NFTGA Education Program - Salt Lake Temple (10 Jun 2026)

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:30:00 GMT

NFTGA Education Program - Salt Lake Temple

Wednesday, June 10

Starting at 8:30 pm EST / 7:30 pm CST / 6:30 pm MST / 5:30 pm PST

Register to get the Zoom instructions for this virtual event

In 2027, Salt Lake City is expecting to welcome five million people to tour the historic Salt Lake Temple. After more than six years of renovations and restoration including a major seismic upgrade, the temple will hold an open house celebration from April to October before the temple is rededicated. During this time, the general public is invited to tour the historic building and experience many other updates to Temple Square including a new visitor center experience, restored historic buildings, and updates to the FamilySearch Library and other facilities on the campus. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been working with Visit Salt Lake and the Utah Office of Tourism to promote the event at tradeshows and tourism conferences all over the world, and the city is gearing up for an influx of visitors.

This virtual informational session will provide you with what you need to know if you are planning to bring tours to Salt Lake during the event. Lisa Nievard, Salt Lake Temple Celebration Outreach Lead coordinating with the tour industry, will explain what to expect and how to arrange for tickets for your tour groups, even getting some set aside for your group before they are available to the general public. Even if your group isn't coming to Salt Lake specifically for the event but will be in town for any part of a tour, you should know about what to expect in downtown Salt Lake City and what to tell your tour guests if they want to try and participate on their own. The Utah Tour Guide Association wants to help get the information out to anyone in the industry that may be coming to Salt Lake next year during the event, so please invite any tour operators you work with to participate. For many operators that have regular routes through Utah for national parks, they may want to add this to their itineraries. Or, they may want to create a special itinerary for this event, as many have indicated when they've learned of the event while in Utah during the last couple of years.

If you are unable to attend the live-stream, the recording will be available to watch for the following 30 days and that recording link will be sent to your designated tour guide association contact(s). If you have any feedback, including changing the contact information for future NFTGA Education Programs, please email Mike McMains (mike@tourswithmike.com) from the Chicago Tour Guide Professionals Association.

South Loop Fam: Glessner House & Second Presbyterian (17 Jun 2026)

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 15:00:00 GMT

This is an invitation from Sharon Sylvester, a retired CTG, honorary CTPA member, and past officer, who is organizing a site inspection/fam trip to some sites in the south loop that are celebrating changes made recently.

On June 17, come and visit the Glessner House and Second Presbyterian Church. to see and appreciate their recent renovations and interiors changes.

We will start at 10:00 at Glessner House, located at 1800 S Prairie Ave, for a tour of this National Historic Landmark renowned as an architectural masterpiece by H.H. Richardson, completed in 1887, and known for its innovative design that influenced future architects like Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright. The home has many original furnishings and artifacts or replicated furnishings allowing you to step back into the Gilded Age of Chicago. 2026 marks the 60th anniversary of the rescue from demolition by a group of preservationists and architects which eventually led to the formation of the Chicago Architecture Center (CAC). THe standard tour lasts 75 minutes and includes both the courtyard, exterior and interior.

Next walk about 10 minutes south along historic Prairie Ave to Second Presbyterian Church at 1936 S Michigan Ave.

Originally built in 1874, the interior of the church was destroyed by a fire in 1900. The rebuild of the church was led by Howard Van Doren Shaw and is a wonderful example of Arts and Crafts and is a National Historic Landmark. In the last 20 years, Friends of Historic Second Church has raised funds to restore some of the art and architecture of the church. Come and see the murals done by Frederic Clay Bartlett and windows by Louis Comfort Tiffany, 4 of which have been restored. The most recent restoration, the Jeweled window, will be installed June 1.

RSVP to attend. Due to site capacity limits, Members only. If you wish to possibly bring a guest, email Sharon Sylvester (sharonsyl2@hotmail.com) with your request, which may be approved, closer to the event date.

HOW TO GET THERE: CTA buses #3 (begins at Water Tower) and #4 (begins by the Metra Millennium Station) travel south on Michigan Ave and stop at Michigan Ave & 18th St and at Michigan Ave & Cullerton. There is free parking in the lot to the north of Second Presbyterian.

As a ready reference or souvenir of Glessner House, consider purchasing their new guide book:

H. H. Richardson’s Glessner House: A Guide Book. Featuring a text by architect John Waters, and stunning new photography by James Caulfield, the book takes the reader on a tour of Richardson’s urban residential masterpiece starting with the bold and controversial Richardsonian Romanesque exterior. The book continues with a detailed look at each of the rooms of the house, noting the original furnishings and restored décor, including wallpapers, textiles, and rugs by Morris & Co. Additional information includes a history of the house from its inception through to the present day, floor plans, and a series of spreads exploring topics ranging from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to the Glessners’ summer estate The Rocks, and from Isaac Scott to Frances Glessner as craftswoman. The 84-page paperback book, priced at just $14.95, is available in our Visitors Center as well as our online store at the link: Purchase Guide Book

CTPA Chicago Tour-Guide Professionals Association upcoming events

NFTGA Education Program - Salt Lake Temple (10 Jun 2026)

South Loop Fam: Glessner House & Second Presbyterian (17 Jun 2026)