On 14 February 1853 began the building of the Temple site and large ceremonies were held by Brigham Young, who laid the foundation stone. Officially, the construction began on 6 April (which will be celebrated by the Mormon Church as the anniversary of their founding). |The first of sandstone from a local quarry was blocked, but this proved to be too brittle and therefore unsuitable. From 1858 oxcart granite from Little Cottonwood Canyon – about 30 km southeast of the site was brought. The construction was delayed again and again and came during the state prosecution of the Mormons in the 1880s to a total standstill. After abolition of polygamy in the 1890s and the consequent end of the prosecution the construction was resumed and completed, on 6 April 1893; exactly forty years after construction began.
The temple is the centerpiece of the 40,000 square meters Temple Square; it is 64 meters high and covers an area of approximately 23,500 square meters. As with all the temples of the Church, the access is permitted only to the adult church members with a valid letter of recommendation from their bishop, but there are guided tours for everyone, which explain the appearance of the building.
Right next to the temple, there is the domed Tabernacle, an intriguing building that is home of the famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Here you can see the Mormon Tabernacle Organ that has 12,000 pipes. It is a building that has a somewhat sober exterior, with an astounding interior that will amaze you. Here you can witness demonstrations of the organ acoustics that are held at regularly intervals. Every week, the choir performs for the audience.
If you want your vacation to Salt Lake City to be centered on this temple, you can book accommodation at more than 50 hotels that are located in the area of the temple. Salt Lake Plaza Hotel is located just across the Temple and it is one of the best choices among the Salt Lake city that are located near this great touristic attraction.
Two blocks away from the Square Temple, you can book a room at the Radisson Hotel Salt Lake City Downtown, that is also very close to attractions like the Salt Lake City Art Center, the Delta center, Clark Planetarium or the Crossroads Plaza Mall. A luxury place you can stay either for vacations or for business purposes is the Salt Lake City Marriott Downtown, a four diamond hotel for more than twenty years. The hotel provides tastefully decorated rooms and spectacular views of the mountains beyond the downtown of the city.
If you want more affordable accommodation for your vacation and still be in the vicinity of the Temple, you can choose to book a room at Ellerbeck Mansion Bed and Breakfast, a hotel that is located on a quiet residential street of the city, just five blocks distance from the Temple. Within a mile from this hotel there are plenty of other attractions, like the Brigham Young Memorial Park, the Church Office block and the ZCMI Center.
The Square Temple is perhaps the greatest attraction of the city besides the skiing resorts and for that reason, booking a room to the Salt Lake City hotels nearby can be a great touristic experience for anyone.
