The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located in Montgomery County is open to the public for the first time in over forty years.

The Washington D.C. area Mormon temple was the first temple built in the Eastern United States (and in Maryland). Symbolism abounds in every detail of the temple’s architecture. There are seven floors, representing the six days of creation and the day of rest. The 6 gold-spired temple (a well-known landmark along the Capital Beltway) echoes the design of the Salt Lake Temple with an 18-foot sculpture of angel Moroni gracing the tallest spire.

Usually closed to the public, the first public open house shortly after the temple’s completion in 1968 was a huge success (758,328 guests attended – including then-First Lady Betty Ford). In March of 2018, it was closed for an extensive renovation project but reopened last month.

The temple is open to the public daily, excluding Sundays, from April 28, 2022, to June 11, 2022. Tickets are free but must be reserved ahead of time.

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