You’ve probably seen the pictures. That iconic, six-spired neo-Gothic granite marvel standing tall against the Wasatch Mountains. It’s the visual shorthand for Utah. But if you show up today expecting to walk right up to the front doors of the Salt Lake Temple, you’re in for a bit of a shock.
The place is a massive construction zone.
Since 2020, Temple Square has been undergoing one of the most significant seismic renovations in North American history. It’s loud. There are cranes. Massive holes in the earth reveal the foundation of a building started in 1853. Honestly, it’s a weird time to visit, but also kind of the most interesting time. You’re seeing the "bones" of a structure that was never meant to be moved, now being lifted onto state-of-the-art base isolators.
So, how do you actually do a Salt Lake City temple tour when the main attraction is wrapped in scaffolding? It’s doable, but you have to pivot.
The Massive Renovation Elephant in the Room
Let's get the logistics out of the way first. You cannot go inside the Salt Lake Temple. In fact, unless you’re a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in good standing, you could never go inside the temple itself, even before the construction started. Temples are private worship spaces. However, the surrounding 10-acre Temple Square is historically a public-access goldmine.
The renovation is scheduled to wrap up around 2026. Until then, the experience is less about quiet gardens and more about "how on earth did they do that?"
Walking around the perimeter, you’ll see the Church History Museum and the Family Search Center. These are still open. They’ve basically rerouted the Salt Lake City temple tour experience to focus on the history of the pioneers who spent 40 years hauling granite blocks from Little Cottonwood Canyon. It’s a story of grit, or stubbornness, depending on how you look at it.
The Tabernacle: Where the Sound Really is That Good
While the Temple is closed, the Tabernacle is very much alive. This is the big, dome-shaped building that looks like a metallic turtle shell.
💡 You might also like: Where to Stay in Seoul: What Most People Get Wrong
Go inside. Seriously.
The acoustic legends are true. A guide will often stand at the pulpit and drop a pin or tear a piece of paper. You’ll hear it perfectly from the back row. This wasn’t some fluke of modern engineering; it was designed in the 1860s by people who didn't have microphones and needed to be heard by thousands. The roof is held up by a bridge-like truss system because they didn’t want pillars blocking the view.
If you time your visit for a Thursday evening, you can catch the Tabernacle Choir practicing. It’s free. No tickets. Just walk in and sit down. There is something profoundly human about hearing 360 voices hitting a chord in a room designed specifically for that purpose. It’s the highlight of any Salt Lake City temple tour, even for people who aren't religious at all.
Why the North Visitor Center is Gone
People get confused here. There used to be a massive North Visitor Center with a famous statue of Christ (the Christus). That building was demolished as part of the renovation.
Don't wander around looking for it.
Instead, the visitor experiences have moved to the Conference Center across the street. This building is a behemoth. It seats 21,000 people and has a four-acre garden on the roof. It’s a bit surreal to stand on top of a massive auditorium and look out at the city skyline. This is currently the "hub" for tours.
Finding the Secret Gardens
Most people stick to the main gates. That’s a mistake.
📖 Related: Red Bank Battlefield Park: Why This Small Jersey Bluff Actually Changed the Revolution
While the main Temple Square gardens are currently being torn up and replanted, the surrounding blocks owned by the Church are lush. The gardens at the Lion House and Beehive House (Brigham Young’s old residences) offer a glimpse of 19th-century Utah life.
The "Beehive" symbolizes industry. The early settlers were obsessed with it. You see it on the state flag, on the doorknobs, and on the buildings. They wanted to create a self-sufficient desert kingdom called Deseret.
Walking these grounds, you start to realize that the Salt Lake City temple tour isn't just about a building; it's about an era of American history where people moved to the middle of a salt-crusted valley just to be left alone.
What You’ll Actually See on a Guided Tour
If you opt for a guided tour—usually led by "Sister Missionaries" from all over the world—you’re going to get a very specific perspective. They are volunteers. They are incredibly polite. They will talk a lot about the purpose of temples, specifically the concept of "eternal families."
It’s worth noting that these tours are free. They don’t take tips.
If you want a more "secular" historical view, you might prefer a self-guided walk with a focus on the architecture. The Salt Lake Temple is a mix of Romanesque and Gothic styles. Look for the symbolism in the stone:
- The Earth Stones: At the base, representing the telestial kingdom.
- The Moon Stones: Showing the different phases of the moon.
- The Sun Stones: Representing the celestial kingdom.
- The Big Dipper: Carved into the west towers to help travelers find their way, both literally and spiritually.
The FamilySearch Center: The Real Hidden Gem
Almost everyone I know who does a Salt Lake City temple tour skips the FamilySearch Center. Big mistake.
👉 See also: Why the Map of Colorado USA Is Way More Complicated Than a Simple Rectangle
Utah is the genealogy capital of the world. The Church has digitized billions of records. You can walk into this building, sit at a high-end computer, and have experts help you find your great-great-grandfather’s ship manifest for free.
It’s addictive. You think you’ll stay for ten minutes and two hours later you’re looking at a census record from 1840s Ireland. It’s a different kind of "connection" than the religious stuff, but it’s arguably just as powerful.
Surviving the Logistics: Parking and Food
Downtown Salt Lake City is a grid. The Temple is the 0,0 point of that grid. If you are at 300 South and 200 East, you are three blocks south and two blocks east of the Temple. It makes navigation easy once you get the hang of it.
Parking right at Temple Square is a nightmare right now because of the construction.
Your best bet? Park at City Creek Center. It’s the high-end mall across the street. The first two hours are free. It’s a beautiful walk through an artificial creek (yes, there are actual trout in it) to get to the Temple grounds.
For food, skip the chains. Go to the Lion House Pantry if it’s open (check seasonal hours during the renovation). They serve "pioneer-style" food. It’s heavy. It’s filling. The rolls are legendary. If that’s closed, there are dozens of spots in City Creek, but the Pantry is where the history is.
Is it worth it during construction?
Honestly? Yes.
Seeing the foundation of the temple exposed is a once-in-a-lifetime sight. These 17-foot-thick walls were built by hand. The fact that they are now being retrofitted with "base isolation"—the same tech used to protect skyscrapers in Japan from earthquakes—is a wild juxtaposition of 19th-century grit and 21st-century engineering.
The Salt Lake City temple tour of 2026 will look very different than the tour of 2019. It’s more spread out now. You’ll spend more time in the Conference Center and the Museum and less time sniffing roses near the Reflection Pool. But the story of the place—this weird, grand, ambitious "Cathedral of the West"—is still there.
Actionable Tips for Your Visit
- Check the Tabernacle Choir schedule: They usually practice on Thursday nights at 7:30 PM. It is the best free concert you will ever attend.
- Download the Temple Square App: Since signage changes constantly due to construction fences moving, the app is actually updated with current pathways.
- Start at the Conference Center: This is where the maps, restrooms, and current visitor exhibits are located during the renovation.
- Use the Skybridge: The bridge connecting the Conference Center parking to the main plaza offers the best "top-down" view of the construction site for photos.
- Visit the FamilySearch Center first: If you want to find your own history, do this early in the day when the staff has more time to give you one-on-one help.