In 1861 leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints called over 300 families to move to southern Utah and establish the area that would soon be known as St. George.
The St. George Tabernacle opened in 1876 for the purpose of hosting religious and civic events. Nicknamed, the “jewel of the desert,” the tabernacle was restored in 1993. It stands to this day and remains open to the public.
