The 4-hectare Temple Square complex in downtown Salt Lake City is property of the Mormon Church. This is the most popular attraction in the state of Utah, drawing millions of visitors a year. The most impressive buildings are the Salt Lake Temple, the Salt Lake Tabernacle and the cathedral-like Salt Lake Assembly Hall. There are tours in 40 different languages.
Temple Square was founded in 1847 by Mormon pioneers who settled in the Salt Lake Valley. This would later become the church’s headquarters. Today, concerts are often held on the square. Around Christmas in particular, thousands of visitors flock here to watch the lights. Outside the Assembly Hall stands the Seagull Monument. According to legend, these birds prevented the pioneers’ first harvest from being devoured by a plague of locusts in 1848.