Vacation Ideas: Temple Square, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

nTemple Square is located in downtown Salt Lake City situated on a beautifully landscaped 10-acre plot of ground. It is one of Utah’s most visited attractions.nnMormon Tabernacle Choir and Tabernacle OrgannnVisit the home of the world-famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir. The auditorium is dome-shaped and so acoustically sensitive you can hear a pin drop on the pulpit 170 feet away at the back of the hall. Enjoy the symphony of sound from a magnificent pipe organ with 11,623 pipes, one of the world’s great musical instruments. The Tabernacle organ was originally built by Harris Ridges. The organ has been rebuilt, electrified and enlarged to its current size.nnA Gothic-style building with stained-glass windows sits on the southwest corner of Temple Square. This is the Assembly Hall, a jewel of a building, constructed by Latter-day Saint pioneers in 1877. The Temple Square Concert Series presents complimentary hour-long concerts every Friday and Saturday evening. Admission is Free. Only those eight years of age or older are admitted to the concerts performed by local and international artists. nnJune through August, the Temple Square Concert Series performs Concerts in the Park at the Brigham Young Historic Park on the southeast corner of State Street and Second Avenue.nnConcerts are held Tuesday through Saturday during the Christmas season.nnSeagull MonumentnnThe Seagull Monument located on Temple Square stands a memorial to the flocks of seagulls that saved the crops of the early Saints in the Salt Lake Valley during the summer of 1848.nnNorth Visitor’s CenternnThere is a magnificent 11-foot statue of the Savior, and on the recently remodeled main and lower levels there are exhibits on the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Representatives are available for complimentary tours of the visitor’s center and Temple Square as well as other sites nearby.nnThe Museum of Church History and ArtnnFeatures:nn• A covered wagon like those used by pioneersn• An immigrant’s ship bunkn• View of an 1847 log homen• An original 1830 Book of Mormonn• Fine art from around the worldn• Exhibits about migration, settlements and men who served as prophets and presidents of the Church from 1830 to presentn• Interactive media, films, and demonstrations enhance the treasured artifacts, art, and documentsn• Children’s activities such as puppet shows, films, and costumed actors.nnTour the Joseph Smith Memorial Building that was formerly the Hotel Utah built in 1911. The stately building has been completely renovated and reopened in 1993, named in honor of the man who was instrumental in restoring the gospel of Jesus Christ, translating the Book of Mormon and organizing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In the building’s Legacy Theater you can view the film that last approximately 70 minutes and depicts the life and legacy of Joseph Smith.nnTake a look at the Salt Lake Valley from the 26th-floor observation decks of the 28-story Church Office Building, which is headquarters of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. On the east, is a view of the Wasatch mountain range, on the west is the Oquirrh range, and the State Capital Building to the North. This view is one great way to become oriented on a visit to Salt Lake City.nnThe Beehive HousennThis is a free 30-minute tour of the home Brigham Young and his family lived in during the 1800s. It is now a National Historic Landmark, beautifully restored with furnishings of the period. The house was built in 1854 and was Brigham Young’s home when he was President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and governor of the Utah Territory.nnSource: Temple Square, Salt Lake City, Utah OnlinennImportant Disclaimer: The URL address in the resource box of this article is not associated with any of the attractions mentioned in this article. This article and the web site are offered as a resource for formulating vacation ideas.nnnnThis article is FREE to publish with the resource box.nn© 2007 Connie Limon All Rights Reservednnn