We visited the chapel on a recent trip to West Point. To call this a chapel seems funny as it is…read moreone of the grandest churches I have ever been in, including in Europe. The architecture is absolutely magnificent, the scope of the interior is truly awe inspiring. The gothic exterior is so amazing and interesting as every where your eye lands is a new little angle or nook. We have not attended a service here yet but hopefully someday. Not to be missed, in the basement is the Orthodox Christian Church, we happen to be Greek Orthodox so we made a point to seek out this church. What is lacks in size it makes up for in spirit. It is reached by a marble spiral staircase and has vaulted ceilings in stone, a solid iron door and the icons one would expect. The views as you can imagine are second to none from the top of the chapel.

Upon entering Cadet Chapel, a sign reads, "Whoever you are that enters this Chapel, don't leave it…read morewithout one prayer to God for yourself, for those that minister, and for those who worship here". The imposing hilltop presence of Cadet Chapel, overlooking the campus of the United Stated Military Academy at West Point, NY, was completed in 1910. It replaced the Old Cadet Chapel built in 1836, which was deconstructed and moved to the U.S.M.A. cemetary where it remains, and is utilized today. This church was established as a protestant denomination place of worship for members of the Corp of Cadets. Cadet Chapel is of Gothic Revival architecture and houses the largest pipe organ in the world with 23,511 individual pipes. The interior soaring native granite arches, and the beautiful stained glass windows, are breath taking. The Academy motto "Duty , Honor, Country" is inscribed in the Great Sancuary window. U.S.M.A. graduating classes have also contributed to the additon of the stained glass windows. Upon entering, one can't help but be in awe of the Battle and national flags which hang high above the congregants in the nave of the church. For this reason, Cadet Chapel has been compared to St. George's Chapel, Windsor, England and to the Church of St. Louis at Les Invalides in Paris, France. Some of the flags hanging where carried in the Civil War, Spanish American War and the Phillipine Insurrection, to name a few. Services at Cadet Chapel are additionally open to the public with security passes and the faculty. To marry at Cadet Chapel either the bride or groom must be a graduate of the Academy.

We have never been in for services, but the exterior and graveyard, which is not a common site in…read morethe US are beautiful and evocative. Hoping to someday be able to attend a service here but our timing in the area has not lined up as of yet. The history of the church is also incredible!

The beautiful architecture of this old church set in the mountains adds a serene highlight to the…read morewinding drive. A pleasant spot to stop for a walking meditation.

Adorable Catholic chapel located in the charming country town of Garrison, N.Y. St. Joseph's Chapel…read moreis run as a mission church of Our Lady of Loretto in Cold Spring, N.Y., and offers one Mass, a 10:15 a.m. service on Sundays. I'm assuming that most of the people who attend Mass here are Garrison residents and that they aren't schlepping in from Cold Spring - not that it's much of schlep, but whatever - although I'm not really sure. Anyway, this chapel is old, graceful and a lovely place to attend services if you are in the area and are so inclined. It's a small church, and was definitely constructed in another era. It's a charming white building with small stained glass windows and an antique-looking red door. I love old stuff - old art, old buildings, you name it - and this place definitely fits the bill. Once inside, you'll realize just how small this chapel is, because you don't get a complete sense of that from the outside. There is no center aisle; rather, there are three sets of pews and two side aisles. There is a set of pews located on each side of the chapel, and then there is a middle set of seats running down the center of the church where an aisle would normally be in another facility. The two side aisles separate the middle section of pews from the rest of the seating. The floors here are nice, warm-colored wooden planks, and the aisles have charmingly old-fashioned carpet runners. There are niches at the front of the chapel for the statues (very small and very nice), and the altar is tiny compared to what you would find in another church. There are two beautiful paintings that decorate the walls behind the altar. One is of the Virgin and Child, and the other is of St. Joseph, I believe. They are round portraits that were painted in a style that is not seen too much anymore. They struck me as having a similar style to Eastern Orthodox iconography, and the gaze of the figures is very direct. The Stations of the Cross here are very old and somewhat faded, but they still retain aspects of beauty. The stained glass windows are great. They don't make them like this anymore. They've got the standard stuff, as well as a window featuring St. Joan of Arc in full armor, a castle behind her. That cool little number is located by the stairs that lead to the choir loft. In the window, St. Joan is depicted raising her eyes, presumably towards Heaven, but the artist made her look as though she's simply rolling them in annoyance at the congregation. I know that I'm not supposed to laugh at religious art, but I got a kick of that one. Tee hee! Some things to note about St. Joseph's Chapel: it's a small space, so the choir will really sound at times like they're belting it out; the pew kneelers are hard as rocks; there is no parking lot, so be prepared to park alongside the road; and the chapel is directly across the street from the Garrison Fire House, so if the fire alarm goes off while you're here, it will wail away VERY loudly and you won't be able to hear a thing until it stops. But those are all minor caveats, in my opinion. All in all, if you're in the neighborhood on a Sunday and want to swing by St. Joseph's Chapel, it's probably worth your time. It's such a pretty little church and is hard to resist.

We stopped here as they generously offer accommodations to hikers. There is a lovely outdoor…read moreshower. The grounds are beautiful. Thank you for everything!! This place is so worth the stop!

Yes Beautiful grounds Yes Spiritually centered And yes As close to a prison as I…read moreever hope to be. Attended a retreat at their spiritual center. If the horror movie hallways weren't enough of a prelude, the monk (or priest, not sure what they're called) was another tip off I was not I Kansas anymore. Plastic wrapped slab beds No blankets 1 towel Shared bathrooms Sounds through the pipes that sounded like someone trying to hacksaw their way out. You'd better be spiritual (read monastic) coming here because there's little else in terms of comfort. Will the retreat be worth it? At this point everyone is required to carry a stuffed animal.... I'm thinking no Then again, there's a lovely French bistro not far....