The new Nauvoo Temple Visitors’ Center of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in historic Nauvoo, Illinois, will be dedicated by Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Saturday, June 27, 2026. The restored Brigham and Mary Ann Young Home will be rededicated at the same time.
The new visitors’ center will feature historical artifacts, interactive exhibits, a short film, a stunning Tiffany stained-glass window of Jesus Christ, and children’s activities. Stories and messages focus on the history and significance of Nauvoo’s original temple, the current Nauvoo Illinois Temple and the importance of houses of the Lord in the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.
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| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
“Our hope is that all who come here will feel the love of Jesus Christ and gain a deeper appreciation for the sacred covenants and ordinances of His holy house,” said Elder Kyle S. McKay, the Church Historian and Recorder. “The vast majority of covenants and ordinances performed in temples today were first restored in Nauvoo.”
The recently restored Brigham and Mary Ann Young Home was initially restored in the 1960s, and it has since received structural and program updates. The new guided tour focuses on the preparations of the Young family to leave their Nauvoo home and begin the long journey to the West.
June 27 marks the 24th anniversary of the dedication of the reconstructed Nauvoo Illinois Temple. The date also commemorates the martyrdom of Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum Smith, who were killed in Carthage, Illinois, on June 27, 1844.
The dedicatory session will be a ticketed event for in-person attendees; it will also be broadcast live at https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/broadcasts/nauvoo-vc-dedication for anyone who wishes to participate. The broadcast can also be viewed at multiple locations in Nauvoo.
The Nauvoo Temple Visitors’ Center (155 Wells Street, Nauvoo, Illinois) and the Brigham and Mary Ann Young Home (610 Kimball Street, Nauvoo, Illinois) will be open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5:00 p.m., starting Monday, June 29, 2026. Admission is free. For more information about these sites, please visit https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/learn/history/sites/historic-nauvoo .
About Nauvoo
Nauvoo is a place of rich history for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In Nauvoo, Saints learned more about the purpose of the Lord’s house, including the divine nature and potential of humankind, and the promise of eternal families. It was the Church’s headquarters from 1839 to 1846. Nauvoo was the site of important changes in Church organization, including the establishment of the Relief Society — an organization that today includes more than 8 million women worldwide. In Nauvoo, Joseph Smith also authored the Church’s Articles of Faith, a concise declaration of the Church’s core beliefs.
Construction began on the original Nauvoo Illinois Temple in1841, and it was dedicated in 1846. Despite persecution and the death of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, many received temple blessings before their exodus West in 1846. A fire and subsequent tornado destroyed the building. President Gordon B. Hinckley announced the reconstruction of the temple on the historic site on April 4, 1999, and it was dedicated on June 27, 2002 (the anniversary of the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith).