SALT LAKE CITY — Reservations for highly anticipated tours of the renovated Salt Lake Temple will be available starting Sept. 1, officials with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Monday.
The Church reaffirmed that there will be no cost for the tours during the open house, which will run from April to October 2027, and will allow those of any faith to see inside the famed Temple. The tours inside the Temple will be the first in over a century.
While the temple reopening is still a year away, a new visitors' center is set to open this spring.
Video below shows inside the new Temple Square Visitors' Center:
The two-level building marks a milestone in the renovation of Temple Square. It features exhibits highlighting the global expansion and mission of the church, as well as a new sculpture of Jesus Christ called "Come Unto Me," which was commissioned specifically for the space.
For the first time, the center includes a full-size re-creation of an LDS temple. The experience is designed to help people understand the purpose of temple worship without needing to travel to a temple open house. Admission is free, but reservations are required for the 30-minute inside the Temple tour experience.
Dieter F. Uchtdorf, acting president of the church’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, expects millions of people from around the world to visit the building.
"We are already receiving thank you notes from the people who do the Olympics because we prepare the way for them. In many ways what we’re doing now will help them in ’34. Couple of other occasions coming in the meantime," Uchtdorf said.
Is SLC ready for wave of visitors for the Temple open house?
Emily Belle Freeman, the LDS church’s Young Women general president, believes the building will benefit young people from around the world who are asking questions about religion and seeking answers about their place in it.
"I think they are actually so interested in truth. They’re interested in where they come from and what they belong to. They ask hard questions; deep questions, because they want to know. And I love that coming to a place like this gives them an opportunity to see what is ahead for them," Freeman said.
The Temple renovation project began in 2019 in an effort to upgrade the facility and add structural reinforcements. It's expected that 3-5 million people will tour the Temple during next year's open house, with non-members allowed to go inside before it is rededicated later in the year.
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