Ave Maria Grotto

We are lucky and sometimes take for granted having a world renowned tourist attraction very close to where we live. The Ave Maria Grotto is part of the the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. It is known throughout the world as "Jerusalem in Miniature", and it is a four acre park of miniature reproductions of the most famous historic buildings and shrines in the world. It is really mind-blowing.

These miniature reproductions are made of stone and concrete and are the work of Brother Joseph Zoettl. He is a Benedictine monk that lived at St. Bernard Abbey. He has a fascinating life story you can read about here. The building of these little shrines started as a hobby, but then became the catalyst for what's known as the grotto today.

Ave Maria Grotto is located on the campus of St. Bernard Abbey. The history goes back to 1892 but between then and now, the monks have operated a high school, junior college, four-year college (where our Dad taught!) and seminary. Today it's home to the monastery, the St Bernard Prep School, a retreat/conference center - and of course, the grotto.

The pictures do not do it justice. It's something you just have to see to truly appreciate.

The amount of detail is simply amazing.

The pièce de résistance.

 

They have replicas of famous cathedrals and shrines from all over the world. 

 

It's a quiet place to reflect and mediate in the gardens.

 

If you ever are in the Ave Maria Grotto neck of the woods, you should definitely stop by. Especially if you are local and you haven't been in a while (or ever). It's definitely a MUST-see. There are also two GREAT festivals at St Bernard that you could plan your trip around: the Blooming Festival in April or the Bernard Blues and BBQ Festival in early September. Arts and crafts and music and fun. You can't go wrong with either!