Mormon Temple Will Allow Visitors For The First Time In Decades

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- For the first time in more than 40 years, the Mormon Temple in Montgomery County will allow non-Mormons to see the inside of the building.

Many commuters catch a glimpse of the castle-like structure in Kensington daily while traveling along the Capital Beltway. That is the most anyone who isn't a member of the Mormon faith has seen of the church in years, because it is not open to the public.

The last open house at the temple was on November 2, 1974. According to TheMormonNewsroom.org, the twelfth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Spencer W. Kimball, dedicated the 160,000-square-foot facility that month.

Now, because of upgrades needed within the temple's mechanical system, the building is scheduled to close in March 2018. It will not reopen until 2020. Also during that time, the building's furnishings will be "refreshed," according to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The temple will be rededicated once the project is complete. More details will be provided on the planned open house and rededication closer to the project's completion.

The Oakland California Temple will also be undergoing construction beginning in March of next year.

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