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 He ran the monastery’s power plant and was, even by a monk's standards, a withdrawn, quiet man.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

Book a hotel near Ave Maria Grotto, Cullman

Name: Econo Lodge Cullman
Price range: $77 total

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Top hotels close to Ave Maria Grotto

The Flying Fifty, a Luxury Boutique Hotel

515 4th St SW, Cullman, AL

Free Cancellation

Reserve now, pay when you stay

1.79 mi from Ave Maria Grotto

$196 nightly

$227 total

Nov 13 - Nov 14

Total with taxes and fees

A restaurant and a bar/lounge are featured at this hotel. Guests will appreciate free perks like free self parking and WiFi in public areas. A coffee shop, a library, and express check-out are also on offer.

Parking included

Free WiFi

Cobblestone Hotel & Suites - Cullman

1835 Main Ave SW, Cullman, AL

Free Cancellation

Reserve now, pay when you stay

2.47 mi from Ave Maria Grotto

$109 nightly

$127 total

Oct 30 - Oct 31

Total with taxes and fees

This hotel features a restaurant, an outdoor pool, and a bar/lounge. Traveling on business? Take advantage of the 24-hour business center and free WiFi in public areas. Enjoy the gym and free perks like full breakfast and free self parking.

Pool

Breakfast included

Days Inn by Wyndham Cullman

1841 4th St Sw, Cullman, AL

Free Cancellation

Reserve now, pay when you stay

3.27 mi from Ave Maria Grotto

$59 nightly

$70 total

Oct 23 - Oct 24

Total with taxes and fees

A restaurant and a seasonal outdoor pool are featured at this hotel. Traveling on business? Take advantage of the business center and free WiFi in public areas. Guests will appreciate freebies like on-the-go breakfast and free self parking.

Pool

Breakfast included

Quality Inn Cullman I-65 Exit 310

5917 State Route 157 Nw, Cullman, AL

Free Cancellation

Reserve now, pay when you stay

3.86 mi from Ave Maria Grotto

$67 nightly

$80 total

Nov 3 - Nov 4

Total with taxes and fees

Pool

Breakfast included

La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Cullman

2054 Saint Joseph Drive Northwest, Cullman, AL

Free Cancellation

Reserve now, pay when you stay

3.9 mi from Ave Maria Grotto

$93 nightly

$109 total

Nov 2 - Nov 3

Total with taxes and fees

This hotel features a 24-hour gym and a seasonal outdoor pool. Traveling on business? Take advantage of the business center and free WiFi in public areas. Guests will appreciate freebies like buffet breakfast and free self parking.

Pool

Breakfast included

Comfort Suites Cullman I-65 Exit 310

2048 St Joseph Dr Nw, Cullman, AL

Free Cancellation

Reserve now, pay when you stay

3.9 mi from Ave Maria Grotto

$99 nightly

$116 total

Nov 16 - Nov 17

Total with taxes and fees

This hotel doesn't skimp on freebies - guests receive free buffet breakfast, free WiFi, and free self parking. Traveling on business? Take advantage of the laundry service and free internet in public areas. Enjoy the seasonal outdoor pool and conveniences like a 24-hour front desk and laundry facilities.

Pool

Breakfast included

Best Western Fairwinds Inn

1917 Commerce Avenue, Cullman, AL

Free Cancellation

Reserve now, pay when you stay

3.93 mi from Ave Maria Grotto

$80 nightly

$94 total

Oct 23 - Oct 24

Total with taxes and fees

This hotel doesn't skimp on freebies - guests receive free continental breakfast, free WiFi, and free self parking. Business travelers can take advantage of the business center. There's an outdoor pool on site, and laundry facilities and barbecue grills are also offered.

Pool

Breakfast included

Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Cullman by IHG

2052 Hays Dr, Cullman, AL

Free Cancellation

3.99 mi from Ave Maria Grotto

$108 nightly

$126 total

Nov 2 - Nov 3

Total with taxes and fees

This hotel features an indoor pool and a 24-hour gym. Traveling on business? Take advantage of the 24-hour business center and free WiFi in public areas. Enjoy the in-room fitness and free perks like buffet breakfast and free self parking.

Pool

Breakfast included

Sleep Inn & Suites Cullman I-65 exit 310

2050 Sr 157, Cullman, AL

Free Cancellation

Reserve now, pay when you stay

4.03 mi from Ave Maria Grotto

$81 nightly

$95 total

Nov 2 - Nov 3

Total with taxes and fees

This hotel features a gym and a seasonal outdoor pool. There's no skimping on freebies - guests receive free buffet breakfast, free WiFi, and free self parking. A business center, laundry facilities, and free newspapers are also on offer.

Pool

Breakfast included

Fairfield Inn & Suites By Marriott Cullman

1855 North Crest Dr. NW, Cullman, AL

Free Cancellation

Reserve now, pay when you stay

4.05 mi from Ave Maria Grotto

$107 nightly

$125 total

Nov 2 - Nov 3

Total with taxes and fees

This hotel doesn't skimp on freebies - guests receive free continental breakfast, free WiFi, and free self parking. Business travelers can take advantage of the 24-hour business center. Enjoy the seasonal outdoor pool and conveniences like a 24-hour front desk and laundry facilities.

Pool

Breakfast included

Hampton Inn Cullman

6100 Hwy 157, Cullman, AL

4.11 mi from Ave Maria Grotto

$103 nightly

$121 total

Nov 13 - Nov 14

Total with taxes and fees

This hotel features a gym and a seasonal outdoor pool. Traveling on business? Take advantage of the business center and free WiFi in public areas. Guests will appreciate freebies like buffet breakfast and free self parking.

Pool

Breakfast included

Econo Lodge Cullman

1655 County Road 437, Cullman, AL

Free Cancellation

Reserve now, pay when you stay

5.02 mi from Ave Maria Grotto

$65 nightly

$77 total

Oct 23 - Oct 24

Total with taxes and fees

This hotel features free WiFi in public areas, laundry facilities, and free self parking. Free continental breakfast is served. A safe deposit box and free newspapers are also provided.

Breakfast included

Pet friendly

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Ave Maria Grotto hotels essential information

Accommodation	599 hotels
Lowest Price	$70
Highest Price	$227
Popular hotels	Cobblestone Hotel & Suites - Cullman, Days Inn by Wyndham Cullman, The Flying Fifty, a Luxury Boutique Hotel, La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Cullman, Sleep Inn & Suites Cullman I-65 exit 310, Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Cullman by IHG, Hampton Inn Cullman, Comfort Suites Cullman I-65 Exit 310, Fairfield Inn & Suites By Marriott Cullman, Quality Inn Cullman I-65 Exit 310, Best Western Fairwinds Inn, Econo Lodge Cullman