St. George LDS Temple |
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Construction on the St. George Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was completed in 1977. Once the Mormon pioneers came to the west, this temple was the first structure of its kind to be completed and is the oldest operating temple in the Mormon church.
For Mormons, temples are a sacred place and very different than a chapel or Sunday meeting house. A temple is a place where a man and a woman may be married for eternity and where a family can be sealed together for eternity. The temple is a place where other sacred ordinances are performed.
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LDS Temple |
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The temple grounds, covering one square block, offer a visitor center where any person may enter and learn more about the tenets of the Mormon faith. Film presentations and guided tours are available. The Mormon Temple grounds and visitor center is the number one tourist attraction in St. George.
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LDS Temple |
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The temple was constructed on a location that had some swampy ground and, of necessity, the foundation of the structure needed to be reinforced.
To accomplish this solid volcanic rock was taken from a nearby quarry (see below) and pounded into the ground to create stable footings for the foundation. Builders used an old canon from the Mexican War to pile-drive the volcanic rock into the marshy ground.
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St. George LDS Temple Quarry Site |
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This sign marks the entrance to an area on the back side of what is know as the black hill where large volcanic boulders were available.
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Temple Quarry |
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This volcanic rock shows remnants of drilling marks that were made to split boulders in order to shape them, or bring them to a size that could be hauled by wagon to the temple site.
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Temple Quarry |
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This hillside is where many of the volcanic boulders were obtained to be used in the foundation of the St. George LDS Temple.
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St. George LIVE |
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During the summer months, the city of St. George sponsors a program called "St. George Live" where visitors can tour historic sites and meet historic figures.
Click here for more details.
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St. George Tabernacle (LDS) |
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One of the first major structures built by the early Mormon settlers was a meeting house where the community could gather for all occasions. The clock on the tower would sound out the time for the area residents and tell them when it was time to gather or to return home from their fields. Free guided tours are available on a daily basis.
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St. George Tabernacle (LDS) |
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The St. George Tabernacle can seat 1,200 people.
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Brigham Young Winter Home |
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Mormon Prophet and leader Brigham Young spent the winters in the last four years of his life in St. George. He came to the more temperate winter climate for health reasons.
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Brigham Young Winter Home |
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Guided tours are provide of this home daily (seven days a week). An estimated 75,000 people visit this home annually. The home is located in downtown St. George (67 W. 200 N.).
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Jacob Hamblin Historic Home |
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Located at the western end of the city of Santa Clara (just west of St. George), is the historic home of early mormon explore Jacob Hamblin. He was sent by Mormon Prophet Brigham Young to explore the Santa Clara River region and to ascertain the potential of the area for a settlement. Hamblin was considered to be a great friend to the Native Americans of the region and was implicitly trusted by them.
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Jacob Hamblin Historic Home |
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Jacob Hamblin originally built his home closer to the Santa Clara River (just south of this location) but his home was washed away in a flash flood and he wisely moved his second home further up the hillside.
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Jacob Hamblin Historic Home |
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The home is filled with historic furniture and other items used during his pioneer era.
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Jacob Hamblin Historic Home |
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Tours of the home and the grounds are available on a daily basis (seven days a week).
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Historic Opera House/St. George Art Museum |
These structures are found on 200 north and just off main street in St. George. The art museum houses permanent and traveling art exhibits.
The Opera House was a gathering place and used for theatrical and musical entertainment.
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Daughters of Utah Pioneers - Museum |
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This museum house many historic artifacts and is open for tour Monday through Saturday.
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Orson Pratt House |
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This home was built in 1862 and is now the central home piece to a bed and breakfast operation called the Green Gate Village.
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Greene Gate Village |
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The village gets its name from the green gates that adorn the village and used to be part of many gates in the St. George area. The story goes that Brigham Young ordered some white paint for the St. George temple. Upon the arrival of the paint it was found that green paint had been sent. Unable to return the paint Brigham gave the paint to the local residents who promptly used it on many of their gates.
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Historic Downtown |
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The downtown area of St. George is home to many historic buildings and others have been recently constructed to maintain the historic look and feel. The newly constructed town-square shown to the right is a gathering place for visitors and residents alike.
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Santa Clara River Valley - Petroglyphs |
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Along the Santa Clara River there is a location where nearly 1,000 Ancient American petroglyphs are found. A trail begins near the main highway (near Ivins, Utah) and ascends a small hill and follows a ridge line where the petroglyphs may be viewed among the rocks.
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Dinosaur Tracks Museums |
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This location, referred to as the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site
is one of the world's largest and best dinosaur track sites. 2180 E. Riverside Dr.
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