The Grotto

Love this place! We visit the grotto about once every three months since we live in WA. Don’t leave without visiting the garden. It’s a very peaceful place that allows you to take your mind off stressful things. Bring a book, take pictures, enjoy the view. Whatever you’re in to, I am sure the grotto won’t disappoint!

A must see if u ever visit Portland and not even Catholic! Breathtaking views & a sense of peace as u enter & go up the elevator to the upper floors ($ 5/​person TOTALLY WORTH IT).

Went back for more! As stated in my first review that I’m not religious at all but I’m very open minded!!! :) I went there on Thursday and there weren’t many people. I watched movie about the history of the Grotto about 15 minutes by myself. :)
Still haven’t gone up to the garden up top… Need to find time… SOON!!!

We weren’t sure what we were getting into and were extremely pleasantly surprised. We, luckily, got here when there weren’t a lot of people. The tranquility and serenity in this place was beyond peaceful. We walked all around and were able to enjoy the flowers and beautiful pathways in quiet solitude. I highly recommend that you take a few hours just to experience this place. A great end to our long travel day.

We went for the Memorial Day weekend with family. Quite and relaxing. Beautiful landscape and statue images. The churches we are nice and loved the meditation room. You pay $ 6 to take the elevator to the upper grounds statues and meditation room/​observation room. 2 different gift shops on main grounds. One closest to the lower level church has a room in back with a video showing history of area. I found the main rock enclosed statues to be peaceful and amazing. I’m so glad we visited and plan on returning again with more family and friends. If you are looking for relaxation and meditation location this is the place.

Absolutely stunning gardens in the upper level. The meditation chapel is one of the most gorgeous, peaceful spaces I’ve ever been lucky enough to visit. It’s worth the trip to sit in that serene space for 20 – 30 minutes.
The meandering, natural gardens are lovely, and the labyrinth is another highlight for me. This is a garden that invites breath and calm. Its 65 acres means there’s space for people and solace, even if the parking lot is full.
On my visits, there were no work crews, no leaf blowers, or lawn mowers, so my whole experience truly felt like a retreat.

Entrance fee $ 0 believing $ 0 talking to the nun $ 11…you just have to figure it out yourself

This is the one place to go to in Portland. Hands down my favorite place. Don’t miss the labyrinth on the upper level and the meditation chapel inside the glass cross. If you need a place to center yourself and be present to the Holy and to yourself, spend an afternoon at the Grotto.

I was here in the fall, which was absolutely gorgeous. The Grotto is serene, inspirational and a good place to be alone with your thoughts. Easy walk from the main road (I took the bus from downtown Portland), but there’s plenty of parking as well. There’s a gift shop with Christian-​themed books and ornaments and the staff is warm and friendly.

This is one of the best places to visit when in Portland.
For $ 5 to take the elevator, you donate to caring for the gardens, and really, it’s a small token once you fully experience everything.
The meditation chapel is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
Architecturally, the building is gorgeous.
The city views from inside are breathtaking.
If you do sit and meditate, remember to be mindful of others.
The grounds are extremely well kept and sectioned into different stages (sorrow, happiness, etc).
There are various sculptures with scriptures dispersed about.
The labyrinth is one of my favorite things about The Grotto.
It’s tucked away amongst the trees, and perfect for working out anything.
My most recent visit alerted me to the fact that the turnstile is no longer in use, and they kind of go off of an honor system of believing you paid your admission to go upstairs.
While some are of good faith, I feel somewhat worried about this being abused. =/

Being a very non-​religious human being, I enjoy visiting The Grotto immensely. It’s extremely peaceful and serene. The beauty of the surrounding nature and the delicate art are absolutely breath taking.
There are two levels, the second one being on the cliff. It’s a $ 5 admission to get a pass to visit the upper level, but well worth the walk. You’ll be able to visit the Meditation center that has an absolutely incredible view of Portland and the Columbia River. There are also a couple ponds, a handful of intricately made shrines and the labyrinth.
All in all, the entire grounds of The Grotto are worth a visit. Beautiful!

