I first heard of Thorncrown Chapel many many years ago, when I was working at Urban Design Group. It’s a crown jewel of 20th century architecture and it’s tucked away in the Ozark Mountain woods.
When I discovered it was just 30 minutes from our family reunion location, I told Kelly we had to go. We were not disappointed.
Visiting is easy – though the closest town, Eureka Springs, is definitely tucked within the mountains. Expect long drive times and lots of twisty-turns no matter what roadway you take.
There’s no admission charge, though donations are highly recommended to help support the upkeep of the building. You’ll want to check the opening hours because – to no surprise – this is a very popular special event location and it often closes early.
You need to sit to take photos. You’ll want to anyway, because the scenery and the simple lines of the building will take your breath away.
Just be cautious when relying on Google maps to take you out of the area. Kelly and I came face-to-face with the Beaver Bridge, a one-lane wooden bridge over the lake.
Yes. We did drive across – and we survived!!! As Kelly said: It was a one-time only experience.
