Christmas Lights at the St. George Utah Temple
Friday, November 27, 2026 – January 1, 2027 · All day
St. George Utah Temple grounds, downtown St. George
The Oldest Christmas Tradition in Town
Each year the grounds of the St. George Utah Temple are strung with thousands of lights and opened to the public from late November through New Year's Day. It is free, it is open to everyone regardless of faith, and it is the display most locals name first when asked where to take visitors in December.
The temple is the reason downtown St. George looks the way it does. It was the first completed in Utah, finished in 1877, and the white building on its landscaped block still sets the scale of the historic core around it. Lighting that block is a different exercise from lighting a park: the display works with mature trees, lawns, and a large pale building that reflects everything aimed at it.
The Nativity
A narrated nativity scene is set up near the east side of the grounds, and after the lights themselves it is what most people come for.
The visitors' center on the grounds also runs short evening music and devotional programs through most of December. These are open to anyone who wants to step in out of the cold, and stepping in is not an obligation to stay.
Practical Notes
The grounds open in the evening and stay lit for several hours, and there is a shorter early-morning window as well for anyone who prefers the display without a crowd. The lights run through New Year's Day, so the week between Christmas and New Year is a genuinely quiet time to see them.
The walk is flat, paved, and short — half an hour covers it comfortably, less if the children are cold. Parking is on the surrounding downtown streets, which are quiet in the evening once businesses have closed.
It is downtown, which is the practical advantage over the county's other displays: you can park once, walk the grounds, and eat within a few blocks without moving the car.
Who It Suits
Everyone, in fairly literal terms. It costs nothing, it needs no ticket or booking, it takes half an hour, and it is accessible to strollers and wheelchairs throughout. For visitors it doubles as the easiest way to see the historic downtown after dark, when the pioneer-era blocks around the temple are at their best. It sits alongside the rest of the Christmas events in the county and, like the Holiday Lights at Red Hills Desert Garden, it is among the better free things to do here in any season.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to be a member of the church to visit?
No. The grounds, the lights, the nativity, and the visitors' center programs are open to the public and free to everyone. This is a community display that happens to sit on temple grounds, and it is treated as such locally.
Can I go inside the temple?
No — the temple building itself is not open to the public. The Christmas display is on the grounds around it, which are, along with the visitors' center. Nothing about the lights requires going into the temple.
Is there anything to book?
No. The nativity is walk-through and self-paced rather than a seated show, so there is no ticket, no start time, and nothing to reserve. Turn up whenever suits you during the evening.
How long does it take to walk?
About half an hour at an easy pace. The grounds are flat, paved, and compact, so strollers and wheelchairs get the whole route, and it works as a short stop rather than a whole evening.
When is it quietest?
The week between Christmas and New Year, when the lights are still running but the seasonal rush is over. Earlier in the run, weeknights are calmer than weekends. There is also a short early-morning window for anyone who would rather see it without a crowd at all.
Where do I park?
On the downtown streets around the grounds. Those blocks are largely commercial and go quiet in the evening once businesses close, so parking is far easier here than at most December attractions — and being downtown means you can eat within a few blocks without moving the car.
Address
250 E 400 SSt. George, UT 84770