In 2026, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints reopened the south Visitor Center on Temple Square. However, it is no longer the south Visitor Center, it is now the only Visitor Center on Temple Square. It has some really amazing upgrades that are perfect for a family visit. We’ll take you through the new Temple Square Visitor Center so you know what to expect when you go. The real highlight of the new Visitor Center is the Inside a Temple Tour. You will need to reserve tickets, although the tickets are free.
Visitor Center
The new Visitor Center has two small buildings that are connected with an underground passage. The east building features a model of the Salt Lake City Temple with one side cut away so you can see the rooms inside the temple. This model is not new, and similar models can be seen in other visitor centers. The model gives you a great look into what is inside the historic Salt Lake City Temple.
Go out the door to the west, and you’ll cross a small statue garden. There are a few large bronze statues with informational signs about scenes in the life of the Savior. There is also an amazing photo op that perfectly frames the temple in the background. Make sure to spend a few minutes outside to get your photo.
The small building on the west houses the Christus Statue. This well-known statue is used as a symbol of the church. The massive marble stonework of the Savior with His hands outstretched can be seen in a few other visitor centers around the world as well. This is a great place to sit and ponder and listen to the quiet music before heading downstairs. Both of these buildings have large windows with beautiful views of the temple in the background.
Basement
You can walk down the two flights of stairs from either building (there is also an elevator). In the basement, there are models of temples throughout the world and a few displays about the churches charitable endeavors. We really enjoyed the models because they were to scale, so you could see how large the Washington DC temple is compared to smaller temples. In the basement you will also find the entrance to the Inside a Temple Tour. This new tour is the most informative opportunity for members and non-members to learn about the temple.
Inside a Temple Tour
The Inside a Temple Tour takes you inside a faux temple. A guide explains each room and how it is used for worship. After a short video, you start in the temple foyer at the recommend desk. The next room on the tour is the baptistry, and there is a font there. It feels very much like a Temple Open House, but a guide helps you understand exactly what goes on in this room. The tour continues on to an Instruction Room, a Celestial Room, and a Sealing Room. It is just like being in a temple, but we weren’t dressed up and we were allowed to talk. We loved that we were allowed to ask questions and discuss quietly. It was really an amazing experience, especially for our kids. We were also allowed to take any pictures we wanted.
Currently, the Inside a Temple Tour requires tickets, but tickets are free. Reservations are released every two weeks on Mondays starting June 1. There is a standby line if you are unable to get reservations, but it moves a little bit slower. We were able to walk within at our assigned time with our reservations, but most people were waiting a bout 30 minutes in the standby line when we were there. The good news is that this tour is a permanent installation, so visitors to Temple Square can enjoy it for years to come. It is a great way to see what the inside of a temple is like!
Temple Square
We are excited for Temple Square to slowly open up the rest of the buildings and areas as we get closer to 2027. Here are some of our favorite places around Temple Square, but so are closed in 2026, so check each one for specific info. Right now we recommend visiting the Church History Museum if you are in the Salt Lake area for the Inside a Temple Tour.
