Washington D.C. Temple
Latest News
Recent News Articles
- December 5, 2024 – Elder Andersen and Mongolian Ambassador Open DC Temple Festival of Lights
- October 28, 2024 – Final Week to Experience the ‘Worlds Without Number’ Exhibit at the Washington DC Temple Visitors’ Center
- August 20, 2024 – The DC artisans who paint landmarks gold — and the surprising tool they use
- April 25, 2024 – Professional athlete shares surprising, special impact of a temple tour on her teammate
News Stories
Photo: Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
Festival of Lights Begins at the Washington D.C. Temple
"As we turn the lights on to illuminate these beautiful grounds, I want everyone to know that I believe with all my heart and soul that Jesus Christ came to earth to be the light in the world," said Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles at the lighting of the 2023 Washington D.C. Temple Festival of Lights. He was joined by the Philippines Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Mr. Jaime Ramon T. Ascalon, Jr. In addition to seeing more than 400,000 Christmas lights, visitors will see Nativity créches, international Christmas tree decorations, and nightly holiday performances. Entrance and parking are free, and no tickets are required.
Photo: Padma Inguva
45th Annual Festival of Lights at the Washington D.C. Temple
Elder Quentin L. Cook of Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Ashok Mirpuri, Singapore's Ambassador to the United States, participated in the lighting ceremony held yesterday for the 45th annual Festival of Lights at the Washington D.C. Temple. The lights will come on every night from December 1 through January 2. Visitors can also see 87 nativity scenes from 64 countries inside the visitors’ center where nightly musical performances will be held in the theater. Tickets for the performances are available at dctemple.org. The temple grounds will also have vending machines for charitable giving.
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President Nelson Rededicates the Washington D.C. Temple
President Russell M. Nelson rededicated the Washington D.C. Temple today, following a four-year renovation and a six-week open house attended by hundreds of thousands of guests including members of Congress and Supreme Court Justices. In his rededicatory prayer, he prayed, "Please bless all who step onto these grounds, for whatever purpose, to feel Thy presence and to leave with a renewed sense of hope and an increased desire to draw close to Thee and Thy Son."
Photo: MaryAnn Watkins Houston
President Nelson to Rededicate the Washington D.C. Temple
Church headquarters has released an announcement that President Russell M. Nelson will rededicate the Washington D.C. Temple, scheduled for Sunday, August 14, 2022. He will be accompanied by both his counselors, President Dallin H. Oaks and President Henry B. Eyring, and three members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles including Elders Quentin L. Cook, D. Todd Christofferson and Gerrit W. Gong. The three rededicatory sessions will be held at 10:00 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 5:00 p.m.
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Take an Apostle-Led Virtual Tour of the Washington D.C. Temple
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has released a special virtual tour of the historic Washington D.C. Temple to the public. Guiding the tour are Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, and his wife, Lesa, and Elder Dale G. Renlund, also of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, and his wife, Ruth. Elder Renlund says: "A temple is the most sacred place of worship in our Church, and we are delighted that you would join us for a tour."
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Interior Photographs of the Washington D.C. Temple Released
Invited guest tours of the Washington D.C. Temple have begun, and the Church has issued a news release with photographs and video of the building's interior. The public is welcome to tour the iconic structure beginning Thursday, April 28, and concluding in the summer. Free tickets and information is available at dctemple.org. Latter-day Saints consider temples to be the most sacred space in the world. Ceremonies teach the purpose of life and unite families, past and present.
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CBS Gets an Early Look at the Washington D.C. Temple
Elder David A. Bednar and Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, together with their spouses Sister Susan Bednar and Sister Kathy Christofferson, gave a guided tour of the interior of the Washington D.C. Temple to CBS network correspondent Ed O'Keefe. The stunning landmark on the Capital Beltway has captivated the attention of many, though few have been inside. They will now have that opportunity during the public open house set to begin Thursday, April 28, 2022. Watch the segment from CBS Sunday Morning.
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Washington D.C. Temple Open House Extended
Demand for tours of the Washington D.C. Temple has prompted an extension of the public open house period. In just two weeks, nearly 50% of the available parking reservations were made and many more people have expressed interest. The First Presidency has announced that the rededication of the temple will now take place on August 14, 2022, and the open house will be extended as needed. Parking reservations are available at DCTemple.org (tickets are not required for the tour).
