Franciscan Monastery

This review is only for the tour of the building, not for the gardens (because we visited in winter) or any sort of religious service. I heard about this place from a woman giving a ghost tour, who described it as one of the more unique DC tours, and having lived here for a few years and having done most of the other attractions I decided to check this out. The building looks really cool from the outside, and it seems like when things are in bloom the gardens would be quite nice.
As for the tour itself, this Monastery replicates biblical cites and the guide said the original idea was for people who could not visit the levant to see some of these sites. The idea is cool but I think we were expecting something like visiting a nice church with beautiful art, this had more of the feeling of Disney doing the bible than it did of a historic cathedral.

I’m always looking out for peaceful/​nature-​filled spots to visit on weekends so as to feel like I’ve stepped away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Franciscan Monastery is definitely one of them.
Located in a quiet neighborhood near Brookland, the grounds are quite peaceful and colorful– tons of gardens and ponds (albeit some dead fishes in them). Walking around, there are biblical scriptures all over the halls in many different languages. FM tries to resemble the Holy Land so there are catacombs underground that represent the tradition of early Christians burying the dead.
If I lived closer to the neighborhood, I’d probably find my way to the Franciscan Monastery regularly. It’s a great place to sit and wind down. Yet, having the National Cathedral at the same distance, I think I’d prefer that. Again– this is solely based on architecture/​history/​ambiance and not to disrespect the religious component of it.
Overall, this place is a peaceful date with nature– and that of course is always a pleasure.

I came here with a friend who lives in the area. I am not religious so my visit and review are purely historical and architectural based. Although the architecture and the gardens are beautiful they were not worth the trip. We decided to leave much earlier than anticipated and did not do the guided tour. The place is clean and well maintained but just not utterly interesting.

Superb! Without a doubt, one of the prettiest places I’ve visited in DC. Whether you’re religious or just like seeing a nice garden, this should be on everyone’s list of must see places in the area.

They have a sunrise mass on Easter that is lovely. During the summer they also do tours of their gardens on Saturdays at 11 and 12.

Beautiful gardens, definetely one of the most beautiful places in DC! Plenty of parking when we went and quiet

I totally forgot that I bookmarked this place years ago when I was looking for a dog-​friendly outing on a weekend. But, that I was browsing my Unilocal bookmarks and up it popped when I was looking to do something outdoors, interesting, and relaxing to meet up with an old friend.
The grounds are gorgeous. I didn’t realize that the monastery itself was meant to be a replica of the various religiously significant parts of «The Holy Land». If you’re into that kind of thing, you can get a tour. But, since I’m not, I was happy to just wonder the grounds, enjoy the flowers and trees, and the complete lack of people. I’m just surprised how few people know about this place. It’s beautiful. And empty on a 70 degree summer Saturday in DC. My favorite part was walking around the grounds and seeing all the different languages they had written a famous bibilical verse. Many languages I had never heard of!
I didn’t bring my dog, but I will next time. And, shhh… don’t tell anyone else about this place. Or just take an amnesia pill after reading this review.

Staying as a guest of the Monastery for the weekend, they have a spotless and well equipped «Hermitage» in the woods out back, so for a few days at least, I’m a Hermit.
Coincidentally, it’s the feast of St Francis, and this being a Franciscan Monastery, there’s a lot going on…
The beautiful grounds, acres upon acres of land –much of it manicured, much of it raw– and to-​scale replicas of sacred holy sites make this a sacred holy site in and of itself.
The brothers and Fathers are very friendly and accommodating, they even handed me the keys to my very own private chapel tucked away in the woods out back to use whenever I like, ²⁴⁄₇.
Even without all of this, the Church itself is a sight to behold…
A must-​stop for any Catholic
–or Christian for that matter–
when in DC.

First and foremost, this place is not only historic, but it is very beautiful both inside and out. I was babysitting in the area when the parents told me about the monastery walking distance from their house. The little boy I was watching and I came up for about fifteen minutes before he got antsy and departed. However, the next day, I decided to bring my boyfriend here where we spent a good half of the day just roaming around exploring and people watching.
We brought a picnic lunch where we ate it in the parking lot before going across the street to the grounds. Understandable, since they did not want littering and what not. We first went into the church and did our own self guided tour. We didn’t wait for a proper tour guide, but rather took it upon ourselves to take in all of the beauty and architecture around us. This was built from 1898 – 99.
There is a real catacomb in here. In Italy, the exhumed the bones of a saint and brought them here to be entombed in the cathedral itself.
I am Methodist. Being that I was intrigued about when they hold services and what not to simply check out, I could not help but to be amused by the fairly large confessional calendar they have on Sundays. They had it at 10 and 11AM followed by 1, 2, and 3PM in the afternoon. I guess it makes sense though, right?
The grounds are well maintained with hoards of rose gardens of all sorts. I couldn’t quit taking pictures because everything was so beautiful. There are mock grottoes (replicas of ones from around the world) and shrines.
This is a hidden gem worth seeing especially if you are interested in religion itself or a devout Catholic.

