Temple Square
4.7(20K)google
4.4(311)yelp
HistoryHistoric BuildingCity LandmarkPhoto SpotFree
Overview
Temple Square is a beautifully manicured, 10-acre cultural and religious compound situated in the absolute heart of Salt Lake City, operating as the global headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The stunning centerpiece is the Salt Lake Temple, a magnificent, six-spire granite neo-gothic masterpiece constructed over a grueling forty-year period in the late 19th century. Visitors can explore the world-famous Salt Lake Tabernacle, renowned globally for its acoustic perfection and its massive 11,623-pipe organ, stroll through lush seasonal flower gardens, and interact with educational visitor centers tracking early pioneer migration history.
Practical Info
Every day10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Suggested Duration2-3 hours
Best TimeThe historic geographical epicenter of Salt Lake City, spectacular year-round, but December is legendary for the multi-million bulb holiday light arrays across the 10-acre campus. Daily, wander the plaza between 4:00 PM and 6:30 PM; low evening sun strikes the 210-foot granite spires of the majestic Salt Lake Temple beautifully, illuminating the golden Angel Moroni statue with a spectacular, historic glow.
Getting TherePerfectly positioned in the absolute central hub point at 50 N Temple, Salt Lake City. Public transit features the ultimate connectivity: take the clean, high-frequency Light Rail (TRAX Blue or Green lines) directly to the designated Temple Square Station, situated within the city's downtown Free Fare Zone—letting you ride from nearby hotels completely for free. Driving street lanes is gridlocked; avoid it entirely.
Travel Tips
- Long-Term Centennial Temple Renovation Obstructions: The iconic Salt Lake Temple is undergoing a massive structural earthquake retrofit. The central core remains walled behind construction fencing and heavy tower cranes, obstructing all standard panoramic photography.
- Free Public Campus Access & Unyielding Behavior Codes: Roaming the central gardens costs nothing, but as the international LDS Church headquarters, smoking, vaping, or bringing open containers of beer is strictly outlawed. Maintain respectful demeanor and covered attire.
- Free Tabernacle Choir Weekly Rehearsal Access: Skip high-priced concert ticketing by attending the choir's weekly public rehearsals inside the Tabernacle dome. Doors open freely every Thursday at 7:30 PM with open seating on a first-come, first-served basis.
Reviews
Positive
- The grand granite Neo-Gothic temple soaring over downtown delivers unparalleled visual power; a deep, value-packed cultural architectural marvel.
- Completely open free to global guests; live organ performances inside the Tabernacle offer great fun with legendary, world-famous acoustics.
- The grounds feature global multilingual volunteers who warmly provide detailed, accessible directions in your native language with great care.
- The surrounding TRAX light rail is free within downtown, and cars can park in nearby City Creek garages, providing unmatched transit convenience.
Heads up
- Heavy, ongoing seismic renovation blankets the main temple in scaffolding, cranes, and construction barriers, severely marring photo aesthetics.
- As a central religious landmark, active missionary outreach is very frequent; casual travelers seeking pure architectural peace may feel uncomfortable.
- Entering indoor halls requires multiple strict luggage safety screening checks; peak-season crowds cause slow and slightly sluggish queue management.
- Public restrooms outside core halls struggle to match holiday crowd flows, and trash bins occasionally overflow; food requires walking out to nearby malls.