Salt Lake Temple to open to public for first time since 1893

Overview

Updated 2 days ago

The Salt Lake Temple's interior has been off-limits to non-members since 1893. The church released a second batch of free timed tickets for the 2027 open house on October 1, after the first wave of 1 million sold out in 24 hours.

At general conference October 3-4, President Dallin H. Oaks invited the world to the celebration and premiered a new video series, 'Dedicate.' Construction barriers around Temple Square came down in September. The temple closed in December 2019 for a seismic retrofit; after the open house, it will be rededicated and closed to non-members again.

Why it matters

Non-members have been kept out of the Salt Lake Temple since 1893. This six-month open house is the only chance anyone will ever get inside.

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Key Indicators

134 years

Time since non-members last entered the temple

The last public open house preceded the 1893 dedication.

180

Open house window

April 5 to October 1, 2027, before the temple is rededicated.

4-5M

Visitors expected during open house

Church and civic leaders project 4 to 5 million guests over six months.

222

Dedicated Latter-day Saint temples worldwide

The Salt Lake Temple is the faith's flagship; 163 more temples are planned or under construction.

Tickets claimed in first 24 hours

First wave of free reservations sold out within a day.

22,000

Daily visitors expected

Church plans shuttle service and parking for the daily crowd during the six-month open house.

20,000+

Volunteers already signed up

Church expects 35,000 volunteers for the open house and celebration events.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

Ever wondered what historical figures would say about today's headlines?

People Involved

Russell M. Nelson

President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Former president; presided during the temple renovation announcement and early construction

Brigham Young

Second church president; directed temple construction

Historical figure; died 1877 before the temple was finished

Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Apostle; chairs the Salt Lake Temple Executive Committee

Promoting the open house and ticket releases

Dallin H. Oaks

President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Invited the world to the Salt Lake Temple Celebration at general conference

Organizations Involved

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Religious Organization

Owner of the Salt Lake Temple; organizer of the renovation and open house

The church has 222 dedicated temples worldwide, with 163 more planned or under construction; the Salt Lake Temple is its flagship.

Visit Salt Lake

Tourism bureau

Promoting the open house as a destination event

The official tourism marketing organization for Salt Lake County.

Timeline

July 1847 October 2027

14 events Latest: 4 days ago Showing 8 of 14

Tap a bar to jump to that date

October 2027
Open house ends, rededication expected
Upcoming Scheduled Event

Open house ends; temple rededicated and closed to non-members again.
October 1st, 2027
April 2027
Public open house begins
Upcoming Scheduled Event

Six-month open house begins; public enters temple for first time since 1893.
April 5th, 2027
October 2026
President Oaks Invites the World to Temple Celebration
Latest Announcement

In general conference closing remarks, President Dallin H. Oaks invited the world to the Salt Lake Temple Celebration and premiered the 'Dedicate' video series.
4 days ago
Second Batch of Open House Tickets Released
Milestone

The church released another batch of free open house tickets at 6 p.m. MDT, following the first wave of 1 million that sold out in 24 hours.
7 days ago • 6:00 PM
September 2026
Church outlines open house transportation plans
Planning

Church officials detailed plans for the open house's expected 22,000 daily visitors, including shuttle service from a 1,700-stall parking lot at North Temple and Redwood Road.
September 25th, 2026
Statue of Christ installed on Temple Square
Construction

A new statue of Christ was installed on Temple Square as construction barriers around the Salt Lake Temple came down.
September 25th, 2026
First Wave of 1 Million Tickets Claimed
Milestone

All 1 million free reservations for the 2027 open house were claimed within 24 hours of the September 1 release.
September 2nd, 2026
Open house tickets released
Announcement

First wave of free timed open house tickets released; demand is high.
September 1st, 2026
April 2026
Visitors' center opens
Construction

New visitors' center opens with exhibits, temple model, and replica rooms.
April 13th, 2026
December 2019
Temple closes for renovation
Construction

Salt Lake Temple closes; work begins on foundation isolation system.
December 29th, 2019
April 2019
Seismic renovation announced
Announcement

Church announces seismic renovation to protect the landmark from earthquakes.
April 6th, 2019
April 1893
Salt Lake Temple dedicated
Historical

Temple dedicated; public open house precedes closure to non-members.
April 6th, 1893
February 1853
Groundbreaking begins 40-year build
Historical

Groundbreaking launches a 40-year, largely hand-built construction project.
February 14th, 1853
July 1847
Pioneers arrive, temple site chosen
Historical

Brigham Young leads pioneers into the valley and picks the temple site.
July 24th, 1847

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Scenarios

Several Million Visitors Tour Salt Lake Temple

Likely Resolves by Oct 15, 2027

Discussed by: Visit Salt Lake, which expects 'several million' guests

Ticket waves sell out quickly through late 2026 and early 2027. Visitors from around the world fill the six-month window, making the open house among the largest religious tourism events in the U.S. The church reports attendance in the millions.

Construction Delays Push Open House Past April 2027

Unlikely Resolves by Apr 5, 2027

Discussed by: Visit Salt Lake, whose planning page says the renovation wraps at the end of 2026

Finishing work on the seismic retrofit or interior spaces slips past the end of 2026. The church postpones the April 5, 2027 opening, disrupting travel plans and compressing the rededication timeline.

Salt Lake Temple Rededicated After Six-Month Open House

Likely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Church leaders; the sequence used after the Washington D.C. Temple renovation

The open house runs its full six months, and the church holds a rededication ceremony in late 2027. The temple returns to members-only use, ending the longest period of public access in its history.

Virtual Tour Extends Open House to a Global Audience

Likely Resolves by Apr 5, 2027

Discussed by: Church Newsroom, which announced a virtual tour is being developed

The church is building a guided virtual tour and a self-guided discovery tour, both launching April 5, 2027. If the in-person open house draws the expected 4 to 5 million visitors, the virtual experience could let millions more see the temple long after the doors close.

Dedicate Video Series Reaches Global Audience

Likely Resolves by Oct 1, 2027

Discussed by: Church Newsroom, which announced the series at general conference

The 'Dedicate' video series premiered after general conference on October 4, 2026. More episodes are planned, including a virtual tour of the Salt Lake Temple. If the series reaches millions worldwide, it could extend the open house's reach beyond the 4-5 million expected in-person visitors.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

April 1893

Salt Lake Temple dedication (1893)

After 40 years of construction, the Salt Lake Temple was dedicated on April 6, 1893. In the weeks before, the church opened the building to the public so non-members could walk through it.

Then

The doors closed to non-members after dedication and have stayed closed.

Now

The 1893 open house remained the only time the public ever saw the interior.

Why this matters now

The 2027 open house repeats that event for the first time in 134 years.

2022

Washington D.C. Temple open house (2022)

The Washington D.C. Temple reopened in 2022 after a multi-year renovation. The church held a public open house before rededicating it, drawing large crowds in the D.C. region.

Then

The open house introduced the church's modern template for temple reopenings.

Now

It established the template the church uses for major temple reopenings.

Why this matters now

The Salt Lake open house uses that template at a much larger scale.

December 2024

Notre-Dame de Paris reopening (2024)

On December 7, 2024, Notre-Dame reopened, five and a half years after a fire destroyed its roof and spire. World leaders attended, and visitor numbers surged afterward.

Then

The reopening was a global event covered worldwide.

Now

The cathedral resumed its role as one of the world's most visited religious sites.

Why this matters now

It shows how a landmark religious building's reopening can draw global attention, the same pull the Salt Lake open house expects.