Wooden pegs and rawhide strips hold the structure together. Because Utah lacked many of the building supplies familiar to the workers, they often had to make substitutions. The large organ pipes resemble metal, balcony pillars appear to be marble, and the benches look like oak, yet all are pine wood painted to simulate those materials. The tabernacle has earned fame both for the phenomenal acoustics of the smooth arched ceiling and the tabernacle organ, regarded as one of the finest ever created. From 700 pipes when constructed in 1867, the organ has grown to about 12,000 pipes, five manuals, and one pedal keyboard.
Daily recitals demonstrate the instrument's capabilities.
The truncated spires, reaching as high as 130 feet, once functioned as chimneys. Inside the hall, there's seating for 1,500 people and a choir of 100. Easily the most striking modern building in Salt Lake City, this hall glitters with gold leaf, crystal chandeliers, and more than a mile of brass railing. A glass wall 43 feet high and 135 feet long forms one side of the lobby. Extensive use of oak adds warmth inside.