300 North Broadway, West Bend, Iowa 50597 USA
Hidden Gem
This place is incredibly epic. It’s a huge mausoleum of handmade abstract sculpture, and you can go inside and walk through it. The ability to interact with the grotto makes it feel like a more substantial stop, and you can easily spend an hour here.
The mission of the Grotto of the Redemption is to present in stone the whole story of the fall of woman and man, our Divine redemption through Christ, and Mary's presence in the redemption process. The Grotto is frequently considered the “Eighth Wonder of the World” and The Iowan magazine has described the Grotto as a “Miracle in Stone.” The location was placed on the National Register of Historical Places in 2001 and has been included in such features as Disney’s The Straight Story. A composite of nine seperate grottos, each portrays a scene in the life of Christ. The largest man-made Grotto in the world, the Grotto contains the largest collection of precious stones and gems found anywhere in one location! The Grotto Campgrounds has 53 sites available for campers and tents. Electrical hookups (30 amp), firewood, showers, and a central water & sewer dump station are available. Rates - $15.00 per night for campers and $10.00 per night for tents. Reservations are preferred. Upon arrival, register at the Grotto Office/Gift Shop. If you arrive after hours, you may register after 9:00am the following morning.
Even if you're not particularly religious, the Grotto of the Redemption is absolutely worth a visit! If you visit between Memorial Day and Labor Day, be sure to grab an ice cream cone at the Grotto's cafe.
Fun fact: It's estimated that over $4.3 million of stones and precious gems were used to construct the Grotto.
GO! This grotto is amazing and the picture here, doesn't do it justice. The amount of shells and gems is incredible and so beautifully crafted. We stopped for about an hour wandering the different caves. It was probably our favorite stop on our roadtrip.
Bizarre, wonderful, and well worth stopping. Learn about the life of Christ through each crazily detailed grotto, 9 in all. Even if you're not religious, you'll still enjoy the craftsmanship.
Weird place, but man, it's beautiful. You don't have to be religious to see the beauty in it, so it's definitely worth visiting if you're in the area.
This place is beautiful and very sacred. There's so many gem stones anywhere. It's amazing because it's depicting the life of Jesus Christ. The tour was fantastic as well as the tour guide. It's a must-visit
I was hesitant to visit the grotto when it was suggested to me but once I got there I could not stop gasping. It is so beautiful and the story of it's creation is inspiring to anyone, religious or not. I would visit again just to see it sparkle in the sun.
As we were driving through backroads and cornfields for 2 hours to find the Grotto, I turned to my sister and said, “This better be worth it.” Oh my god, it was! Beautiful, lovingly cared for and huge! So much beauty to take photos of. Some of the pieces of clear and rose quartz and geodes are enormous. Even if you are not Catholic you can’t help but be impressed. Though we were here after the gift shop closed, and during COVID, the bathrooms were open and clean.
What an amazing experience. We stopped after the Grotto had already closed (after 6pm) but it was still just as beautiful. Since we were there at 9pm we were the only ones there, which allowed us to discover the grotto at our leisure. This is a MUST SEE! Even if you’re not religious, this place shows what one man (and his 2 successors) can create. Father Dobberstein dedicated his life to his faith and created the multi-story Grottos.
This place is magnificent. The stones, petrified wood, and gems that went into this structure is truly magical. It was closed when we came, but we simply connected our RV for the night and rested, leaving money in a drop box ($20 only!). We also have a donation but it’s free and you can walk around on your own.
There is a virtual tour we watched for more background info. https://youtu.be/tQSOOmXNpL0
We really liked it! It's a nice stop and it's free! It's so much more impressive and larger in person than pictures show. We brought our 3 young children along and they even enjoyed looking and walking around the Grotto. Amazing what 42 years by dedicated man can do :)
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