The Chapel
Sit in the pews and look up through the crossed beams to the trees.
Thorncrown Chapel
A soaring wood-and-glass chapel in the Ozark woods near Eureka Springs, Arkansas, designed by E. Fay Jones and among the finest American buildings of its century.
Thorncrown Chapel stands in the Ozark woods outside Eureka Springs, Arkansas: a tall, narrow chapel of wood and glass, with 425 windows and a lattice of crossed timbers that seems to dissolve into the trees around it. Designed by E. Fay Jones, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, it opened in 1980.
The American Institute of Architects counts it among the finest American buildings of the century. Inside, with light falling through the beams, it feels like worshiping in the forest itself.
- Best Time
- April–June and October for the woods
- Time Needed
- 1 hour
- Cost Level
- $$$$
- Open
- March through December, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed January and February
- Getting There
- A few minutes west of Eureka Springs on Highway 62, about an hour from the Northwest Arkansas airport.
What to See
2 of 2 are freeWorship Service
Nondenominational Sunday services, open to everyone.
Know Before You Go
- Entry is free; donations welcome. It sometimes closes early for weddings, so call ahead late in the day.
- Mornings and weekdays are quietest.
Where to Stay
Stay in Eureka Springs.
Where to Eat
Our picks are on the way.
Editor's picks. Nobody paid to be on this list.
Something wrong or out of date?
Traveler Reviews
Sign in and mark Thorncrown Chapel as visited to write a review.
Go Next
Worth a DetourMemphis and Graceland
Tennessee
Elvis's Graceland, the blues on Beale Street and the National Civil Rights Museum.
Full Guide
Worth a Detour
If You're NearbySt. Louis
Missouri
The 630-foot Gateway Arch, free museums in Forest Park and the Budweiser brewery tour.
Full Guide
Last checked 2026-10-31. Part of the Southeast list.