KENSINGTON, Md. (WDVM) — You have seen its shiny gold spires hiding behind the trees while you’re driving around the beltway, but your chance to actually go inside the D.C. Temple is finally here.

The D.C. Temple is a building most of us have only ever seen from the outside, and it’s opening its doors to the public for the very first time in almost 50 years this April.

The open house tours start on April 28 and run through June 4, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day of the week, except Sundays.

The self-guided tours during this spring’s open house are free and you don’t need a ticket to get in, but you do need to reserve tickets if you plan to shuttle in or park on the grounds. More than 23,000 people have already reserved spots since reservations went online on Wednesday.

Coordinators at the D.C. Temple tell us to be prepared to do some walking.

“There are six floors they’ll be able to participate in, 350 steps up and down. It will be a wonderful opportunity to see this beautiful structure inside and feel the spirit of the Temple,” said Kent Colton, an open house coordinator at the D.C. Temple.

“Over 700,000 people came through the Temple’s last open house in 1974,” said Kathryn Colton, another open house coordinator at the D.C. Temple.

Kent and Kathryn Colton both suggest reserving tickets for parking in advance and watching their informational video in advance here.