Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Temple Renovation

On July 31, 2023, the San Diego California Temple closed for extensive renovations. A public open house and rededication will be announced following the completion of the renovation. During the closure, members of the Church in Southern California are encouraged to attend other temples in the area.¹

Temple Locale

Situated near the upscale community of La Jolla in San Diego, the striking double towers of the San Diego California Temple soar above I-5 in heavily populated Southern California. Connecting the towers at the center is a star-shaped atrium filled with a colorful garden. The atrium is accessed from the two-story Celestial Room featuring towering art glass, suspended light fixtures, and a grand staircase to an upper-level balcony. The public is invited to tour the manicured temple grounds and a visitors' center honoring the San Diego Mormon Battalion, located 10 miles south of the temple in Old Town San Diego.

Temple Facts

The San Diego California Temple was the third temple built in California, following the Los Angeles California Temple (1956) and the Oakland California Temple (1964).

The architects for the San Diego California Temple were William S. Lewis, Jr., design architect; Dennis Hyndman, project architect; and Shelly Hyndman, interior design architect. The Hyndmans, who are Roman Catholic, had not toured the interior of a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints until the Las Vegas Nevada Temple open house commenced in 1989.

After suffering a mild heart attack four months earlier, President Ezra Taft Benson made his first trip outside the Salt Lake Valley to break ground for the San Diego California Temple—his first time presiding over a temple groundbreaking.

On Monday, December 23, 1991, the 186th anniversary of the birth of the Prophet Joseph Smith, a gilded statue of the angel Moroni was installed atop the eastern spire of the San Diego California Temple. Shortly after the setting, a traveling flock of seagulls—a bird of symbolic significance to the Church—circled the new statue about three times before continuing on its course.

Over 720,000 visitors attended the widely publicized open house for the San Diego California Temple. Tours of the temple were offered for six weeks.

President Benson's ailing health did not allow him to preside at the dedication of the San Diego California Temple. President Gordon B. Hinckley was assigned to dedicate the temple in 23 sessions where 49,273 persons attended.

The San Diego California Temple was honored as Headliner of the Year for 1993 in the landmark category by the San Diego Press Club.

For its efforts during the open house of the San Diego California Temple to increase public awareness of the Church and the role of the temple, the Church was presented with the Public Relations Society of America's prestigious Silver Anvil Award in the category of special events and observances by non-profit organizations.