To say that this place is beautiful is an understatement.
Immerse yourself in a 62-​acre forested setting where architecture melds with nature. This is a Catholic sanctuary, the full name being «The National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother», but people from all walks of life are welcome.
The Grotto is split across two levels: the ground level which is free of charge, and the upper level which is accessible by elevator for a small admission fee ($ 5 general, $ 3 youth, and under age 6 free). The upper level is definitely worth a visit!
The Grotto’s main sight is the shrine to the Mother Mary on the ground level. This shrine features a life-​size replica of Michelangelo’s Pieta, housed inside a rock cave carved into a 110-​foot cliff. On the ground level is also a forested walk where you’ll find large bronze plaques detailing the 14 Stations of the Cross.
The upper level features a meditation chapel overlooking part of the city, paved paths through tall trees and trimmed lawns, a pond, a «labyrinth» of paved stones, and many statues of saints and of events from the life of Christ.
One cannot visit this place and not feel a sense of serenity. It’s no wonder that The Grotto calls itself «a place of solitude, peace and prayer»!

«The Grotto, A place of Solitude, Peace, & Prayer»
You will feel all of this during your visit to The Grotto.
No visit to Portland is complete without visiting The Grotto.
Thank you to a friend, for recommending this place. Prior to my trip, I searched The Grotto on Unilocal & Oh my! I couldn’t wait. Thank you to my other half for taking me here. I really wish I could spend the entire day here!
What is The Grotto, you ask?!
The Grotto is an internationally-​renowned Catholic sanctuary and garden. You will be delighted to discover this peaceful acre retreat near the center of the city. The heart of the sanctuary, is a magnificent rock cave carved into the base of cliff. A replica of Michelangelo’s is featured in the center.
Location of the The Grotto?
The Grotto is very easy to get to, per GPS directions.
Conveniently located at NE 85^th Avenue and Sandy Boulevard, ½ mile west of 1 – 205, just minutes from Downtown. There are lots of free parking available.
My Important Tips for the Grotto:
A visit to the Grotto lower level is free, but I do recommend going to the upper level gardens.
admission is just 5.00 & you will be amazed, this I guarantee.
The incredible views are well worth the 5.00 fee!
Do take the tour when you get to the upper level, just follow the yellow arrows, this will lead you around, & the grand finale is the meditation center.
Be prepare to take lots of pictures, take your time, enjoy the beautiful sceneries,
Please wear comfortable shoes, you will be doing a lot of walking.
Restrooms are located at the front near the gift shop, recommend using bathroom before heading to the upper level gardens. Make sure to drink water & stay hydrated.
Do try the Labyrinth, its pretty cool! — A walking maze which will give you energy.
The Grotto Conclusion:
After this visit, I felt so refreshed, reflections of how precious life is, & grateful for what you have in life.
Many prayers during my visit, my prayers for World Peace.
We had an AMAZING time here at The Grotto.
I will definitely be back!
One last thing, don’t forget to stop at the gift shop before you leave The Grotto.
2016 #12/​100 Unilocal Challenge

This outdoor shrine and sanctuary of the Roman Catholic Church is beautiful. Came here on ²⁄₁₃ with my boyfriend. Neither of us are Catholic, but we love art, spiritual things and anything in nature so I wanted to bring him here. This is a great place to go either as a Catholic or other religious/​non-​religious person, simply for the beauty and unique art.
The first thing you see is the gift shop after parking, which is free. The restrooms are around the corner from the gift shop, and they are the equivalent of a rest stop or national park restroom so bring the hand sanitizer. Then there’s a map that tells you about a trail to your right, the grotto which is up and to the right, the visitors center, outdoors mass area and church straight ahead, and the elevator passed the grotto that takes you to the second level with additional sculptures, gardens and a lovely view of the city. There are several thousands of feet in trails and it’s 62 acres total.
We took the trail which has several bronze sculptures surrounded by moss covered stones in the woods depicting the last days of Christ.
They have a replica of Christ high up in the trees. They have a few of the saints. The visitors’ center has photos from back when the Grotto opened in 1924. It has also a life-​size sculpture of Mary holding a toddler aged Jesus that is very life-​like. They sell candles there for $ 7 to light at the grotto entrance, holy water, souvenirs and other art along with pieces that are for display only.
The shrine is just breathtaking. The candles that are lit day or night at either side of the shrine, the moss, the background music of monks signing, all adding to the two angels on either side of the statue of the angel holding the crucified Christ. There were a lot of flowers set at the shrine when we were there.
We didn’t take the elevator up to the second level. It’s $ 5 per adult to go up there, and tickets are purchased at the visitors’ center. I bet the gardens there are gorgeous in the summer.
Be careful where you step, as there were some destroyed trails where the asphalt had caved in.

Parking is a average size private lot.
No admission costs.
Immaculately kept grounds. Interesting for even the non-​religious folks out there. Great place for a stroll in a beautiful park.

