Cullman, Alabama: Ave Maria Grotto
RoadsideAmerica.com Team Field Report
Saint Bernard Abbey
- Address:
- 1600 St. Bernard Drive SE, Cullman, AL
- Directions:
- Saint Bernard Abbey. I-65 exit 308, then drive east, through town, on US Hwy 278 for 3.5 miles. Turn right at St. Bernard Drive SE onto the Abbey grounds. Drive a half-mile. Grotto entrance building on right. Grotto not wheelchair accessible.
- Hours:
- M-Sa 9-5; Du 11:30-5 (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
- Phone:
- 256-734-4110
- Admission:
- Adults $10; 13-17 $8, 5-12 $7, Seniors AAA/AARP $8
- RA Rates:
- Major Fun
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One monk's masterpiece, an old quarry filled with miniature versions of the world's most famous buildings. It took him 25 years to build.
Roadsideamerica.com Report... [09/27/2015]Visitor Tips and News About Ave Maria Grotto
Reports and tips from RoadsideAmerica.com visitors and Roadside America mobile tipsters. Some tips may not be verified. Submit your own tip.
Such a quirky, beautiful and peaceful place. Whether you are religious or not, its easy to appreciate the unique art Brother Joseph created. Kids thought it was really cool too!
[Lauren Weber, 04/06/2022]
Beautiful place definitely worth the stop!
[Selena Price, 03/29/2014]As great at the Grotto is -- and it IS fantastic -- it's not all you get. There's a beautiful little chapel with an adjoining churchyard where all the brothers are buried. And there's a very special tour guide through the Grotto: an adorable calico cat named Calie. She follows you through and leads you back to the gift shop at the end. Seriously. This place is so worth the visit!
[Karen H., 01/29/2013]The Grotto now opens at 9 am, so don't rush to get here early. While here, be sure to visit the Abbey cemetery. There are graves going back to the very early 1900s.
[Dave Chamberlain, 03/10/2012]Nearby Offbeat Places
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The grotto and its miniature buildings are sheltered on the side of a hill. Ongoing care and maintenance keeps everything tidy, just as Brother Joseph might have done