One year before the Salt Lake Temple reopens, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gave media a first look at its newly renovated Temple Square Visitors’ Center and announced dates for the temple open house reservations. The visitors’ center opens to the public May 18, 2026, daily from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and the Salt Lake Temple open house celebration runs April 5, 2027, through October 1, 2027. Reservations for the temple open house will be accepted beginning September 1, 2026.
Church leaders called the new visitors’ center a milestone and an unprecedented experience. “This visitors’ center sits in the shadow of the Salt Lake City temple,” said President Emily Belle Freeman of the Young Women General Presidency. “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.”
The nearly 40,000–square-foot center invites guests to see how temple teachings connect to everyday life and to understand Latter‑day Saint beliefs and commitment to family and Christ, said Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. A replica of Bertel Thorvaldsen’s beloved Christus greets visitors in the west wing, while a new marble sculpture by Swiss artist Christian Bolt—titled “Come Unto Me”—anchors the lower level, depicting the Savior’s invitation of peace and compassion. “They didn’t want to have another standing Christ, but a sitting one…towards humankind,” Bolt explained.
Immersive, accessible experiences include full-scale replicas of sacred temple rooms (not replicas of rooms from 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 presentation designed for anyone to understand. One standout sequence opens from a video wall that explains what temples are and then reveals a replica of a temple lobby, leading into rooms that portray a baptistry, instruction rooms, a celestial room, and sealing rooms.
Outside, landscaped gardens feature bronze statues, including two new representations of Christ—one carrying the cross and another in Gethsemane—positioned by the east and west wings. The center’s story begins with Brigham Young’s 1847 declaration: “Here we will build a temple to our God,” and continues to honor Temple Square’s place as one of America’s most visited religious sites.
Visitors may enter the center for free. While general admission does not require a ticket, reservations are required for the 30‑minute “Inside a Temple” tour and can 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 site.
“ It really is one of the most exciting points in this period in the history of the church…days never to be forgotten,” said Elder Matthew S. Holland of the General Authority Seventy. Uchtdorf added gratitude for the project’s progress: “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, thank you to everyone who has accomplished this process.”