Chapel of the Holy Cross

The Chapel of the Holy Cross is a Catholic chapel first and a tourist stop second, though you might not guess that from the crowds. Its diocesan newspaper reported some 2 million visitors a year in 2024, up to 15,000 of them on a busy fall or spring weekend, in a building with seats for about 65. The chapel sits on Coconino National Forest land on a red rock outcrop above the valley south of town, and it looks like nothing else in the region: a plain concrete box whose whole facade is a huge cross, with a window wall behind the altar opening onto the rocks.

The idea came from Marguerite Brunswig Staude, a local rancher and sculptor who was struck by the Empire State Building in 1932 and wanted a church on a similar scale. An early attempt in Budapest, with help from Lloyd Wright, was abandoned at the outbreak of World War II, so she turned to Arizona. Senator Barry Goldwater helped her obtain a Forest Service special-use permit. August K. Strotz of the firm Anshen & Allen designed the chapel, with Richard Hein as project architect. Building took 18 months and cost $300,000, and about 25 tons of rock were moved without dynamite. It was completed in 1956 and won an American Institute of Architects Award of Honor the next year.

Visitors often assume it's carved from the butte. In fact it stands on top of the rock. Inside, the space is small and simple, and the main feature is a large crucifix in front of the window. A gift shop occupies the basement. The ministry is run by St. John Vianney Parish in Sedona under the Diocese of Phoenix, and Mass, confession and adoration are held here, so behave as you would in any working church.

Parking is limited, and at busy times you may wait for a space. Come early or late in the day. The chapel website has current service times and hours. It wasn't reachable for this guide, so check it directly before you go. The views from outside the chapel door are a large part of the visit.