SALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints says the faith’s historic sites will begin re-opening in May.
They closed last March for coronavirus concerns, and many missionaries were sent home from those assignments.
The phased re-opening includes buildings and land around Vermont, Upstate New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Missouri, Illinois, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah and California.
Church historic sites reopening plan
The release from the Church says the sites will reopen based on local conditions, government guidelines and missionary staffing availability. Because each historic site is unique, reopening conditions will vary.
The land and sites are in places where crucial or important events happened in Latter-day Saints church history from the early 1800s on to the present day, including the early days of the church’s first prophet, Joseph Smith, to the travels of the saints through the midwest and then on to the Rockies.
Signs at Martin's Cove. Photo: Mary Richards.
A sister missionary leads a tour of the Grandin Building in Palmyra on Saturday, before it closed ( where the Book of Mormon was first published in 1830) (Photo Mary Richards | KSL NewsRadio)
The First Vision in Palmyra
The Sacred Grove as seen in 1907. Through the trees can be seen the barns on the Joseph Smith, Sr. farm. Photographed by Anderson, George Edward, 1860-1928 | Courtesy: churchofjesuschrist.org
A path into the Sacred Grove as seen on March 13, 2020 | Photo: Mary Richards
Carthage Jail, Nauvoo, Illinois. Photo: Intellectual Reserve Inc.
Interior of the St. George Tabernacle. Photo: Intellectual Reserve Inc.
Carthage Jail, Nauvoo, Illinois. Photo: Intellectual Reserve Inc.
The exterior of the St. George Tabernacle. Photo: Intellectual Reserve Inc.
The Hamblin Home in Santa Clara, Utah. Photo: Intellectual Reserve Inc.
Brigham Young Winter Home and Office in St. George, Utah. Photo: Intellectual Reserve Inc.
The Mormon Battalion Center at San Diego. Photo: Intellectual Reserve Inc.
The Brigham Young Home in historic Nauvoo. Photo: Intellectual Reserve Inc.
The Mormon Trail Center at Winter Quarters, Nebraska. Photo: Intellectual Reserve Inc.
The Mormon Battalion Center at San Diego. Photo: Intellectual Reserve Inc.
Martin's Cove. Photo: Mary Richards
Hill Cumorah, New York. Photo: Mary Richards
The Sacred Grove, New York. Photo: Mary Richards
Some of the landmarks include Joseph Smith’s birthplace, the Hill Cumorah, Liberty Jail, Nauvoo, and Martin’s Cove.
The following church historic sites will open May 1:
Mormon Battalion Center at San Diego (California)
Carthage Jail (Illinois)
Historic Nauvoo (Illinois)
Kanesville Tabernacle (Iowa)
Mormon Trail Center at Winter Quarters (Nebraska)
Brigham Young Winter Home and Office (Utah)
Hamblin Home (Utah)
St. George Tabernacle (Utah)
The following church historic sites will open May 29:
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)
Cove Fort (Utah)
Joseph Smith Birthplace (Vermont)
Martin’s Cove: Mormon Trail Site (Wyoming)
Sixth Crossing: Mormon Trail Site (Wyoming)
Many Latter-day Saint families and tour groups take summer trips to see these locations.
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