The Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land dates to the late 19th century. Learn about the beautiful gardens, the friars who designed them and the history and shrines of the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land on this one-hour tour led by trained volunteers of the Franciscan Monastery Garden Guild.
Tour Schedule
Tours are offered weekly from late spring to early fall, with additional tours during our popular April Plant & Herb Sale.
- Saturdays, 11 a.m. and 12 noon (April-September)
- Plant & Herb Sale hours announced at time of sale
- Meet in front of the Franciscan Monastery Visitor Center
- Group can arrange tours by contacting Pat via email or 202.526.6800
What You Will See
Our tours include the formal garden, a park-like garden, and a chance to see our urban farm behind the monastery.
- Formal front gardens, with roses and tulips, depending on the season. The grounds, in front of the historic church, are surrounded by the Rosary Portico, designed by Murphy & Olmsted in 1919 and constructed in 1925 using John Early’s unique polychrome concrete. The oprtico features the Hail Mary in 150 languages.
- Park-like gardens feature native trees, plants and flowers (often hidden), interspersed with a full-size Lourdes Grotto, Gethsemane and other unique shrines. The Franciscan Monastery is the U.S. home of Franciscan friars who have served in the Holy Land for more than 800 years. They built the monastery with full-size replicas of Holy Land shrines to offer a pilgrimage experience to visitors who could not visit the Holy Land.
Historic (and mostly restored) 100-year-old greenhouse plus a vegetable garden where volunteers grow produce for our community food donation program as well as herbs and plants sold at the April sale. All proceeds benefit the preservation of the gardens and urban farm donation program.
Cost
Tours are free; good-will offerings are welcome to support the preservation of the historic gardens and the projects of the Franciscan Monastery Garden Guild.
