The public is invited to tour this house of the Lord from June 18 through July 11, 2026
The open house for the San Diego California Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began on Monday, June 15, 2026, with a media day for journalists and invited guests. Doors will open to the public from June 18 through July 11, 2026 (excluding Sundays).
The temple, which closed in 2023 for extensive renovation, will be dedicated on Sunday, August 23, 2026, at 11 a.m. (rebroadcast at 2 p.m.).
“The temple is the most sacred place on earth to us as members of the Church,” said Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “It is a place of holiness, of peace, of revelation, of receiving our answers to our prayers. It’s very, very important to us. It is a testament to us of the immortality of the soul.”
Each temple is considered a house of the Lord, where Jesus Christ’s teachings are reaffirmed and His power is used to enable families to be united for eternity. In the temple, Church members can seek peace and guidance, learn more about the purpose of life and make covenants to follow Jesus Christ and serve their fellow men and women.
At a news conference on Monday, Elder Andersen told journalists that everything in the temple teaches about Jesus Christ.
“This is a time for us to declare very strongly our knowledge of Jesus Christ, of our belief in Him, our faith in Him, our hope in Him,” Elder Andersen said. “Some people don’t know exactly where we stand on this, but we are The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and we’re so happy to be able to declare His name.”
Elder I. Raymond Egbo of the Seventy said he hopes local journalists felt something special during their walk through the temple.
“[We hope] everyone who goes through the temple has this ‘aha’ moment where they come to the realization that they have felt the Spirit in here, even though [the temple is] not yet rededicated, that they have felt the Spirit of the Lord witnessing to their spirit that this truly is God’s house,” Elder Egbo said.
Deon Travers of the Del Mar California Stake spoke about how a temple open house is an opportunity to show friends and family what goes on inside this sacred space.
“They’ve seen it driving by. They’re so curious,” Deon said. “Now we can offer them a little opportunity to come in and join us and see what it’s all about.”
Kari Travers emphasized that the house of the Lord is a place for young people as well.
“The youth love coming here,” Kari said. “It’s a place where they can leave the worries of the world behind and just feel the peace and be close to the Savior.”
A Landmark in San Diego
The San Diego California Temple is a four-story building that sits just off Interstate 5 near the city’s La Jolla community. The structure’s unique design, featuring 10 spires, is unlike any other Latter-day Saint temple in the world. The spire on the east side features a statue of Moroni, a prophet from the Book of Mormon.
“The temple itself is stunning when you drive on the freeway and you see it,” said Church Historian Spencer McBride. “It’s white, and the people who built the temple blew chips of marble into the plaster on the exterior to give it kind of a glisten, especially when the sun hits it.”
Giving the temple an extra shine connects it to the Church’s first temple in Kirtland. The early Saints put broken china and crockery into the stucco finish for the same effect.
McBride also noted distinctive interior features, including a celestial room that spans two levels and an atrium at the temple’s center— a rare design among Latter-day Saint temples.
“The ceilings are high. You can go to a second level of the celestial room [and] look up and just be in awe of the space while taking in the serenity of that space,” he said.
The temple’s striking design has made it a recognizable landmark in the area.
“I have a lot of friends that drive past here and think it’s the most beautiful building — they always call it a castle,” said Sheantala Abello, a local young adult.
The Renovation
The San Diego Temple renovation was primarily driven by the need to replace aging art glass windows that were suffering from heat damage and cracking. During the project, the windows were redesigned with modern insulated glass units and repositioned to allow the art glass to breathe, preventing future heat buildup. This required extensive scaffolding, which prompted the team to address all other aging systems simultaneously.
Other exterior updates include restoring the marble-crete facade to its original sparkle, addressing staining from Interstate 5 traffic and marine layer growth, and refreshing the landscaping.
Church Special Projects manager Joshua Young said maintaining the temple’s sparkle was the most difficult part of the project, but also the most satisfying.
“That was for sure the biggest challenge but also the most rewarding when we figured out a process that would work and provide that same aesthetic appeal that it’s always had,” he said.
Significant interior work was also completed. The team installed a new mechanical system with updated HVAC equipment, Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant bathrooms, and refreshed interior spaces with new carpet and paint. The most notable interior changes included converting the outdated cafeteria and dining room into a workers’ break room and a large marriage waiting room (accommodating 85 people), and combining two sealing rooms to create one larger sealing room. Most other areas received restoration and refurbishment rather than major remodeling, preserving the temple’s original character while bringing it up to modern standards.
“It is very rewarding to see the work that we put in, the effort, the time, and to see what it’s turned into,” Young said. “I’m excited for the open house, excited for the dedication so that it can return and be operational as it’s meant to be.”
The History, Impact and Invitation
The San Diego Temple was the 45th temple built by the Church. This house of the Lord was first dedicated in April 1993 by President Gordon B. Hinckley and was the third temple in California.
“There was a lot of excitement when the San Diego Temple was announced [in 1984],” McBride said. “The idea of having a temple in San Diego, accessible to so many local Latter-day Saints, was just thrilling. That’s an idea most Latter-day Saints can relate to. You want a temple close. We love all our temples — but you love your local temple.”
The renovated temple will serve some 50,000 Church members in San Diego County, the southern part of Riverside County and east to Yuma, Arizona.
Local Latter-day Saints say the reopening brings both convenience and renewed joy after nearly three years of traveling greater distances to worship.
“To know that San Diego Temple — our temple — is going to be reopening and we can be here as frequently as we want and not have it be an all-day affair … it just really makes us feel joyful,” said Jan Draper, a member from the area.
Today, 12 temples are announced, under construction or operating in the state. Dedicated temples in California are the Feather River, Fresno, Los Angeles, Newport Beach, Oakland, Redlands, Sacramento and Yorba Linda Temples. The Modesto Temple is under construction, and the Bakersfield and Sunnyvale Temples have been announced.
Nearly 730,000 Latter-day Saints reside in California, meeting in over 1,000 congregations.
Neal Walton, a local stake president, said the last time the San Diego Temple was open to the public was more than three decades ago.
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity,” he said.
Elder Andersen extended that same welcome to everyone in the community.
“We welcome you,” the Apostle said. “Many have seen this beautiful building for years and wondered what it is like inside. Nothing here is secret — it is sacred to us. We are grateful you can come, see and feel the goodness and holiness of what happens in this house of the Lord.”
