Final resting place for Brother Joseph, who created the art that is known as Ave Maria Grotto.This is a cemetery of only monks in residence at St. Bernard Abbey.

Ave Maria Grotto, in Cullman, Alabama, is a landscaped, 4-acre park in an old quarry on the grounds of St. Bernard Abbey, providing a garden setting for 125 miniature reproductions of some of the most famous religious structures of the world. It was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage on February 24, 1976, and to the National Register of Historic Places on January 19, 1984.

The stone and concrete models are the work of Brother Joseph Zoettl, a Benedictine monk of St. Bernard's Abbey, who devoted some 50 years to the project, the last three decades (1932 to 1961) almost without interruption. They incorporate discarded building supplies, bricks, marbles, tiles, pipes, sea shells, marbles, plastic animals, costume jewellery, toilet bowl floats and cold cream jars.

Born in 1878 in the Kingdom of Bavaria, Brother Joseph was maimed in an accident that left him slightly hunched due to cervical kyphosis. He immigrated to the United States as a teenager, settling in northern Alabama. Soon afterward he began studying at the newly founded Benedictine monastery of St. Bernard, where he took his vows in 1897. Br. Joseph was not allowed to be ordained as a priest, due to the rule of the period that stated any man with a distracting disability could not be ordained a priest. He ran the monastery’s power plant and was, even by a monk's standards, a withdrawn, quiet man. Brother Joseph rarely left Alabama, where he died in 1961.

Photo by Jennifer Hott-Greenway

Hotels near Ave Maria Grotto

Name: Hampton Inn Cullman
Price range: $123 total

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Aug 1 - Aug 2

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Featured Hotels near Ave Maria Grotto

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2.47 mi from Ave Maria Grotto

$119 nightly

$139 total

Aug 10 - Aug 11

Total includes taxes and fees

At Cobblestone Hotel & Suites - Cullman, guests enjoy features like an outdoor pool, a gym, and free WiFi in public areas. If you drive, take advantage of free parking. Front-desk staff are standing by 24/7 to assist with any requests. Additional amenities include a 24-hour business center, coffee/tea in a common area, and laundry facilities.

Pool

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3.27 mi from Ave Maria Grotto

$55 nightly

$66 total

Aug 3 - Aug 4

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Guests of Days Inn by Wyndham Cullman enjoy access to free WiFi in public areas, a business center, and a seasonal outdoor pool. If you decide to drive, there's free parking. The front desk is staffed 24/7 to help secure valuables, and answer any questions about the accommodations. Additional amenities include coffee/tea in a common area, a computer station, and express check-in.

Pool

Breakfast included

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3.86 mi from Ave Maria Grotto

$69 nightly

$82 total

Aug 14 - Aug 15

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Quality Inn Cullman I-65 Exit 310 features free WiFi in public areas, a business center, and a seasonal outdoor pool. If you decide to drive, there's free parking. The front desk is staffed 24/7 to help secure valuables, and answer any questions about the accommodations. Additional amenities include coffee/tea in a common area, a meeting room, and a computer station.

Pool

Breakfast included

La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Cullman

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3.9 mi from Ave Maria Grotto

$93 nightly

$109 total

Aug 24 - Aug 25

Total includes taxes and fees

Guests of La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Cullman have access to a children's pool, a 24-hour gym, and free WiFi in public areas. If you drive, take advantage of free parking. The front desk is staffed 24 hours a day to help with luggage storage and securing valuables. Additional amenities include conference space, a business center, and a seasonal outdoor pool.

Pool

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3.9 mi from Ave Maria Grotto

$101 nightly

$118 total

Aug 17 - Aug 18

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Guests of Comfort Suites Cullman I-65 Exit 310 enjoy access to free WiFi in public areas, a seasonal outdoor pool, and a meeting room. You can take advantage of free parking if you drive. The front desk is staffed 24/7 to help with dry cleaning/laundry, luggage storage, and securing valuables. Additional amenities include laundry facilities, a banquet hall, and a vending machine.

Pool

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3.93 mi from Ave Maria Grotto

$80 nightly

$94 total

Aug 17 - Aug 18

Total includes taxes and fees

Guests of Best Western Fairwinds Inn enjoy an outdoor pool, free WiFi in public areas, and a business center. Free parking is available if you drive. The front desk is staffed 24/7 to help secure valuables, and answer any questions about the accommodations. Additional amenities include coffee/tea in a common area, a meeting room, and a computer station.

Pool

Breakfast included

Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Cullman by IHG

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3.99 mi from Ave Maria Grotto

$113 nightly

$132 total

Aug 24 - Aug 25

Total includes taxes and fees

Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Cullman by IHG features an indoor pool, a 24-hour gym, and in-room fitness. If you drive, put free parking to good use. The 24-hour front desk has multilingual staff ready to assist with securing valuables and dry cleaning/laundry. Additional amenities include free WiFi in public areas, a conference center, and a 24-hour business center.

Pool

Breakfast included

Sleep Inn & Suites Cullman I-65 exit 310

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4.03 mi from Ave Maria Grotto

$77 nightly

$90 total

Aug 14 - Aug 15

Total includes taxes and fees

Guests of Sleep Inn & Suites Cullman I-65 exit 310 enjoy a gym, free WiFi in public areas, and meeting rooms. You can put free parking to good use if you drive. Staff members can answer questions about accommodations, and also provide a safe deposit box at the front desk. Additional amenities include a business center, a seasonal outdoor pool, and free newspapers.

Pool

Breakfast included

4.11 mi from Ave Maria Grotto

$105 nightly

$123 total

Aug 7 - Aug 8

Total includes taxes and fees

At Hampton Inn Cullman, guests have access to a gym, free WiFi in public areas, and a business center. You can put free parking to good use if you drive. The front desk is staffed 24 hours a day to help with dry cleaning/laundry and securing valuables. Additional amenities include a seasonal outdoor pool, express check-in, and express check-out.

Pool

Breakfast included

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Ave Maria Grotto hotels essential information

Accommodation	595 hotels
Lowest Price	$66
Highest Price	$139
Popular hotels	Days Inn by Wyndham Cullman, Cobblestone Hotel & Suites - Cullman, La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Cullman, Best Western Fairwinds Inn, Sleep Inn & Suites Cullman I-65 exit 310, Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Cullman by IHG, Comfort Suites Cullman I-65 Exit 310, Hampton Inn Cullman, Quality Inn Cullman I-65 Exit 310

Recent Reviews

5/5 Excellent

"Great place to stay. "

A verified traveler stayed at La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Cullman

Posted 2 days ago

5/5 Excellent

It was good

"3rd time iv stayed at this hotel. This time by myself i got the king bed. The cover on top did have a couple of stains and 2 burn holes i guess they put a cover from a smoking room in it. But it didnt smell smokey overall it was a nice clean room "

A verified traveler stayed at Days Inn by Wyndham Cullman

Posted 3 days ago