- Crews completed key restoration components within the Salt Lake Temple's sacred rooms this month.
- Progress has also been made to new entrances within Temple Square.
- The Salt Lake Temple remains set to reopen in 2027, with a six-month public open house planned.
SALT LAKE CITY — Crews have now completed key restoration pieces within many of the Salt Lake Temple's sacred rooms as renovations to Temple Square continue.
Ceiling and wall finishes were "carefully restored" within the 132-year-old temple's celestial room, a sacred space for prayer and reflection for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, church officials said in the latest project update Friday.
Painting and finish work have also been completed in other parts of the historic building. They added that sealing rooms in the complex's north addition now has green, blue and yellow features to reflect "historically inspired colors." New chandeliers, designed to resemble those of the late 1800s, were also installed in the rooms used for temple marriages and other sacred ceremonies for members of the faith.
Crews added new chandeliers, wall sconces and ceiling medallions to the bride's suite, all of which seek to replicate the "original appearance of the room," according to the church. They note that teams are also putting the "finishing touches" on the large assembly room within other parts of the temple, installing parquet flooring and refurbishing four spiral staircases in the room.
As for the building's exterior, construction crews have also made giant leaps toward creating two new entrance buildings within Temple Square. The new spaces will serve as gathering and waiting areas for guests and patrons, offering "convenient access" to the temple, church officials added.
Friday's update comes a week before the church's 195th Semiannual General Conference, scheduled for Oct. 4-5. Most of Temple Square has reopened since the massive renovation and seismic retrofitting project began in late 2019, but visitors will still find some areas closed off. Areas directly north and south of the temple remain closed, along with the Beehive House and Lion House — two historic buildings also undergoing renovations — per the latest construction update.
The Salt Lake Temple is slated to reopen in 2027, starting with a public open house period that will run from April to October that year. The open house is projected to attract more than 3 million visitors downtown before the temple is rededicated.
Planning for those projections is still going on, but the church announced last month that it will close and demolish the Salt Lake Plaza Hotel near Temple Square, temporarily using the space for additional parking in 2027.
