Crystal Shrine Grotto

Crystal Shrine Grotto

Crystal Shrine Grotto
4.5
About
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 niches were filled with art work depicting events in the life of Christ. All the features around and in the grotto depict events and places out of the Old and New Testaments. The Cave of Machpelah to the left of the Grotto is a depiction of the 1st tomb mentioned in The Bible, Genesis 23, as Abraham and Sarah's resting place. The Pool of Hebron and Abrahams Oak invite visitors to explore the area and find the hidden faces, figures, and resting places the artist included in the naturalistic concrete to entertain visitors. If one looks closely you can even see the faces of children in the base of the fountain in The Pool of Hebron. In 1991 The Grotto and Rodriguez's other works in the park were added to the National Historic Register. Although it took nearly 60 years to complete and fill with art, it has remained virtually unchanged since its construction. Roughly 100,000 people visit The Grotto each year and it is a very popular spot for photographers, sightseers, and is even used occasionally as a wedding venue. The Crystal Shrine Grotto continues to carry out its purpose as a work of art that houses works of art. Entertaining and inspiring to both young and old. A timeless reminder that death is not the end in a place that must be seen in person to fully understand.
Duration: < 1 hour
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  • justssalter
    Memphis, Tennessee13 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth the trip
    It’s a little odd, being in the middle of a cemetery, but worth the free 30 minute to an hour trip. Did I mention free!? Honestly, would be a great place for a picnic lunch, which if you read the history, was the original intent. Would take more out of town family here.
    Visited November 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written March 1, 2024
  • Michael B
    Columbia, South Carolina27 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Crystals and lights! What's not to like!
    If you want to see something weird and unusual stop by here. The grotto is very interesting. It does not take long to tour the entire thing. Gold fish are outside. Sign says fish food is available at the office. The grave of Isaac Hayes is almost directly across the street as well.
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 13, 2024
  • Disneybus
    Pittsgrove, New Jersey979 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Surreal beautiful self made crystal grotto depicting biblical scenes
    We added this adventure to our Memphis itinerary, finding it conveniently located across from Corkey's ribs. It's located inside Memorial Park Cemetery, and our GPS took us right to it. The cave itself is located on a beautifully landscaped walk around a pond referred to as The Pool of Hebron. Once inside the grotto your immersed with beautiful faux quartz crystals all lighted in comforting tones. Each Judeo-Christian themed section depicts various biblical passages such as the tree of Zacchaeus. The sixty foot deep cave was designed and built by Dionicio Rodriguez up to 1941, but it wasn't until decades later that another sculptor gave the Grotto its final veneer of weirdness, with modernist sculptures. Definitely worthy of a visit - it took us about 45 minutes to soak in this experience.
    Visited September 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written October 22, 2024
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles210 reviews
Excellent
135
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50
Average
23
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1
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VeniceVerdon
Boston, MA88 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022
This was such a quirky little stop on our trip, and we almost didn't go, but I'm so glad we did. Absolutely loved it. The outside greenery and water features are serene and quiet (it is in a cemetery, after all), and the inside is just delightfully weird and beautiful all at once. I really recommend stopping by to see it, especially early in the morning. It's really a hidden gem.

Almost directly across from the grotto is Isaac Hayes' final resting place, so if you are a fan you can also stop by to pay your respects (the location is searchable via GPS).
Written June 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

mjdzt
Coldfoot, AK444 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
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.
Written September 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lisa S
Hummelstown, PA10,135 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021 • Couples
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.
Written May 2, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rita K
10 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023
This was a beautiful and unique place to visit, but it really only took about 15 minutes to walk through it. We took a Lyft and should have asked the driver to wait. Then we had to walk around the cemetery and wait for another ride to arrive. This is okay to do if you have your own car. Both Lyft drivers were from Memphis and neither one had ever heard of this place.
Written April 30, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LAMMER13
Rochester Hills, MI333 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2020 • Solo
I always search for unique and off the beaten path venues when I travel. This crystal grotto is very peaceful and a nice quick stop while in Memphis. Located in the Memorial Park Cemetery, it contains scenes from the life of Christ. It was built in the 1930’s by Mexican sculptor Dionicio Rodriguez. The grotto is not large but contains several scenes and the crystals and quartz add to the visual interest. Time required: less than 1 hour.
Written November 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

3georges
Peachtree City, GA234 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020
Got up early on Sunday and checked TA for something to do and this place came up. Checked it out and it was amazing. I kinda like cemeteries anyway, so that part didn't bother me. The grotto is man made with all these quartz crystals in the ceiling and walls. There's some artwork as well. A little side benefit, if you walk across the street from the grotto to the right, near the road is Isaac Hayes' grave literally a few steps from the road.
Written October 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Bkenny
New Orleans, LA19 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2021 • Friends
bkenny63
New Orleans, Louisiana
Art and Nature. Can’t miss!!
Review of Crystal Shrine Grotto
Pending reviewvia mobile
Even on rainy Tuesday, this was a fantastic stop on my tour of Memphis. My aunt brought me here because she knows I love museums.
The fact that the historic home/museum sits on beautiful gardens was an added bonus. It doesn’t have the pizzaz of the Huntington Museum, which also mixes Botanic gardens and a museum, but I loved the approachable scale of it all. We had a wonderful rainy afternoon. Kudos to the gardeners. The paths and vegetation are wonderfully maintained. It was a nice last look at the rich culture of Memphis before I flew home.
Written October 15, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

justcindy
Georgia67 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021 • Couples
Very interesting and eerily peaceful place and worth a stop if you’re in town. Be warned that the grotto is in the middle of a very large cemetery and not very easy to find once on the cemetery grounds. However, we found that if you search for the grotto on Google Maps, it drops a pin in the right location. This helped us navigate to the right spot within the cemetery. Look for the oddly shaped trees on the hill.
Written October 6, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Shady36420
Andalusia, AL93 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020 • Solo
Was eating at Gus’s and saw this pop up as a place nearby. Figured I’d be in and out, but I probably walked around at the grotto for at least 15-20 min. Also don’t miss touring the cemetery while there. Issac Hayes is buried directly across from the grotto, and other celebrities like Charlie Rich, Red West and Sam Phillips are buried there too.
Written September 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Brenavon2006
Coon Rapids, MN171 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2021 • Couples
This was my favorite stop in Memphis! I couldn’t believe it was found in the middle of a cemetery. Not only is the pond and rock entry inviting, the cave is so amazing! I wonder how many people have missed this because they have been so mesmerized by everything outside of the cave. This stop was the highlight of our road trip from Minneapolis to Memphis!
Written March 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Crystal Shrine Grotto - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

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