Sedona is known far and wide as an artist community, with a reputation for both quality and innovation. In fact, artists began arriving in the 1940s, when the town was still a sleepy little hamlet. Today, over 40 galleries showcase the works of artists with national and international acclaim.
Yet the most compelling piece of art ever created in Sedona doesn’t hang in a gallery or museum. It rises from the ground, soars above the sandstone and merges elegantly with the red rocks around it. More than fifty years after being built, the Chapel of the Holy Cross remains a defining landmark, as beloved as any natural formation that scrapes the Sedona sky.
The Chapel of the Holy Cross was designed by sculptor, Marguerite Brunswig Staude. Groundbreaking for the structure began in 1955 and construction took 18 months. The chapel received the Award of Honor from the American Institute of Architects in 1957. In 2007, Arizonans voted it one of the state’s Seven Man-Made Wonders. Almost since its completion, the chapel has become one of Sedona’s must-see sights.
The chapel can’t be missed by anyone driving Highway 179. The setting is instantly mesmerizing. The chapel perches 200 feet above the valley floor, thrusting upward between two burly pillars of stone, known as Twin Buttes. High cliffs of salmon-hued rock form the backdrop completing the dramatic panorama. Somehow the chapel manages to blend in to the surroundings while miraculously standing out.
It is a short but steep climb from the parking lot to the chapel but no one ever regrets the effort. Vistas of the town and the surrounding countryside are devastatingly spectacular. The interior of the chapel is simple and unadorned. A few benches, some lovely tapestries and flickering candles create a serene, meditative oasis, while soft sunlight streams through the floor-to-ceiling window.
Prayer services are held on Monday evening at the end of the day and no weddings are permitted so don’t worry about interrupting. Come for the views, or a few moments of quiet contemplation, or both.
The Chapel of the Holy Cross is an amazing artistic achievement combined with unparalleled natural beauty. Those are the very things that draw so many travelers to Sedona in the first place.