Thousands expected for President Hinckley viewing, funeral

The venue for the two-day viewing of President Gordon B. Hinckley has been changed to the Conference Center downtown, and tickets will be available Saturday morning at the north gate of Temple Square beginning 9 a.m. for his funeral.

Officials with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints expect "hundreds of thousands" of people to attend the viewing, which begins at 9 a.m. Thursday in the Conference Center's 3rd floor "Hall of the Prophets," according to church spokesman Scott Trotter.

The change of venue was made "so people can stand inside and wait rather than stand outside," he said. Originally a large tent was to be set up between the Administration Building and the Joseph Smith Memorial Building to shelter those looking to pass President Hinckley's casket inside.

But with snow and freezing temperatures in the forecast through Friday, plans changed to help patrons stay warm during the viewing, scheduled Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Those who plan to attend should be aware there is extremely limited parking downtown — especially during weekday hours — with the recent demolition of both the ZCMI Center and Crossroads Plaza parking structures.

Parking for the viewing and funeral is available at the following locations:

• Triad Center Garage, 50 N. 400 West

• Eagle Gate Terrace, 145 E. Social Hall Avenue

• Regent Street, 65 E. 200 South

• EnergySolutions Arena, 70 N. 300 West

Trotter said senior missionaries who normally staff the Conference Center during public events will be called on to help route and move crowds through the building.

"It's kind of an 'all hands on deck' thing," he said.

Tickets for the funeral will be available on a first-come, first-served basis to those in line at the north gate of Temple Square on Saturday morning, Trotter said. Tickets to the Conference Center will be distributed first. Once those are gone, tickets to the overflow venues including the Conference Center Theater, the Tabernacle, Assembly Hall and Joseph Smith Memorial Building will be distributed, he said.

The funeral begins at 11 a.m. in the Conference Center, and traffic congestion will likely grow Saturday, with extra security expected downtown as several high-profile public officials are expected to attend, including U.S. Secretary of Heath and Human Services Mike Leavitt, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

Whether for the viewing or funeral, attendees should avoid parking in front of homes in downtown residential areas. Cars parked on neighborhood streets may be ticketed or towed at the owner's expense. No parking will be available in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building parking plaza, Church Office Building or Conference Center. Everyone is invited to carpool or use public transportation to relieve downtown traffic congestion.