You don’t expect to find a glass-and-cedar chapel in the Platte Valley woods two minutes off I-80, and that’s the entire point. The Holy Family Shrine was conceived in 1993 as a resting place for “travelers of the road and of the spirit,” designed in the spirit of architect E. Fay Jones — all soaring wood ribs and glass dissolving into the trees.
The chapel itself was destroyed by a windstorm a week after it topped out in 2000, then rebuilt and opened in 2002 — locals consider that part of its character. The 24-acre grounds include a Way of the Cross trail with life-size stations, a 40-foot crucifix, and a visitor center.
It’s open to everyone, not just Catholics, and admission is free (donations keep it running). Mass is celebrated Saturdays at 10 a.m. Go for the light: late afternoon sun through the glass is the show.