Crystal Shrine Grotto, Tennessee, United States
4.5 (197 reviews) Saturday: 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM Spent < 1 hour Ranking #17 in Memphis Points of Interest & Landmarks
Wonderfully Weird
The Crystal Shrine Grotto is located in the center of Memorial Park Cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee. It serves as the beating heart of the park and reminds those who visit that death is not the end. Those who enter the confines of the 60 foot deep man made cave don't just see the dark beauty of the cave and its eclectic artwork they can feel its magical presence all around them. Memorial Park itself was founded in 1924 by E. Clovis Hinds. He was a wealthy businessman from nearby Mississippi who had recently sold his insurance business. He became aware of a movement at the time to develop "park like" and memorial cemeteries. These cemeteries were a departure from the historical burial yards of the 1800's, which were dark and depressing places full of headstones and reminders of death. This new style known as "The Cemetery Beautiful" provided for cemeteries filled with nature, open spaces, art, pools, fountains, and well-kept plantings. The park was intended to be not merely a burial place, it was a place for memories to reside. A place to enjoy and to celebrate. He decided to develop the park in this new style and in 1935 commissioned Mexican artist Dionicio Rodriguez to construct the main features of the park. In 1938 a cave was dug into the hillside at the center of the park and work began on The Crystal Shrine Grotto. Mr. Rodriguez worked in faux bois style of concrete. Meticulously texturing and coloring surfaces to mimic natural materials like wood and stone. He was extremely secretive about his methods and was sought after as a master of this art at the time and made a good living for himself even during the depression. The cave is comprised of almost 5 tons of natural crystals hand placed onto the cave walls and ceiling. The crystals were collected from the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas. Worked continued on and off until it was completed in 1955 just after Rodriguez's death. The niche art displays were not completed until the 1980's when the last of the 10 ni...
Address
5668 Poplar Ave, Memphis, TN 38119-3839
Mobile
Website
http://www.memorialparkfuneralandcemetery.com/news-and-events/the-crystal-shrine-grotto-on-the-culture-trip
Working hours
Monday : 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday : 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday : 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday : 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday : 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday : 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday : 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Current local date and time now
Saturday, May 11, 2024, 23:26
User Ratings
4.5 based on (197 reviews)
Reviews
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5mjdzt 5:00 PM Sep 8, 2022
Very nice cave built to portray scenes from Jesus's life. Beautiful setting...
Strange location in a Cemetery, however, it is a very beautiful water pond surounded by rock hills and a cave. The cave contains figures portraying scenes from Jesus's Life. This is a free activity. Worth a stop and even going a little out of your way.
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4Lisa S 5:00 PM May 1, 2021
Unique
We are first time visitors to this area and since this is ranked high decided to come. It is very unique and very interesting. The oak tree and bridge were something to see then I walked into the cave and wow, very cool! From the crystals to the beautiful statues inside I think it’s definitely worth 20 minutes of your time to stop and see it. You can park right in front of it as it’s in a cemetery so not a whole lot of traffic.