This space is definitely worth a visit, the grounds are stunningly gorgeous. Have your cameras ready there are photo opps everywhere!
This is a Catholic sanctuary but it is very open to all faiths.
I really enjoyed the mediation room, it’s a tranquil space. They call it a room but it’s more like a building in size.
We paid the fee to take the elevator up, it’s totally worth a trip up.
There is a chapel on the premises, services are held weekly with an outside service held, weather permitting, every Sunday at 12 noon.
I look forward to returning to this space, someday.

This time around, I was fortunate to visit The Grotto with a group of my girlfriends for our spontaneous Portland trip. This was not part of our adventure but as we stumble upon this place while driving by, I had to check it out.
Most people do not know, but every time I travel anywhere, I will not miss my Sunday mass. I will always do research in advance to find a nearby Catholic church. Also, I actually get very excited to see different Catholic cathedrals architecture as well.
To me, this trip was amazing alone just visiting this place. The Grotto is a special place that is beautiful, breath taking, relaxing, and quiet.
If you are ever in Portland, please take the time to visit The Grotto. I highly recommend.
Explore. Unwind. Take it all in.
The simple things in life.

Need a new place to unwind today? I have a suggestion. The National Sanctuary of our Sorrowful Mother or like most people you can just call it The Grotto.
I am often surprised by how many people don’t know about this place. Often even Portland area natives have never been. I was talking to a friend who has lived here all her life, iys Catholic and didn’t know the place. (I mention Catholic because it is a Catholic shrine.)
In any season the Grotto is a special, place, located in, well lets say not the nicest of neighborhoods. Most of the year it is a peaceful place to look at plants and flowers. It has paths to wander and places to sit and take it all in.
Besides the main sanctuary (mass is held here) there are other smaller chapels. They are nice to sit and relax or meditate or pray in.
Christmas the lower area lights up, it is frankly incredible. There is usually live choral music and crowds everywhere (adult admission $ 10). The parking lot fills fast but there is lots of street parking in the area. Bring extra money for hot chocolate, etc. For the kids there are animals needing attention. It is a great place to get into the Christmas spirit.
The rest if the year there are other events, (blessing of the pets etc). But the lower area is free and there is just a $ 5 fee for the elevator up top (there is a annual pass available $ 50 for you and a guest.) Both levels are worth your time to see and explore.
There is a gift shop with a few souvenirs but it is mostly a catholic book store.
It is a catholic shrine, but don’t let that keep you away, Everyone here is always friendly and I have yet to have anyone here ask my faith. I just enjoy the place and its peace. I think it is a most people would enjoy a visit.
Tip: turn your phone off when you get here, I find it helps me to get into the peace and makes it a retreat from the outside world.
Tip 2 the upper shrine (the one near the elevator) has great views. It is good for watching planes take off and land at the airport.

Free must visit tourist & local attraction. A very peaceful and beautiful catholic shrine and botanical garden. The shrine of the Grotto is a rock cave carved in the base of a cliff. It pretty awesome and definitely something different you have never seen before.
The chapel of Mary is a beautiful place and holds daily mass. There is alot of seating and gorgeous interior décor. The grotto upper level costs about $ 5 for admission but is totally worth it. At the top there are gardens, religious artwork, and beautiful panoramic views of the Columbia River Valley and Mt. St. Helens. Also on the upper level are the cliff side Meditation Chapel and the Servite Monastery.
Best time to come is during Christmas when they have lights and decorations all over the Grotto. While waling the paths, I was able to bring my dog as well. There is also a cute little gift shop but no pets allowed.
You are also able to host some big events such as a wedding.
Basically, Come here for a relaxing time and unforgettable experience.

Decided to come here for the first time and try to get some nature in to my day. The grotto itself is a caved space that is peaceful. The architecture of the buildings in the lower section is amazing and there is a gift shop where one can find all things Catholic: rosaries, saint cards, medallions, books, as well as some gifts.
I was a little bit surprised at the 5 $ elevator ride that you have to pay to get to the upper section, which contains some nice meanderings and a labyrinth. My friend had her baby with her so it was nice to sit on a bench and just hang out in the sunlight. There is a pond and various reflecting areas, with large wooden carved statues encased in glass depicting important Catholic scenes.
The meditation room overlooking Portland (in the upper section) is lovely and not to be missed (make sure to take a left upon exiting the elevator at the top). Parking was easy with lots of spaces.