Temple SquareThe heart of Salt Lake City — the granite Salt Lake Temple, the domed Tabernacle, and 35 acres of gardens at the center of the grid

When Brigham Young led the Latter-day Saint pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley in July 1847, he selected this block as the center of the new city — and the Salt Lake grid still counts its addresses outward from the southeast corner of Temple Square. The 35-acre complex grew over the following decades into the spiritual and historic heart of the city, walled in adobe and later open to visitors from every background.

The granite Salt Lake Temple took 40 years to build, from 1853 to 1893, its blocks hauled by ox team and later rail from a canyon quarry to the southeast — six spires topped by the gilded statue of the angel Moroni. Beside it, the Salt Lake Tabernacle's self-supporting elliptical dome, completed in 1867, became famous for its acoustics and as the home of the Tabernacle Choir; the Gothic-style Assembly Hall completes the trio. Reflecting pools, manicured gardens, and seasonal flower displays fill the grounds between them.

Today the square is free and open to all, with visitor centers, art, and guided tours, and the world's largest genealogical resources at the nearby FamilySearch Library. Note that the Salt Lake Temple itself is in the middle of a major multi-year seismic renovation — the building is closed and partly fenced — but the gardens, Tabernacle area, and surrounding sites remain open. The grounds are most magical during the holiday season, when hundreds of thousands of lights blanket the block.