An interesting story of Mormon history that few know about. After the death of the founder, Joseph Smith, there was no prophet-leader for many years. Brigham Young led the church west as the leader of the 12 Apostles. As the Saints wintered at Council Bluffs, Young had a vision that it was time to have a church elect a President/Prophet again. To treat this event with respect and decorum, 200 Mormon Pioneers spent two and a half weeks building a large log-cabin like hall where everyone could assemble within to witness the restoration of the Church Presidency. The building lasted two years and was torn down. Over a hundred years later the Pottawattamie County Mormon Trails Association recreated the building and then donated it to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Missionaries on site will share this story and many more when you visit.

I enjoyed the tour and move. Everything is free. Clean restrooms. Happy people here. Sacred sites restored.

We almost missed this stop. It was definetly worth seeing! And FREE. I highly recommend a visit here

Learned so much. Fascinating. Missionaries there were enthusiastic and fun to listen to.

A great place to learn about pioneer history. They also have gingerbread houses for display in December.

Very historic. Lot is good Church history here

History of Mormon Battalion was very interesting and the Saints coming thru.

Great location to learn about post-Nauvoo history. When you enter the tabernacle, remember how quickly this was constructed and how many people fit into it.

Fantastic place for the kids and a good place to learn a bit of history of the area.

Great way to better understand the experiences of and situation of these people who were relocated.

Pretty small with a short tour & video but lots of interesting history. Learned some interesting things. There are a couple models inside & a few statues. The temple replica has some areas inside with an automated video. The helpful guide can answer many of the questions you might have. There is even a very old functioning organ you may play on if you treat it with care.

Loved the Gingerbread house display.

Great little gem in Council Bluffs. Nice history lesson and amazing Christmas time visit when the gingerbread houses are on display.

Love the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Great historical place.

Love visiting here and all the gingerbread houses at Christmas time!

For history buffs, the Kanesville Tabernacle is a step back to the mid 1800s. This Tabernacle was built by the Mormons as they stopped in this area. Winter Quarters, across the river, is where many Pioneers stayed for the winter on their way across the plains during the 1800s. Stop and see the first odometer for a wagon and a working foot pump organ along with many other period pieces. The Tabernacle has been restored to be like it was during that time period. It is made of huge cottonwood logs and has a large sod fireplace. This is a great place to stop with the family!

The tour guides were awesome! It was a great place to learn about the history of Council Bluffs and the area. The gingerbread Festival smells and looks amazing!

Very cool historical site. Learned about history I wasn’t aware of. The staff were very welcoming and passionate about this place.

Waterfront place everything is wrapped up, but very well-built

A Christmas delight with gingerbread villages, barns, covered wagons, with nice music playing. A search & find sheet for children with a small candy cane as a reward.All of this is located inside of the Kanesville Tabernacle. The original log cabin was erected in 1847 under the direction of Brigham Young. It was reconstructed in the 1990s and is quite an interesting structure to tour. A bit of Midwest history and...its free.

Its always well kept. It is always nice to see.

Brother and Sister Bingham are so sweet and excited to share information about this historical site. Thank you.

Its sure does look fine in the gates

Im not mormon. I play Pokemon Go. Its great for that. Two gyms, three stops, and lots of spawns. I appreciate the CoLDS for letting us nerds use their space.

Great presentation and history!

A wonderful place to visit! But seriously, we came for the history and were overwhelmingly pushed towards gingerbread. I get that it is a fun tradition but not everyone who shows up is interested.

Kanesville Tabernacle is a great place to tour, not only is it rich in pioneer heritage, but right now until the end of the year you can also see a super gingerbread display!

It was a good place to visit everything is clean, and curtious people.

Nice tour covering Mormon history

We had so much fun looking at all the gonder bread houses and Christmas trees

Warm spirit here, we enjoyed the gingerbread festival around Christmas time.

This place is beautiful.

Short visit. Never knew or heard of it. Worthwhile

Love the history of people that lived here before us.

Such a wonderful experience and feeling there

Amazing LDS history

Simply amazing. Five star for the Gingerbread.

Its a very cool place all people should know where it is Council Bluffs Iowa kanesville Boulevard

Historically interring but not necessarily accurate.

You need at least an hour here for a quick tour. Lots to see and a great movie to watch.

A great place for a peaceful visit

Learned a lot about history from some kind people.

Interesting history of Council Bluffs, enjoyed our visit.

We really enjoyed the spirit here and the great stories.

Great place to visit to learn of the history of the Council Bluffs area .

A nice quiet place to visit of historical interest.

Awesome history and stories

Had a lovely time seeing all the gingerbread houses decorated for Christmas with lovely Christmas trees and music to boot!

Nice recreation of the original Tabernacle

Great tour by Senior Couple

Didnt know this place existed, very interesting

So interesting

The gingerbread display at Christmas is a wonderful time spent.

Wonderful inspiring visit. The people were kind, informed, and accommodating

Warm friendly couple who provided accurate historical information.

Really great Christmas atmosphere

We made a very quick visit and learned a great deal of church history. A hidden treasure with a significant legacy.

Good information.

Dont go here if you arent Mormon unless the gingerbread houses are up.

Good place to visit.

Awesome place and a lot of history

Great place to rest...

Neat information

This is one of those hidden gems that few people know about. Yet, for Latter-day Saints it is a place that plays a significant role in our churchs history.

Never been there

Pioneer heritage

A must see for history buffs

Perspective of the past

Great

Awesome history of the area.

Strange people...

Absolutely beautifull!!!!!!!!!

Worth your time!

GREAT

It was amazing!!!

Interesting history.

Great place!