The Washington D.C. Temple open house has been extended a few months to accommodate more public tours, church officials said Friday.
The rededication date of the Washington D.C. Temple has been moved back from June 19 to Aug. 14 due to “historic demand” to tour the newly renovated temple, a prominent landmark along the Capital Beltway in Kensington, Maryland, according to a new statement released by the Temple Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The open house will begin April 28 and be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, excluding Sundays. Tickets for entry to the open house are not required but “parking and shuttle tickets are required in order to access the parking lot or use the metro shuttle,” according to dctemple.org.
Parking tickets can be reserved by visiting dctemple.org/open-house/.
Read the entire statement here:
“Following a multiyear renovation, the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently announced that the Washington D.C. Temple would be open for public tours for the first time since 1974.
“We are inspired by and grateful for the response of friends, neighbors and church members to the invitation to ‘come and see’ the renovated temple. Within two weeks of the announcement, nearly 50% of the available parking reservations were filled, and many more people have expressed interest.
“Given the historic demand to participate in the open house (which begins in April 2022), the First Presidency has now announced that the open house will be extended as needed, and the rededication of the temple will now take place on Aug. 14, 2022.
“Our goal is to invite all to join us to experience the peace, beauty and connection that can be felt in the temple, and to ensure that all who desire to come have a welcoming, safe and orderly experience in this sacred place. We are thankful for the friends and neighbors who are helping make this open house possible.”
The Washington D.C. Temple closed in March 2018 for a major renovation project that included repairs or upgrades to mechanical, electrical, plumbing and lighting systems, along with other refurbishing needs.
Following the renovation, a public open house was originally scheduled for late September and October in 2020, with the rededication to take place on Dec. 13.
But church leaders postponed the public open house and rededication in June 2020 “because of concern for the effects of COVID-19 ... until large public gatherings are deemed safe,” the church said in a statement.
New open house plans and a rededication date were announced on July 20, 2021.