Located in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City historic Temple Square is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Utah and is the world headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Free tours of Temple Square are available in 40 languages from native-speaking guides. The five-city-block area draws millions of visitors from all over the world because of its research libraries, cultural activities and historic buildings. The centerpiece of the square is the Salt Lake Temple, the product of four decades of construction in the 19th century.
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
Visitors to Temple Square can begin their experience at the Conference Center — one of the largest auditoriums in the world (it seats 21,000 people). Its visitors’ centre provides exhibits and other experiences that highlight how Latter-day Saints worship Jesus Christ. The building was finished in 2000 and is used for the Church’s semiannual general conferences. The Conference Center also hosts a variety of concerts and performances, including the popular Christmas concerts from The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square.
Temple Square is also the home of the Salt Lake Tabernacle, which was completed in 1867. The Tabernacle seats 2,900 people and hosts a variety of religious and community events, including its role as the home of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square.
West of the main Temple Square block, those interested in learning more about genealogy flock to the Family History Library, the largest library of its kind in the world. Next door is the Church History Museum, which tells the story of the worldwide Church through educational exhibits and programs. Both buildings are free and open to anyone. Those interested in learning more about Latter-day Saint history can also visit the Church History Library, located northeast of Temple Square.
Just south of the Church History Library are the 28-story Church Office Building (built in 1972) and the classical-style Church Administration Building (completed in 1917). Because these structures are used for Church employees and Church leaders, both are closed to the public.
Another favorite haunt for visitors is the century-old Joseph Smith Memorial Building, which was formerly the Hotel Utah. This building welcomes the public to its restaurants and banquet rooms and provides office space for Church employees.
Other popular traditions on Temple Square include the annual display of Christmas lights and a tour of two nearby homes built in the 1800s for Church President Brigham Young and his family. At the bottom of one of the homes is the Lion House Pantry restaurant, which serves homestyle cooking.
09/06/2022