A New Way to Tour the Temple in Kirtland

View the Temple in Kirtland, Ohio, from the comfort of home by taking a 3D virtual tour online.
While exploring the Temple using the recently produced 3D virtual tour isn’t quite the same as walking the board floors of the structure dedicated in 1836, the online version has distinct advantages.
By manipulating the video made in spring of 2018, viewers can check out nearly every aspect of the Temple. For example, viewers can see the interior of all the pulpits, something Seth Bryant, director of the Kirtland site, says even he rarely does.

View the video ​(click image above) 

• Go to the Temple website, create an account and contribute $7, which goes toward preservation efforts. The individual donation is good for 24 hours of viewing.
• Click the circles in the video images to “walk” through the Temple.
• A different button specifically for groups requests a $25 donation.
• The lower court, with two sets of pulpits that face each other, was used primarily for congregational worship. The second floor, which looks much the same, was intended for priesthood training.
• The third floor’s rooms were used for academic classes during the day, quorum meetings, other church functions in the evenings, and offices — including that of Joseph Smith Jr.
• Icons in the lower left and right corners direct use of the 3D tour. The dollhouse view shows the building’s floors in layers, and clicking on a location in the layers takes the viewer to that spot.
• The floor selector function does much the same, but the user’s first view is that specific area. This function indicates five floors, but only three are floors are visible. The other two “floors” are the pulpits and the space immediately around them. To thoroughly understand layout of the building, use dollhouse and floor selector together.
• View the 3D virtual tour with a standard monitor and keyboard, or with a virtual reality headset such as Google Cardboard or Samsung Gear VR.
• Buttons in the lower right corner of the screen toggle between the monitor and VR headset option.

Donors helped pay for the initial costs of the video by contributing to the Community of Christ Historic Sites Foundation. The foundation’s board also provided a substantial contribution.The Temple, owned and operated by Community of Christ, is a National Historic Landmark where visitors still come to pray and worship. 
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The historic site is open March through December. Operating hours during its main season, May through October, are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday and 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. To tour the Temple in person, a preservation fee of $7 applies to each person 8 and older. Off-season hours and more information is available at www.kirtlandtemple.org.

Enjoy the following 3D Tour Teaser: