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 when reservations will open for the temple’s public open house.
The celebration surrounding the temple reopening is scheduled from April 5 to October 1, 2027. The new visitors’ center opens to the public May 18, 2026, daily from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. “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. “Here, guests can discover how temple teachings connect to everyday life and uncover the greater context of Latter-day Saint beliefs and commitment to family and Christ,” Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said.
The nearly 40,000-square-foot center blends art, history and immersive storytelling. A replica of Bertel Thorvaldsen’s beloved Christus stands in the west wing, and 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.
Visitors move from a video wall that explains what temples are into a replica of a temple lobby, then onward to full-scale replicated rooms — including a baptistry, instruction rooms, a celestial room and sealing rooms. (These are not replicas of rooms in the Salt Lake Temple.) The center also features a scale model of the Salt Lake Temple, a display of 11 built-to-scale miniature temples with a nearby temple globe, and narrative presentations designed for anyone to understand.
Outside, landscaped gardens include new bronze statues depicting Jesus carrying the cross and Christ in Gethsemane, positioned near 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. “One of our leaders talked about days never to be forgotten — I think that’s what we’re in right now.”
Admission to the visitors’ center is free. While general entry requires no ticket, a reservation is required for the 30-minute “Inside a Temple” tour and can be made via the Temple Square app or online. Free parking is available at the Conference Center with validation; City Creek parking is available south of Temple Square (first two hours free). The Temple Square TRAX station provides direct access.
Reservations for the Salt Lake Temple open house will be available beginning September 1, 2026. “It came about much better than we ever thought,” Uchtdorf said. “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.”