Sacred Grove

The Sacred Grove in Palmyra, New York, is the site where Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, visited young Joseph Smith Jr. in 1820. That visit, often called the First Vision, began events that restored the Church of Jesus Christ to the earth.
Sacred Grove
Sacred Grove trail
Group Reservations
Submit a request here.
Schedule
Hours
Monday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Sunday
1:00 PM–5:00 PM
Closures
  • Thursday, November 28, 2024 - Friday, November 29, 2024
  • Tuesday, December 24, 2024 - Wednesday, December 25, 2024
  • Wednesday, January 01, 2025

Schedule

Hours
Monday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Sunday
1:00 PM–5:00 PM
Closures
  • Thursday, November 28, 2024 - Friday, November 29, 2024
  • Tuesday, December 24, 2024 - Wednesday, December 25, 2024
  • Wednesday, January 01, 2025
Physical address
843 Stafford Road
Palmyra, New York 14522
USA
View Map

Physical address

843 Stafford Road
Palmyra, New York 14522
USA
View Map
Contact
1-315-597-1671

Contact

1-315-597-1671
Sunlight shines through trees in the Sacred Grove in Palmyra, New York.
Wooden footbridge with railings and pathway with trees that lead to the Sacred Grove in autumn. (horiz)
Various people walk the paths around the Sacred Grove. There are lots of trees around and everything is very green. The families are all standing on dirt pathways. Together they are looking at a plaque that is just off the path.
Various people walk the paths around the Sacred Grove. There are lots of trees around and everything is very green. The families are all walking on dirt pathways.
Various people sit on a bench off pathways around the Scared Grove. There are lots of trees and dirt pathways surrounding.
Fireplace mantle from table view, inside the Smith Family log home in Palmyra, New York. (horiz)
Interior shot of the Smith log home (cabin) on the Smith family farm. This is a shot of the loft in the home. Beds can be seen in the two different rooms.
Exterior of the Smith frame house in Manchester, New York.
An exterior view of Joseph Smith’s family home in Palmyra, New York. The home is made of logs and has a field around it with trees behind. A young boy looks through the window to the interior of the home.
A large spinning wheel, a bed, a dresser, and several chairs in the house on the Smith family farm.
An interior view of Joseph Smith's family home in Palmyra, New York. A family walks inside and interacts with various setups inside. They see artifacts within the home.
Interior of the Smith family frame home, in Palmyra, NY with table, home furnishings, top hat and curtains. (horiz)
Pantry with potatoes, washboard, wash tub and carding comb, in Joseph Smith Sr. family home in Palmyra, NY. (vert)
An interior view of Joseph Smith's family home in Palmyra, New York. A family walks inside and interacts with various setups inside. They see artifacts within the home.
An exterior view of Joseph Smith's family garden in Palmyra, New York. A family walks by the garden outside the home.
A large wooden barn with the doors wide open on the property of the Smith family farm in Palmyra, New York.
Joseph Smith Farm
An exterior view of Joseph Smith's family shed in Palmyra, New York. A wagon is inside a barn area meant for sheltering the wagon and possibly the horse.
Water well on grounds of the Joseph Smith Sr. family farm in Palmyra, NY. (horiz)
An exterior view of Joseph Smith's family home in Palmyra, New York. A family walks by the white building family farm. They are on paths around the farmland.
Smith Farm, Palmyra, Early Spring 2011
The Sacred Grove was part of the farmland originally owned by the Smith family, and today it is a healthy and peaceful forest that is open to the public year-round. Winding paths provide many places for visitors to contemplate the event that occurred here.

On a spring day in 1820, 14-year-old Joseph Smith went alone to this grove of trees and prayed. He was confused about the claims of different religions in the area, and he wanted to know which church he should join. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ came in answer to his prayer. Their answer changed his life, and it continues to change the lives of millions of people throughout the world. To learn more about the events that brought Joseph Smith to pray in the Sacred Grove, click or tap here.

Several founding events for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints took place on the Smith Family Farm. Here, God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ visited the 14-year-old Joseph Smith—an experience now called the First Vision. On September 21, 1823, the angel Moroni first visited Joseph Smith in the family’s small log home. Four years later, Joseph and his wife, Emma, lived in the larger Smith family home with his family when he received the golden plates on the Hill Cumorah. Eight individuals, now known as the Eight Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, were shown the golden plates while visiting the Smith Family Farm in the summer of 1829.
Historic Sites Virtual Tours
Experience historic sites from wherever you live in the world. Schedule a live, virtual tour guided by missionaries or watch a pre-recorded video tour.
Plan Your Visit
Plan Your Visit to the Sacred Grove.
Watch a Virtual Tour Video: The First Vision
Missionaries welcome you into a replica of Joseph Smith’s boyhood home and take you on a walk in the Sacred Grove.
Watch a Virtual Tour Video: The Angel Moroni and Joseph Smith
Missionaries take you to places where the angel Moroni taught young Joseph Smith about his sacred mission: the upstairs bedroom of a log home and an apple orchard.
Watch a Virtual Tour Video: The Smith Family and the Book of Mormon
Missionaries take you on a tour of the restored farm home of Lucy Mack Smith and Joseph Smith Sr., where the Smith family worked together to support Joseph Smith Jr. in his calling to bring forth the Book of Mormon.
Sacred Grove
Sacred Grove trail
Group Reservations
Submit a request here.
Schedule
Hours
Monday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Sunday
1:00 PM–5:00 PM
Closures
  • Thursday, November 28, 2024 - Friday, November 29, 2024
  • Tuesday, December 24, 2024 - Wednesday, December 25, 2024
  • Wednesday, January 01, 2025

Schedule

Hours
Monday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM–5:00 PM
Sunday
1:00 PM–5:00 PM
Closures
  • Thursday, November 28, 2024 - Friday, November 29, 2024
  • Tuesday, December 24, 2024 - Wednesday, December 25, 2024
  • Wednesday, January 01, 2025
Physical address
843 Stafford Road
Palmyra, New York 14522
USA
View Map

Physical address

843 Stafford Road
Palmyra, New York 14522
USA
View Map
Contact
1-315-597-1671

Contact

1-315-597-1671

Related Content

The First Vision: Journey to the Sacred Grove

Walk with the boy Joseph Smith into the Sacred Grove after learning about the experiences that led him there.
Cover art for a Joseph Smith Papers Podcast featuring the First Vision.

The First Vision: A Joseph Smith Papers Podcast

Listen to a six-part miniseries that explores the history and legacy of Joseph Smith’s first vision.
A map of the Smith farm in Palmyra.

Interactive Map: Smith Family Farm and Sacred Grove

Explore places where the Restoration of the gospel began: the Sacred Grove and a reconstruction of the log home where Moroni first visited Joseph Smith. Learn about other historic and modern buildings that now exist at the Smith family farm.
Sacred Grove.

The Sacred Grove

Consider the history of the Sacred Grove, including recent efforts to preserve it for future generations.

Stand in the Sacred Grove

Elder Marlin K. Jensen shares lessons we can learn from the Sacred Grove.

Early Struggles of the Smith Family

Ponder the faith of Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith as you learn about their responses to adversity.

Life on the Smith Farm

Learn about the home and family of Joseph Smith’s parents, Lucy Mack Smith and Joseph Smith Sr.
Last Updated On May 01, 2023