The Majestic Mormon Temple with Perfect Acoustics, Constellations & Gorgeous Gardens

Temple Square, Salt Lake City

Just four days after Mormon pioneers first set foot in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847, Brigham Young picked this spot and said, “Here we will build a temple to our God.”

What followed was an epic 40-year build using granite blocks hauled by ox teams from 20 miles away.

Today, this stunning 10-acre downtown oasis draws millions of visitors yearly with its Gothic spires, legendary gardens, and a tabernacle so perfectly built you can hear a pin drop from 170 feet away.

Nearly Half a Century of Work

Building the Salt Lake Temple took around 40 years, lasting from 1853 to 1893. When the Utah War happened, workers actually buried the foundation and made the area look like a farm to protect it from soldiers who might damage it. They started with sandstone for the foundation before adding stronger materials later.

Brigham Young drew the first design in 1853 for the architect Truman O. Angell and his assistant William Ward. When they finally finished, they dedicated the temple on April 6, 1893, which was three years before Utah became a state.

Built to Withstand Earthquakes

Engineers drilled 46 holes through the temple’s granite walls and installed post-tension cables tightened to half a million pounds. This system connects the temple’s steel structures to its new foundation so it can withstand a 7.3 magnitude earthquake.

Steel plates inside each spire give even more protection. The drilling needed special diamond-edged bits and careful engineering to stay accurate within 3/8 inch over depths of 150 feet.

Gave Purpose to Cast-Off Stones

The Gothic Victorian Assembly Hall was built using stones that weren’t good enough for the main temple. They recycled these ‘cast-off’ stones from 1877 to 1882 instead of wasting them. Obed Taylor designed this beautiful building that sits in the southwest corner of Temple Square.

Helped Changed Church Design Forever

The Salt Lake Temple’s six-spire design was groundbreaking when it was built. The unique Romanesque/Gothic style with symbolic towers made such an impression that many LDS temples built since then have used it as a model.

Workers just finished restoring these spires in October 2024. They removed the scaffolding to show the fully restored towers. During the work, they carefully removed, cataloged, cleaned, and put back over 6,000 stones in their original spots.

You Can Hear a Pin Drop in the Tabernacle

The Salt Lake Tabernacle wasn’t always known for perfect sound. Architect Truman O. Angell fixed the sound problems by adding the gallery in 1870, creating what people now know as a nearly acoustically perfect building.

You can hear this amazing sound yourself during organ recitals every Monday through Saturday at noon. The impressive dome sits on 44 sandstone supports, and the roof uses a special design with dowels and wedges that was quite advanced for its time.

A Constellation Carved Into the Temple

The Big Dipper carved on the west side of the temple lines up with the real night sky. The top stars of this carving actually point to the North Star, just like the real constellation does. This alignment has spiritual meaning about finding your way.

Look closely at the temple’s details and you’ll notice other symbols too. There are clasped hands above each door that represent promises and brotherhood.

Each tower has an all-seeing eye, and you’ll spot beehive symbols on the doorknobs that stand for hard work and dedication.

Many Salt Lake City Streets Start Here

Temple Square works as the starting point for all addresses in Salt Lake City. The first city planners named streets based on how far they were from the Temple. That’s why you see names like ‘North Temple’ and ‘South Temple.’

The number system works the same way. If you’re at 200 South, you’re exactly two blocks south of the Temple. Once you understand this system, finding your way around becomes much easier.

The Secret Building Space Hidden Underground

There’s a huge 100,000 square foot addition hidden underground that includes two baptistries, a baptistry chapel, celestial rooms, and sealing rooms. This expansion adds a second baptistry and increases sealing rooms from 13 to 22.

The new underground hall connects pavilions with special exhibits about the temple. Upstairs you’ll find an updated temple model and a statue of Jesus Christ. Construction teams work carefully on each section to make sure they preserve all the important historical elements while adding modern improvements.

Beehive Designs All Over the Place

You’ll see the beehive symbol on doors and doorknobs throughout Temple Square and even on Utah’s state seal. It represents ‘thrift, industry, perseverance, and order’ that guided the early Mormon settlers.

These values were essential for the pioneers who first settled the Salt Lake Valley. The historic Beehive House gets its name from this important symbol. When renovations finish in 2025, you can tour this historic home and learn more about why this symbol meant so much to the early settlers.

Tour Guides from All Over the Planet

Only female missionaries and senior missionary couples serve at Temple Square. These sisters come from countries all over the world and together speak more than 40 languages, so they can give tours to international visitors in their own languages.

You can take free tours of the grounds, Conference Center, and historical buildings. Since the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, these missionaries have worn special name tags that show their home country’s flag along with their regular missionary identification.

New Statues That Tell Bible Stories

A new statue called ‘Come, Follow Me’ by Ben Hammond was added north of the Tabernacle in December 2024, joining the ‘First Vision’ statue that was installed earlier. More sculptures showing scenes from Christ’s life and teachings are being added throughout 2025 and 2026.

April 2025 saw the addition of a statue celebrating Women of Faith based on one of Christ’s parables. These new art pieces are part of a bigger plan to highlight Jesus Christ’s ministry and to bring important historical monuments back to prominent spots around the square.

It Draws More Visitors Than Utah’s National Parks

About 5 million people visit Temple Square each year, making it the most visited place in Utah. For comparison, Utah’s five national parks, including Zion and Arches, had about 9 million visitors combined in 2022.

When the Salt Lake Temple opens for tours in 2027, they expect over 3 million extra visitors downtown, with space for 22,000 people to visit each day. Both religious and non-religious travelers find the square fascinating, which explains why it draws such big crowds year after year.

Your Guide to Visiting Temple Square

Temple Square welcomes visitors even during renovations. Start at the Conference Center where you can see a model of the temple and watch the construction progress.

You don’t need tickets for most areas, and almost everything is free. Several buildings will reopen in 2025 after renovations:

• Joseph Smith Memorial Building
• Beehive House
• Lion House

The Salt Lake Temple itself remains closed until 2026, with public tours planned for April-October 2027.