After delaying its scheduled reopening in 2020, the Mormon temple in Kensington, Md., is finally reopening to the public in spring 2022.

Covered in 173,000 square feet of Alabama white marble and visible to thousands of passersby on the Beltway each day, the castle-like building has been closed off to anyone except for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — like all Mormon temples — since its first dedication and open house in 1974.

For 43 years, the temple has hosted a drive-through festival of lights each Christmas on the grounds, but not allowed the general public inside. (Though, our readers have noted that the temple did conduct tours before its official opening date.)

Now, after much anticipation and intrigue, the temple will host an open house for the general public from April 28 to June 4, 2022, with a rededication ceremony June 19. Ticket information will be made available online on November 1. (Some people will get access to the building ahead of the open house: The temple will host a media day on April 28, while invited guests will get private tours from April 19 to April 27.)

Representatives of the LDS’ Washington temple district made the announcement Tuesday at the temple’s visitor’s center during an event that featured state officials, members of the LDS community from the D.C. area, and an immunologist who’s helped the temple make decisions during the pandemic.

“I remember February 2020 when we tried to do this before, but this one’s going to take,” Kent Colton, former president of the D.C. temple and co-chair of its open house committee, said during the press briefing. “This is a landmark building. We’re just excited about this global event, and we want as many people as possible to be able to come, see, and feel the spirit of this temple.”

Colton said the committee planned the reopening for next year to provide time to make sure the event is “as safe and as secure as possible,” referring to COVID-19 restrictions.

Opened nearly half a century ago, the temple saw 758,328 visitors during its first open house, from September to October of 1974. Since then, the temple has served members from D.C., Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. The church says the first open house led to 75,000 missionary referrals. 

The 160,000-square-foot temple closed in March 2018 for a two-year modernization project, which including renovations to its electrical, plumbing, and lighting systems. The renovated building also has new flooring, wood-finishes, and stained-glass windows.

During Tuesday’s event, the committee revealed a 3D model of the temple, which will remain on display at the visitor’s center. Renderings of the building reveal celestial rooms, lavish chandeliers, and massive spaces with hundreds of seats.

For the renovation, the temple kept its “midcentury motif” with a “21st-century flair” to make it “more maintainable, more modern and really relevant for today,” said Dan Holt, project manager for the renovation project, in a statement.

“Our hope,” Holt said, “is that both the design of the building and the materials and equipment that we put in are going to last another 50 to 100 years.”

Members of the LDS community say the temple is more than a 288-foot-tall building, but a symbol of their faith, since the church practices its highest sacraments within the temple walls.

“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, in a statement. “There is a light there. There’s a feeling of hope.”

This story has been updated with information about the temple’s earliest tours. 

Previously:
For The First Time In A Generation, The Mormon Temple Will Open To The Public
At Long Last, Visitors Will Be Able To Peek Inside Mormon Temple