Arkansas boasts three glass chapels located in Hot Springs, Bella Vista and Eureka Springs. All three Arkansas glass chapels are unique and breathtaking.
These chapels are popular places for weddings but many people go just to take photos and think for a while. These beautiful glass chapels have a way of making you feel inside and outside at the same time. When those two worlds collide, it’s like being in a whole new place.
It’s truly magical.
Beautiful Glass Chapels in Arkansas
I hope you will go visit these chapels and, if you do, take a few minutes to sit and ponder. They are excellent places to collect your thoughts and marvel at their beauty.
1. Anthony Chapel in Hot Springs
“Nestled under a thick canopy of sky-reaching southern pines and age-old oak trees, the Anthony Chapel quietly beckons those in need of solitude and respite. Nearly six stories tall, the brilliantly designed structure complements the surrounding wooded landscape and offers views of the changing seasons with floor-to-ceiling glass walls and multiple skylights that encourage sunbeams to dance across the impressive flagstone floors.” -source
Anthony Chapel designer
Anthony Chapel was designed by Maurice Jennings, a prominent Arkansas draftsman from Fayetteville. Mr. Jennings has designed chapels all over the country but he called this one “the finest.”
The goal with this glass chapel (and the other glass chapels in Arkansas) was to bring the outdoors in. With a design like this, you can have a beautiful event no matter the weather. In fact, I think it would be especially beautiful in the rain!
“The 160-seat Anthony Chapel, the largest of the Jennings and McKee designed chapels, is the site of numerous events, including concerts, memorial and christening services, and approximately 175 weddings annually.” -source
Anthony Chapel location
You will find Anthony Chapel within Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs Arkansas.
Physical Address:
550 Arkridge Road
Hot Springs National Park, AR 71913
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2. Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs
Thorncrown Chapel is absolutely breathtaking. It brings the outdoors in just like Anthony Chapel but the hillside setting makes for an extra special view.
Thorncrown Chapel designer
Thorncrown Chapel was designed by E. Fay Jones the design partner of Maurice Jennings (designer of Anthony Chapel.)
“Nestled in a woodland setting, Thorncrown Chapel rises forty-eight feet into the Ozark sky. This magnificent wooden structure contains 425 windows and over 6,000 square feet of glass. It sits atop over 100 tons of native stone and colored flagstone, making it blend perfectly with its setting. The chapel’s simple design and majestic beauty combine to make it what critics have called “one of the finest religious spaces of modern times.” -source
Thorncrown Chapel opened in 1980 and has won many awards. In fact, members of the American Institute of Architects placed Thorncrown Chapel fourth on the list of top buildings of the twentieth century.
Thorncrown Chapel location
You’ll find Thorncrown Chapel on Highway 62 West just outside of Eureka Springs, Arkansas.
Admission is free.
Thorncrown Chapel address:
12968 Hwy 62 West
Eureka Springs, AR 72632
(479) 253-7401
(479) 981-4000
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3. Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel
Last but not least is the Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel.
What makes this chapel so stunning are the 15 main arches that tower 50 feet high. Within each arch are three or four more Gothic arches.
“Thirty-one tons of steel join 4,460 square feet of glass to create its aura of strength, yet weightlessness.” –source
Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel designer
This chapel was also designed by E. Fay Jones and Maurice Jennings.
Morgan Burke/Creative Commons
Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel location
The Cooper Chapel is unlike the other two Arkansas glass chapels because it overlooks a lake. In fact, it over looks Lake Norwood in Bella Vista, Arkansas!
You will find the Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel here:
504 Memorial Dr.
Bella Vista, AR 72714
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