Second Visitors Center Planned for Temple Square

Plans to build a second visitors center for Temple Square have been announced by the First Presidency.

The two-level structure (see architect’s rendering) will be placed on the site of the old Bureau of Information and Museum building constructed in 1902. Artifacts from the old building are now in storage, pending a decision on the possibility of a new Church museum.

The pioneer log cabin at the rear of the existing museum building will be incorporated into the new visitors center and will be featured in an exhibit on temples and the family. It will be located on the north side of the building to provide a striking contrast to the majestic Salt Lake Temple, which visitors to the new building will view through a large picture window.

In addition to the displays on temples and the family, the new center will feature dioramas and exhibits related to the Book of Mormon. Motion pictures, murals, and a videotape learning center will also be housed in the new building.

The need for additional facilities has been dictated by the increasing use of the existing visitors center that was opened in the 1960s. In June of this year some 90,000 people visited the center.