Temple Square Sightseeing

UPDATE 2023: Temple Square is currently undergoing multiple construction projects, including seismic retrofit and renovation of the Salt Lake Temple, building a new visitor’s center and redeveloping the gardens. Access to some of the buildings and areas will be restricted.

Temple Square is Utah's #1 visitor attraction, with 5 million visitors a year! It's also the second-most visited religious site in America. Originally a 10-acre block surrounded by a wall, Temple Square has expanded over the years to 35-acres and contains over a dozen major buildings both old and modern.  

Salt Lake Temple

Constructed in 1893, the Temple is the most iconic building on Temple Square, and is referred to by locals specifically as the Salt Lake Temple. It is currently one of 159 such Mormon buildings in the world and is the largest by square footage. The gothic style of architecture and granite stone material is accentuated with a 12-foot tall, gold-leafed angel statue on the highest spire. In the Mormon religion, temples are special buildings not used for regular Sunday worship services and are even closed on Sundays. Worship services occur on Sundays and are open to the public, whereas temples are not open to the public. 

Join us on one of our sightseeing tours of Temple Square for fascinating insights, stunning photo opportunities, and entertaining stories about this impressive pioneer-era building that took 40 years to build.

Salt Lake Tabernacle

Home to the world-famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the Tabernacle is a pioneer-era auditorium built in 1867. Referred to by locals as either the Tabernacle or the Salt Lake Tabernacle, it was one of about 100 tabernacles built by the Mormons in the century following their arrival in Utah, though today less than half of them still stand. The word "tabernacle" comes from the Old Testament, though in the Mormon church Tabernacles were historically used as a gathering place for the community, as well as places of general worship. The Salt Lake Tabernacle on Temple Square is open to the public daily and hosts the world's longest continually running network broadcast, Music and the Spoken Word, performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

If your travel plans allow you to be in Salt Lake City on Sunday or Thursday then you're in for a real treat! Sunday morning the Mormon Tabernacle Choir performs a live broadcast concert and Thursday evening is a rehearsal. The Sunday morning concert begins at 9:30 AM and the Thursday evening rehearsal begins at 7:30 PM and runs for two hours until 9:30 PM.

Hearing the Mormon Tabernacle Choir can be combined with a sightseeing tour of Salt Lake City

Historic Hotel Utah

Built in 1911 as a luxury hotel that every American president since Taft stayed at, the Hotel Utah was "The Classy Lady" of Salt Lake City. No longer a hotel, today this historic building is known as the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. A popular venue for wedding receptions, it also contains three restaurants, a movie theater that shows free Mormon films, the Family Search Center (a branch of the famed Family History Library), and office space. Although converted from a hotel in 1987, the Joseph Smith Memorial Building preserved the exquisite design and craftsmanship of the grand lobby. Visitors are always quite impressed with the stained glass ceiling and massive chandelier. Visit the 10th floor to find viewing areas of the mountains and one overlooking Temple Square; if your schedule allows, this observation window offers a stunning view and photo opportunity of sunset.