Photo: Aaron Nuffer
Tickets Available for the Washington D.C. Temple Open House
Tickets are now available for the public open house of the Washington D.C. Temple to be held Thursday, April 28, through Saturday, June 4, 2022, excluding Sundays, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The tours are free of charge, and people of all ages, faiths, and no faith are welcome to come inside. The temple will be open to the public for the first time in nearly 50 years for just over five weeks. Come & See!
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Public Open House Announced for the Washington D.C. Temple
The public is invited to an open house of the Washington D.C. Temple, following a two-and-a-half year renovation, that begins Thursday, April 28, 2022, and continues through Saturday, June 4, 2022. The temple will be rededicated in three sessions on Sunday, June 19, 2022. The evening before the rededication, a youth devotional will be broadcast to youth in the temple district. The reopening events for the temple had originally been scheduled for 2020, but they were delayed due to COVID-19. News of the revised open house dates was presented at a media event held at the visitors' center on Tuesday, July 20, 2021. Open house information and tickets will be made available at dctemple.org. "I hope when people come, they will feel the warmth of a place dedicated to God," said Anne Golightly, chair of the temple open house public affairs committee. "There is a light there. There's a feeling of hope."
Photo: Martha Dubyk
Drive-Through Festival of Lights at the Washington D.C. Temple
From December 11 through December 28, 2020, the 43rd Annual Festival of Lights at the Washington D.C. Temple will open as a drive-through experience nightly from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. for the health and safety of participants. The festival is one of the most anticipated Christmas traditions in the DC area with over 400,000 glowing lights. Christmas music will be provided over short-range FM radio, and two life-size nativity scenes will also be on display. Get more information at dctemplelights.churchofjesuschrist.org.
Photo: Galen Fairbanks
Washington D.C. Temple Cutaway Model Under Renovation
The glass case inside the Washington D.C. Temple Visitors' Center that holds the cutaway model of the temple sits empty for now, as the model is undergoing a renovation to match the updated interior of the temple. The renovation of the temple has been completed, but the public open house and rededication have been postponed until large gatherings are deemed safe.
Photo: Stephanie Williams Payne
Washington D.C. Temple Water Features
The water features at the Washington D.C. Temple are operating including a circular fountain with a large center spray and an infinity-style reflection pool near the visitors' center. Beautiful landscaping has filled the grounds, and renovation is nearing completion. An open house that was originally scheduled to begin in September has been postponed in response to COVID-19. The first open house of the temple, held in 1974, drew over 750,000 visitors.
Photo: Galen Fairbanks
Washington D.C. Temple Open House and Rededication Postponed
On June 17, 2020, an announcement was released from Church headquarters stating that the "because of concern for the effects of COVID-19, the open house, youth devotional, and rededication of the Washington D.C. Temple are postponed until large public gatherings are deemed safe." The temple open house was originally to be held from September 24 through October 31 with a rededication on December 13, 2020.
Photo: Stephanie Williams Payne
Washington D.C. Temple Grounds
Spring weather at the Washington D.C. Temple is producing a beautiful collage of colors across the parking lot and into the wooded grounds. Crews are currently resurfacing the parking, making one half light and the other dark. The recently laid sod between the two lots is now a healthy dark green. Construction continues on schedule for an open house in the fall.
Photo: Stephanie Williams Payne
Laying Sod at the Washington D.C. Temple
Strips of deep green grass are appearing on the Washington D.C. Temple grounds, directly in front of the main entrance and water feature. A new railing was recently installed around the rear side of the visitors' center, which has been temporarily closed. The temple is anticipated to open to the public for an open house period beginning in late September.
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Washington D.C. Temple to Open for Tours in September
At a media event held this morning at the visitors' center for the Washington D.C. Temple, the temple open house and rededication dates were announced. The public will have the opportunity to tour this D.C. beltway landmark from Thursday, September 24 through Saturday, October 31, 2020 (except for September 27, October 3, 4, 11, 18 and 25). The temple will be rededicated in three sessions on Sunday, December 13, 2020, with a youth devotional held the evening prior. "This temple is one of the premier temples of the Church," said Brent Roberts, managing director of the Church's Special Projects Department. "The renovation that we're going through right now and that we’ll soon complete will allow the temple to function for many years to come." Before the public tours, a media day will be held on September 15, and private tours conducted September 16–23, 2020.
Photo: Galen Fairbanks
Washington D.C. Temple: A Beautiful Sight
The Washington D.C. Temple is looking more beautiful than ever with scaffolding removed and the full exterior lighting system running each night. The temple has been closed for almost two years and is expected to be completed before the end of this year. Modifications are underway on the reflection pool near the visitors' center.
