Pretty awesome building that's in barge town Kentucky and you can drive by and look at I never been…read moreinside but I did walk around the campus itself of the church and took some pictures and saw some things and it was really large and it was good and neat looking and I would love the opportunity to go on the inside one day

Such a beautiful church in the heart of old historic Bardstown, KY. We walked in behind a tour…read moregroup and the priest was very sweet and invited us to sit in on the presentation. They told a lot of good stories about the history of the church and the beautiful artwork that was given to the church by the last king of France.

I have made several retreats and found them to be peaceful and rejuvenating. I liked the silence…read moreand church services and took advantage of the hiking trails. In this busy world Gethsemani is a gem, offering people a place to be in nature and in a spiritual setting.

I'm leaving this review from the perspective of a non catholic who came here purely on a tourism…read moreperspective. The honest truth is that this is a gorgeous location but there is absolutely nothing to do here unless you are religious and wish to spend time engaging in prayer and contemplation. If that isn't your thing, stopping here really isn't worth your time. You can't actually explore the church other than sit in the visitor's gallery, and the majority of the grounds where the monks actually reside are understandably off limits. One of the reasons most people do travel here is to visit the grave of Thomas Merton. It isn't readily open to the general public - instead you have to pass through the retreat door (which is clearly marked "not open to day guests") and ask the Monk on the other side if you may see the grave. That is what we did - and he was kind enough to oblige. It is a wonderful experience from that perspective. There is also a small visitor's center and gift shop that you can visit and buy various Catholic mementos - books written by Merton - and fudge made by the monks themselves. So again, I've reviewed this from a pure tourist perspective - if that is what you are, don't waste your time. If instead you are on a pilgrimage or some other sort of personal journey, then this is definitely worth the 5 star reviews others have given.