The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced that the Anchorage Alaska Temple will close on March 22, 2027. The new Anchorage Temple, being built nearby, will open for public tours in May 2027.
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
In January 2023, the Church announced plans to build a new temple on property near the Anchorage Alaska Temple, and construction began in 2024. The temple’s square footage will increase from 11,930 to approximately 30,000.
A media day for the new temple will be held on Monday, May 10, 2027, followed by tours for invited guests on May 11 and 12. The public is invited to tour the temple from Thursday, May 13, through Saturday, May 29 (excluding Sundays).
The new Anchorage Alaska Temple will be dedicated on Sunday, June 13, 2027. The dedicatory session will be broadcast to all units in the temple district.
Alaska is home to over 33,500 members of the Church, meeting in over 80 congregations. Construction began on Alaska’s second house of the Lord, the Fairbanks Alaska Temple, in 2025.
“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is constructing temples all over the world. Their purpose is to bless the covenant children of God with temple worship and with the sacred responsibilities and powers and unique blessings of being bound to Christ they receive by covenant,” President Dallin H. Oaks taught in a recent general conference.
Temples of the Church of Jesus Christ are different from meetinghouses or chapels where members gather for Sunday worship services. A temple is considered a house of the Lord, where the teachings of Jesus Christ are reaffirmed through sacred ceremonies that allow families to be united for eternity.