The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Thursday it will begin a phased reopening next month of 22 historic sites, including four in Utah.
Shuttered for more than a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, eight of those sites will start welcoming guests May 1, while the other 14 will do so May 28.
In Utah, the following attractions in and around St. George will reopen May 1:
• Brigham Young Winter Home and Office.
• Hamblin Home.
• St. George Tabernacle.
(Photo courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) The Brigham Young Winter Home and Office in St. George.
• On May 28, Cove Fort, located near the junction of Interstates 15 and 70 in south-central Utah, will follow suit.
The sites will reopen based on local conditions, government guidelines and missionary staffing availability. Tour groups will be limited to no more than 20, the Salt Lake City-based church stated, and visitors will be required to physically distance and wear masks indoors.
“We’re thrilled that the church’s historic sites will be open to visitors this summer,” Church Historian and Recorder LeGrand R. Curtis Jr. said in a news release. “We know people are anxious to visit and the missionaries are eager to welcome them. Visiting the sites is a great way for individuals and families to enhance their understanding of church history.”
Some sites may need to close again based on local conditions and regulations. Visitors are encouraged to check historic sites’ web and Facebook pages frequently for the most recent information.
These other historic are also poised to reopen May 1:
(Photo courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Carthage Jail in Nauvoo, Ill.
• Mormon Battalion Center at San Diego.
• Carthage Jail (Illinois).
• Historic Nauvoo (Illinois).
• Kanesville Tabernacle (Iowa).
• Mormon Trail Center at Winter Quarters (Nebraska).
These attractions will come back on line May 28:
• Grandin Building: Book of Mormon Publication Site (New York).
• Hill Cumorah (New York).
• Sacred Grove (New York).
• Whitmer Farm: Church Organization Site (New York).
• Independence Visitors’ Center (Missouri).
• Liberty Jail (Missouri).
• Historic Kirtland (Ohio).
• Johnson Home (Ohio).
• Morley Farm (Ohio).
• Priesthood Restoration Site (Pennsylvania).
• Joseph Smith Birthplace (Vermont).
• Martin’s Cove: Mormon Trail Site (Wyoming).
• Sixth Crossing: Mormon Trail Site (Wyoming).
