The Oakland California Temple (formerly the Oakland Temple) is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) located in the hills of Oakland, California. It was built in the early 1960s, as part of a project announced by church president David O. McKay.
The temple is a prominent landmark featuring a five-spire East Asian architectural design topped by a Buddhist symbol similar to the San Francisco Peace Pagoda on the main spire. The temple complex includes a visitors' center as well as a garden with fountains frequently used in photoshoots, as it offers panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay Area. The auditorium hosts performances open to the public such as dance, music, and pageants. The Hayward Fault runs through the property, necessitating two lengthy closures for seismic retrofit.
History
The building of the Oakland Temple, as well as other LDS Church temples in California was considered as early as 1847. LDS Church members who had traveled by ship around Cape Horn to California were told by Brigham Young that "in the process of time, the shores of the Pacific may yet be overlooked from the Temple of the Lord."
The site where the Oakland Temple now stands was inspected by McKay, then second counselor in the church's First Presidency, in 1942. The were purchased by the church on January 28, 1943. Ground was broken for the temple in 1962.
On February 23, 2017, the church announced that beginning February 2018, the temple would close for renovations that would be completed in 2019. Following completion of the renovations, a public open house was held from 11 May through 1 June 2019, excluding Sundays. The temple was rededicated on Sunday, June 16, 2019, by Dallin H. Oaks. The renovation included putting the front doors back in use, updating upholstery, installing new carpeting, updating the electrical system, new paneling, and restoring an outdoor reflecting pool. A new visitors' waiting area was added that features added windows that gather light reflected from the reflection pool outside. In 2020, the Oakland California Temple was closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The temple today
Built in the 1950s, the inter-stake center is the oldest church building at the site. Originally referred to as the "tri-stake center", the building served the San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley stakes. The center includes two chapels for sacrament meetings, an auditorium, a gymnasium, several classrooms, and offices. As of May 2021, the building is used by 14 congregations in languages of English, Spanish, Chinese, and Khmer.
There is a Family History Center (FHC), an LDS Employment Center, an LDS Distribution Center, and the headquarters of the California Oakland–San Francisco Mission. In addition, a small memorial to the Brooklyn is located on the west side of the property.
Visitors' center
Adjacent to the temple is the visitors' center (opened 1992) which includes artwork, displays, and a reproduction of Thorvaldsen's Christus statue. Visitors can also learn about the temple, have questions answered, and learn more about the LDS Church. The visitors' center is staffed by volunteers, and open to the public. In 2004, the visitors' center was remodeled to better emphasize Jesus Christ and Joseph Smith's Restoration.
Garden and pool
The temple grounds are set on 18.1 acres and includes a garden integrated with water features. The site attracts local photographers.
Christmas
Every holiday season since 1978, the temple grounds are lit up with thousands of Christmas lights. It originally started with 50,000 multi-colored lights. By 1998, the Christmas display had grown to 500,000 lights that could be seen from the San Francisco Bay. Along with the lights, musical performances and dances are organized to celebrate Christmas and the birth of Jesus Christ.
Auditorium
The auditorium seats 1,600 people and has a stage. When more seating is needed, the auditorium can be extended into a large cultural hall that's large enough to fit two full-size basketball courts. The cultural hall was used years ago as a practice facility for the NBA's Golden State Warriors. The concert hall is home to the Temple Hill Symphony Orchestra, Temple Hill Choir, and the Temple Hill Dance Company. In addition, the concert hall hosts other musicians, singers, and performance groups. Besides the three resident organizations and the temple pageant, many Brigham Young University (BYU) performing arts groups have performed in the auditorium.