The Tiny Chapel Makes for the Perfect Pit Stop in Kentucky

What type of roadside attraction gets you to pull off the road for a pit stop? For me, I'll stop for just about any strange, quirky, or fascinating attraction, such as the "world's biggest" or the "smallest" object, building, etc. If it interests me in some way, I'll pull over or even take a detour while on a road trip. I've discovered so many incredibly unique attractions around the country that way. If you're driving through Crestview Hills in northern Kentucky and just outside of Cincinnati, you must make a pit stop at the Monte Cassino Chapel. This tiny chapel, a historic landmark, is located on the grounds of a college and is absolutely worth a stop.

You won't be able to tell just by looking at this seemingly out-of-place stone chapel at the edge of a pond just off Turkeyfoot Hill Rd. in Crestview Hills, but it has quite a bit of history. This is the Monte Cassino Chapel, and it wasn't always located here.

It all began with the Benedictines, who arrived from Italy in the mid-1800s and established several monasteries throughout the region. At that time, one large monastery in Latrobe, PA, had issues getting enough wine for the monastery and the surrounding parishes it served. The archbishop sought out land in northern Kentucky and purchased a 76-acre parcel that was once used as the Thompson Winery. This purchase allowed the monastery to produce its own altar wine.

Eventually, a monastery was built on the winery property, along with a tiny chapel used as a sacred space for the monks to pray and reflect. The monastery was called Monte Cassino, which is how the Monte Cassino Chapel got its name. The chapel was constructed out of fieldstones from the property in 1904. It's an impressive man-made wonder given its small stature of six by nine feet, with an eight-foot-tall ceiling along with arches, stained glass, and a steeple.

Over the next few decades, specifically after Prohibition, wine operations ceased, monks left, and the property grounds were leased to the Burkhart family for the production of grape juice. While the land was tended to, the buildings on the property, including the small chapel, fell into disrepair and were vandalized. In 1957, local Fred Riedinger purchased the property before selling it, except for the tiny chapel, to a developer.

Riedinger ultimately donated the chapel, now known as the Monte Cassino Chapel, to Thomas More College (formerly Villa Madonna College) in Crestview Hills. Moving the heavy stone structure proved to be quite an undertaking, but it was successfully moved onto a new foundation overlooking a small lake on the college's campus. Considered one of the smallest chapels in the U.S., Monte Cassino Chapel is worth making a detour to visit.

Would you make a stop at this adorably tiny chapel in Kentucky? While it has been moved from its original location in Covington and now resides in Crestview Hills, it has carried a history with it for over 120 years. Make a pit stop to see this charming fieldstone chapel the next time you find yourself on a road trip through Kentucky.

Planning another road trip adventure? Allow us to help! Check out our multi-day road trip to seven attractions you can only find in Kentucky, and uncover some magnificent wonders of this beautiful state.