This 200-Acre Outdoor Shrine In Illinois Feels Like A Secret Garden
Few people know that Belleville, Illinois is home to a beautiful shrine that is like none other. Spanning hundreds of acres and featuring many amazing statues and gardens, this spiritual paradise is welcoming to all.
If you like gorgeous scenery, stunning artwork, and peaceful atmospheres, this is where you belong. Check it out:
Just outside of St. Louis in southern Illinois is a magnificent church that is always open to the public. The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows is one of the biggest in North America, and it hosts more than one million people each year.
This beautiful shrine is welcoming of all faiths that wish to worship God. It is situated on 200 acres of immaculately landscaped grounds, which began as 100 acres in 1958 when the shrine was established.
This lovely place is a perpetual pilgrim site that welcomes guests from all over the world. It is an honor and a blessing for many believers in God to make this journey at some point in their lives.
This gorgeous "spiritual oasis" is also great for weddings, receptions, and other private events. In addition to stunning outdoor space, there is also space within the church.
There are several sacred spaces situated throughout the grounds that are ideal of prayer, meditation, and other spiritual reflections. Gardens, grottos, play areas, statues, paintings, and other features abound.
The bluffs of the Mississippi is the perfect place for this beautiful shrine, and it's so tranquil you may never want to leave. Grounds are open daily between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.
The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snow is located at 442 S Demazenod Dr., Belleville, IL 62223, and you can learn more about it on its website or Facebook page.
An Illinois transplant who grew up and went to school in Indiana for 22 years, Elizabeth holds a BFA in creative writing and has enjoyed traveling across the country and parts of Europe. She has visited half of the states, as well as parts of Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean, and regularly travels home to the Hoosier State to see friends and family. With more than five years of writing experience, Elizabeth’s articles have been featured on several websites, and her poetry and short stories have been published in multiple literary journals.
