temple Square TRAX station also provides direct access.
Looking ahead
“It’s 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. Reservations for the Salt Lake Temple open house become available September 1, 2026. Uchtdorf added, “It came about much better than we ever thought. 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. We can only say thank you — thank you to everyone who has accomplished this process.”