August 2008 update -- Restoration progresses at House of Worship

The stairs and terrace of the main entrance on Linden Avenue to the Baha'i House of Worship have been demolished in preparation for the new stairs, reflecting pool and terrace. Until those have been constructed, visitors are using the east entrance (facing Sheridan Road) to get to the gardens and auditorium.

The Visitors Center and main entrance to the House of Worship are currently closed due to the restoration work and will re-open in April for the 2009 Baha'i National Convention.

But don't let that discourage you from visiting. Even with the work being done on the west side of the temple, there is still much to see and experience there. 

"I especially love to come on days like today when the sparkling white temple is shining against a bright blue sky," a frequent visitor said recently. "I have a favorite place in the gardens where I like to go and be by myself."

Five of the nine gardens circling the House of Worship have been completed and include circular fountains, lighting and bench walls. Auditorium doors and thresholds have been rebuilt as has the terrace structure, which has attractive pavers on the deck and cladding panels on the walls. Graceful stairs lead visitors from the gardens up to the terrace. The final adornments are new stainless steel handrails and railings on the terrace and stairs.

The new railings along the completed portions of the temple's terrace