Latter-day Saints open Fort Worth Texas Temple in Burleson, Texas, for public tours

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced plans for a new temple in Burleson, Texas, on Oct. 3, 2021, during the faith’s semiannual general conference. Groundbreaking services followed in October 2023. The Fort Worth Texas Temple, at 1851 Greenridge Drive, is the sixth Latter-day Saint temple in Texas, according to one report.

Tours of the building began on a Monday with media tours. Elder Jeremiah Morgan, a senior church leader based in Salt Lake City, gave a tour that day, according to dallasnews.com. The reports differ on the public tour schedule. Deseret News reported that free public tours would run Monday through Saturday, from Thursday, Nov. 5, through Saturday, Nov. 21. Dallas News reported that the general public could tour the interior from Thursday through Nov. 21, excluding Sundays.

The single-story temple is about 30,000 square feet and sits on a 9.37-acre site just south of Fort Worth. According to a church press release cited by Deseret News, the building reflects Spanish Colonial architecture and artistry. Multiple original art pieces are displayed throughout the temple, including works by Matthew Grant and Kimball Geisler.

Both reports said the building is scheduled for dedication in January, with Deseret News giving January 2027 and Dallas News giving Jan. 10. After dedication, only church members in good standing may enter, Dallas News reported. The church said it is the first time non-church members have been able to see inside a temple in the North Texas area in 42 years. Opening the building to visitors before dedication reflects a practice of welcoming strangers (Matthew 25:35).

Dallas News reported that about a quarter of Texas’s 400,000 church members live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. It also reported that one temple currently operates in the region, in North Dallas, and that another is under construction in Fairview.