Photo: Stephanie Williams Payne
Festival of Lights at the Washington D.C. Temple
The 42nd annual Festival of Lights is in full swing at the Washington D.C. Temple. And although Christmas lights have been limited to the areas outside of the construction zone, the stunning backdrop of a glowing white temple still captivates the eyes and imaginations of happy guests. During the past few weeks, more trees and shrubs have been planted and benches installed in the garden areas around the temple and throughout the parking lot.
Photo: Galen Fairbanks
Planting Trees at the Washington D.C. Temple
Trees and shrubs are filling in the garden spaces at the Washington D.C. Temple parking lot while work continues on the circular water fountain feature in front of the entrance. This December, the annual Festival of Lights will proceed as usual in the areas outside of the construction zone. The tradition of Christmas musical events at the Washington D.C. Temple Visitors' Center will also continue. You can reserve free tickets on Eventbrite.
Photo: Stephanie Williams Payne
Reflection Pool Filled at the Washington D.C. Temple
The Washington D.C. Temple reflection pool, located in front of the visitors' center below the wall of picture windows, has been installed and filled with water. Heavy equipment has paved the east parking lot with asphalt, and scaffolding has been removed from around the six spires. The iconic Capital Beltway structure has been closed for renovation for the past 19 months.
Photo: Stephanie Williams Payne
New Stairs Poured at the Washington D.C. Temple Visitors' Center
A large curved staircase has been poured to connect the Washington D.C. Temple Visitors' Center to the temple parking lot, replacing a narrow set of stairs that previously served that purpose. The parking lot will soon be repaved by recycling much of the old parking lot. Inside the temple, the renovation work is progressing beautifully.
Photo: Stephanie Williams Payne
East Parking Removal Completed at the Washington D.C. Temple
Removal of the east parking lot from the Washington D.C. Temple has been completed, and concrete crushers are breaking down the fragments for use in the new parking lot. Art glass is being reinstalled on the west side of the temple while the glass on the east side is being removed. New stairs are being constructed off the visitors' center balcony.
Photo: Michael McCorristin
East Parking Lot Demolition Underway at the Washington D.C. Temple
Landscaping changes at the Washington D.C. Temple are proceeding with the demolition of the east side of the parking lot. The west side was demolished several months ago, allowing for the replacement of water lines. Once demolition is completed, new hard landscaping will be installed and soft landscaping will follow, bringing life and beauty to the grounds of this House of the Lord.
Photo: Anita Norris
Washington D.C. Temple Renovation Progressing on Schedule
It's been over a year since the Washington D.C. Temple closed for a major renovation of the interior, exterior, and grounds. Over the past several months, the west parking lot has been demolished, some trees have been removed, new water lines have been installed, and refurbishment of the stained glass, exterior marble, and spire panels continues. Work is also progressing on the interior including upgrades to the elevators. Crews are uplifted by weekly devotionals and treats provided by local members. The temple is anticipated to be completed in the latter half of 2020.
Photo: LDS Temple Chaser
Repairing the Spires of the Washington D.C. Temple
The sparkling gold spires of the Washington D.C. Temple are undergoing needed repairs as renovation work continues on the 1970s structure. Scaffolding can be seen along one end of the temple where long panes of stained glass are located. The temple has been closed for about six months.
Washington D.C. Temple to Close for Renovation
An extensive renovation has been announced for the Washington D.C. Temple, which will close in March 2018 and reopen for operation in 2020. A public open house, cultural celebration, and rededication service will precede the reopening. The temple was dedicated in 1974.
Musical Talent on Display at Washington D.C. Temple Visitors' Center
Enjoy outstanding musical talent at the Washington D.C. Temple Visitors' Center this Christmas Season including Broadway Star Sandra Turley who performs tonight at 6:00, 7:00, and 8:00 p.m.
New Stakes in D.C. District
On Sunday, April 15, two new stakes were organized in the Washington D.C. Temple District: the Buena Vista Virginia YSA Stake—the first YSA stake created outside of Utah and Idaho; and the Dover Delaware Stake—the second stake created in the state of Delaware, following the Wilmington Delaware Stake created in 1974.
Festival of Lights at the Washington D.C. Temple
The 34th Annual Festival of Lights continues at the Washington D.C. Temple with its nightly performances, international créche exhibit, and stellar light display. It is a spiritually thrilling celebration of the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ.