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27-477: The building is 420 ft (128 m) tall at roof level and is located within the Temple Square complex on the corner of North Temple and State Street. From 1973 until 1998 the office building was the state's tallest structure. The building was designed by George Cannon Young at a cost of US$ 31 million to build. Construction took place from 1962 to 1972. It was officially dedicated on 24 July 1975 though it

54-673: A cruciform layout of the interior that is complemented by Stars of David circumscribed high above each entrance, which symbolize the gathering of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Construction of the hall began on August 11, 1877, and was completed in 1882. It is just south of the Salt Lake Tabernacle and across from the South Visitor Center near the South Gate. Upon entering Temple Square from the south,

81-422: A husband and wife burying an infant child. The inscription reads, "That the struggles, sacrifices and the sufferings of the faithful pioneers and the cause they represented shall never be forgotten." The first four floors of the building expand outward, to the west and east, to form wings. The north side of each of these wings are without windows, each having stone facades, with large ovals containing relief maps of

108-550: A new, 21,000 seat Conference Center on the block north of Temple Square. In 2020, many of the buildings on and around Temple Square were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic , and the multi-year renovation project . Attracting an estimate of 5-plus million visitors a year, Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Utah. The LDS Church does not provide exact statistical data on

135-762: Is also used for other religious and cultural events. The largest and most recently built assembly building is the LDS Conference Center . With a capacity of over 21,000, it is used primarily for the Church's general conferences as well as for concerts and other cultural events. The Conference Center was completed in 2000. Attached on the northwest corner of the Conference Center is the Conference Center Theater , an 850-seat theater for dramatic presentations, such as Savior of

162-633: Is the sixth temple built by the church since its founding, and the fourth operating temple built following the Mormon exodus from Nauvoo, Illinois . Beginning in 1963, two visitors' centers, called the North Visitors' Center and the South Visitors' Center, were constructed on temple square. The North Visitors' Center was built first and featured a replica of the Christus . The Christus

189-545: The Christmas holiday season, approximately 100,000 Christmas lights sparkle from trees and shrubs around Temple Square each evening until 10 pm. The lighting of Temple Square is a popular event, usually attended by more than 10,000 people. The multiple gates to Temple Square are popular places for critics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—mainly former members and activist evangelical ministers—to picket and hand out tracts and literature critical of

216-626: The Assembly Hall can be seen to the left (west). The Assembly Hall hosts occasional free weekend music concerts and is filled as overflow for the church's twice-a-year general conferences . The second structure is the Salt Lake Tabernacle , home of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square . The Tabernacle was built between 1864 and 1867 with an overall seating capacity of 8,000, including

243-605: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), in the center of Salt Lake City, Utah . The usage of the name has gradually changed to include several other church facilities that are immediately adjacent to Temple Square. Contained within Temple Square are the Salt Lake Temple , Salt Lake Tabernacle , Salt Lake Assembly Hall , the Seagull Monument , and two visitors' centers. The square

270-638: The World , as well as concerts and other events. On the block west of Temple Square, the FamilySearch Library is the largest genealogical library in the world and is open to the general public at no charge. The library holds genealogical records for over 110 countries, territories, and possessions. Its collections include over 2.4 million rolls of microfilmed genealogical records; 742,000 microfiche ; 310,000 books, serials , and other formats; 4,500 periodicals ; and 700 electronic resources. On

297-533: The block northeast of Temple Square and east of the Conference Center is the Church History Library , where the historical records of the Church are stored. The Library is free to patrons, who can come use a large collection of books, manuscripts, and photographs. Senior missionaries provide tours of the public areas of the Library. Patrons can also view a video explaining the mission and purpose of

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324-707: The block west of Temple Square adjacent to the Family History Library, the Church History Museum houses collections of Latter-day Saint art and artifacts. The Museum houses permanent exhibits as well as playing host to temporary exhibits throughout the year. Past exhibits have included the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America , featuring 23 paintings by Norman Rockwell ; displays and artwork from artist Arnold Friberg ; and themed historical displays depicting church events. On

351-542: The building's elevator and service core, with the regular pinstripe pattern on either side. This central part of the tower rises two floors above the observation deck at the 26th floor, and protrudes outward slightly on the southern side. The observation deck is open to the public for free, and provides a good view of Antelope Island and the Great Salt Lake to the northwest, the Wasatch Mountains to

378-515: The choir area and gallery. In March 2007, the Tabernacle was rededicated after extensive renovations and restorations were completed. Spacing between the pews was substantially increased, resulting in a reduced overall seating capacity. The Tabernacle was rededicated at the Saturday afternoon session of the church's 177th Annual General Conference. In addition to housing the choir, the Tabernacle

405-528: The church. They are also well-known locations for street musicians to perform, especially during the holiday season. Temple Square serves as the center point for all street addresses in Salt Lake City. The streets in Salt Lake follow a grid pattern which deviate out from the southeast corner of Temple Square. The Salt Lake Temple is the largest and best-known of the Church's operating temples . It

432-558: The construction of temples , and more. In 1985, the Genealogical Society was moved to another building across the street. During the 2002 Winter Olympics, the west side of the building was draped with the image of a female figure skater. The lobby of the building is dominated by a massive mural depicting the Great Commission . The lobby also features a statue honoring Mormon pioneer sacrifices, which depicts

459-477: The north and east, the skyline of the city to the south, the Oquirrh Mountains to the west, and Temple Square to the immediate west. Visitors can also take a free tour of the gardens surrounding the building. The gardens are completely redesigned every six months, and feature an array of exotic plants and flowers. Temple Square Temple Square is a 10-acre (4.0 ha) complex, owned by

486-537: The number of visits to Temple Square, but visitation is estimated to similar to that of the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone National Park . Visitation to Utah's five national parks — Zion , Bryce Canyon , Capitol Reef , Canyonlands , and Arches —had a combined total of approximately 9 million visitors in 2022. The grounds, as well as the Gardens at Temple Square , often host concerts and other events. During

513-615: The tallest building in the state of Utah. The Hotel Utah, another building on this block, was remodeled in 1995 as additional office space and a large film theater and renamed the Joseph Smith Memorial Building . In 2000, the church purchased the section of Main Street between this block and Temple Square and connected the two blocks with a plaza called the Main Street Plaza. In 2000, the church completed

540-464: The two hemispheres of the earth. On the tower itself, the southern, western, and eastern facades all feature a closely spaced vertical pinstripe pattern of cast quartzite columns flanking the narrow windows, visually reminiscent of the former World Trade Center in New York City , a contemporary structure. The building's northern facade is marked by a narrow blank wall in the center, indicating

567-573: The world, speaking enough languages to cater to the majority of visitors. Beginning with the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, the sister missionaries have been wearing tags with the national flags of their home country along with their missionary name tags. On April 19, 2019, church leaders announced that the South Visitors' Center will be demolished as part of a massive renovation project that will begin December 29, 2019. Two smaller visitors' pavilions will take its place. On June 10, 2021, it

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594-489: Was announced that the North Visitors' Center would be demolished as well. It will be replaced by a garden designed as contemplative space. There are three large assembly buildings housed on Temple Square. The smallest of the three is the Salt Lake Assembly Hall, which seats approximately 2,000 and is on the southwest corner of Temple Square. The Assembly Hall is a Victorian Gothic congregation hall, with

621-543: Was built in 1867 to accommodate the church's general conferences , with a seating capacity of 8,000. Another church building, the Salt Lake Assembly Hall , was later built with a seating capacity of 2,000. As the church has grown, its headquarters have expanded into the surrounding area. In 1917, an administration building was built on the block east of the temple and in 1972, the twenty-eight story LDS Church Office Building , which was, for many years,

648-543: Was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1964, recognizing the Mormon achievement in the settlement of Utah. In 1847, when Mormon pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley , president Brigham Young selected a plot of the desert ground, initially referred to as Temple Block, and proclaimed, "Here we will build a temple to our God." When the city was surveyed, the block enclosing that location

675-515: Was designated for the temple , and became known as Temple Square. Temple Square is surrounded by a 15-foot wall that was built shortly after the block was so designated. The square also became the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Other buildings were built on the plot, including a tabernacle (prior to the one occupying Temple Square today) and Endowment House , both of which were later torn down. The Salt Lake Tabernacle , home of The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square ,

702-493: Was in a room called the Rotunda with large windows, and a domed ceiling painted with heavenly bodies meant to reflect the sky on April 6, 1830, the day that the Church was founded. The visitors' centers and grounds are staffed by full-time sister missionaries and senior missionary couples exclusively; no single male missionaries are called to serve on Temple Square. The sister missionaries serving on Temple Square are from around

729-422: Was in partial use by 1972. Upon its completion, LDS Church leadership centralized its offices in this location, which has facilitated the direction of the expanding religious organization. Work performed within the building includes the production of church-related magazines, translation of church materials into numerous languages, regulation of missionary efforts, production of church films, and matters relating to

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