A peaceful enclave in a busy city. Near the Shrine; so, if you see one you must see the other. Take some time and walk around the gardens. Truly beautiful.

Cyndy’s Bottom Line: I felt like I was transported to another place and time. The monastery and the grounds (garden) are absolutely beautiful!
— Tours provided for the cathedral and the gardens.
— There is a gift shop
— Parking lot across the street which is free.

Who knew average Joes and Janes like me could wander around here just for fun?
The grounds are lovely, as is the Main Church. I haven’t been to a service here yet, but it looks promising. The gift shop is replete with rosaries, statues, pocket cards, bumper stickers, audio CDs, books, and containers for holy water. There’s oodles of free parking and free holy water.

This is a beautiful place of pilgrimage. I usually partake in the Mass celebrations of the Franciscan feasts, which is very solomn i.e. the Portiuncula Mass, St. Francis’ Feast day; I also love the garden Stations of the Cross at 3 p.m.on Good Friday and the Mass & the burial of Christ.
If you are touring the DC area, you should not miss a blessing from a visit to the Franciscan Monastery.

I love being a tourist. I have lived in DC for 3 years, and I still enjoy walking up to the Lincoln Memorial. However, it is nice to try to find off-​path adventures, especially ones that allow dogs. DC’s Franciscan Monastery is great if you are just in town to see the monuments, but have run out of things to see, and its great to just go and walk around the gardens and spend an afternoon outdoors. There are some great photo opportunities, an even the potential to creep yourself out in their catacombs.
I would say you should control your expectations, however. One reviewer correctly said that this place isn’t particularly stunning if you have been to various cathedrals in Europe. However, this isn’t a cathedral, its a monastery. Much less money for decorations. Also, this place wasn’t around during the renaissance, and Michelangeloan art is really hard to come by these days. They are doing the best they can.

This is a great place to visit. I actually had never been here before until my cousin’s wife had an open art studio in one of the studios behind the church. I’m not religious, so I didn’t really connect with this place on that level. But I thought the gardens and the architecture was beautiful. Upon arrival, I was unable to locate the studio and wandered around the gardens and inside the church a bit. I looked around at the beautiful historic art and features. I finally located the open studios in the back, and loved how it took you through the garden and into a hidden trail behind the church. Very beautiful place, but definitely not the Washington Cathedral. But still worth seeing at least once!

Now this is a place to visit. Almost a hidden jewel in DC. If you cannot afford to go to the Holy Land… this is the place to be!
They have replicas of Holy Land shrines, statues, catacombs, a place where Mary lived.
All of these are great reminders of how beautiful and rich is our Catholic Christian tradition

Beautiful and secluded. I’m not sure why this gorgeous place has been hidden from me for so long. The tour was very informative and interesting. The architecture is beautiful and made me feel as if I was actually in the Holy Lands. It beats taking a 13 hour flight over-​seas, although I would take a vacation any day over staying at home. But while here in DC, this is definitely a place to check out, learn something new and take some time to relax and breathe in their beautiful Valley of the Shrines.

I echo other Unilocalers’ comments about it being a Catholic Disneyland. Basically they copied famous structures (whether they be tombs or catacombs) from the Holy Lands and recreated them here. I guess this served a purpose 100 yrs ago when cross-​Atlantic flights where non-​existent and people would never see the famous structures. But in today’s world of cheap airfare and even cheaper Internet access, something feels cheap about seeing a replica (i.e. think Eiffel Tower in Vegas). Regardless, I do respect what they are trying to accomplish here. The grounds are very beautiful, especially in spring with the tulips. I think the Basilica up the street is much more impressive/​worth the visit, but there is a quiet presence at the monastery (imagine that) and fewer visitors.
Interesting fact: every Fri when Catholic churches collect donations, this monastery is the one that oversees all those funds!
Also, they had a holy water «fountain» right outside the gift shop with a sign that read «do not take more than 16oz of holy water.» :)

Kate C. was right…
IT’S“S CATHOLIC DISNEYLAND!!!
I have to say this is by my FAVORITE PLACE in DC. I never even knew it was there until I saw it on Unilocal.I took a tour with someone who wasn’t religious and we had a great time nonetheless. The docent provided us with an interesting history of both the monastery and Jerusalem. The whole tour was FREE (they accept donations), the grounds were (pardon the pun) immaculate, and everyone was as nice as could be (what do you expect from monks?). The only downside is that the roads there in DC are not labeled… at all… so bring an iphone or droid. You’re GPS will get confused (our TOM TOM did).
If you want to go to mass, check their website for the times.

If you are going to the beautiful gardens and stonework to take photos, this is a great place to go. If you are curious about the «Catholic Disneyland» sights, well… not so impressive. If you’ve been to Europe, the recreations are unimpressive, but it is a bit interesting if you’ve run out of tourist things to do. I took a grandma, a 3 year old and a 6 year old with me, and it went ok, but wasn’t a great outing. The Washington Cathedral is more interesting that this place, if you are choosing between, but this is very close to Catholic University.