The Grotto
Shrine · Portland, Oregon
The National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother, known to everyone in Portland simply as The Grotto - a Catholic outdoor altar and sanctuary in the Madison South district, built from 1924 and covering sixty-two acres set both at the foot of and on top of a hundred-and-ten-foot cliff. It is a ministry of the Servite Friars, and it works as a botanical garden and a quiet walk as much as a place of worship, which is how most visitors use it.
8840 Northeast Skidmore Street, Portland, Oregon, 97220, United States
Open daily with seasonal hours, generally shorter in winter. ⚠ THE LOWER LEVEL AND THE GROTTO ITSELF ARE FREE; THE CLIFFTOP GARDENS ARE REACHED BY LIFT AND CARRY A CHARGE - that is the single most important practical fact and it surprises most first-time visitors. The Christmas Festival of Lights in December is a separate ticketed evening event with its own hours.