The Shrine of the Grotto of the Redemption | |
 The main entrance on the north side of the Grotto of the Redemption | |
   | |
| Location | 300 N. Broadway West Bend, Iowa |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°57′50″N 94°26′44″W / 42.96389°N 94.44556°W |
| Architect | Paul Dobberstein Father Paul Matthias |
| Architectural style | Landscape Architicture |
| NRHP reference No. | 00001679 [1] |
| Added to NRHP | February 23, 2001 |
The Shrine of the Grotto of the Redemption is a religious shrine in West Bend, Iowa, in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux City. A conglomeration of nine grottos depicting scenes in the life of Jesus, it contains a large collection of minerals and petrifications and is believed to be the largest grotto in the world.[2]
It is also "considered to be the world's most complete man-made collection of minerals, fossils, shells, and petrifications in one place."[3] The estimated value of the rocks and minerals which make up the Grotto is over $4,308,000.[4][5] Over 100,000 people visit each year.[3][6][7]
It includes a museum with precious and semiprecious stones from throughout the world, and photos and artifacts about the construction of the shrine.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. May 13, 2011.
- ^ Grotto of the Redemption Archived 2013-06-05 at the Wayback Machine, agilitynut.com
- ^ a b Iowa Tourism / Northwest / Grotto Of The Redemption - West Bend, Iowa[usurped], iowabeautiful.com
- ^ Grottos of the Midwest: Religion and Patriotism in Stone Archived 2008-10-07 at the Wayback Machine, by Peyton Smith, csumc.wisc.edu
- ^ cited as over $4 million: Grotto of the Redemption, West Bend, Iowa, roadsideamerica.com
- ^ West Bend, Iowa: grotto of the redemption - West Bend, Iowa home to the Grotto of the Redemption a work of love and art depicting the life of Christ by Father Dobberstein Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine, essortment.com
- ^ Passing the Torch Archived 2009-02-16 at the Wayback Machine, westbendgrotto.com