Crystal Shrine Grotto

The Crystal Shrine Grotto is located in the center of Memorial Park Cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee. It serves as the beating heart of the park and reminds those who visit that death is not the end. Those who enter the confines of the 60 foot deep man made cave don't just see the dark beauty of the cave and its eclectic artwork they can feel its magical presence all around them. Memorial Park itself was founded in 1924 by E. Clovis Hinds. He was a wealthy businessman from nearby Mississippi who had recently sold his insurance business. He became aware of a movement at the time to develop "park like" and memorial cemeteries. These cemeteries were a departure from the historical burial yards of the 1800's, which were dark and depressing places full of headstones and reminders of death. This new style known as "The Cemetery Beautiful" provided for cemeteries filled with nature, open spaces, art, pools, fountains, and well-kept plantings. The park was intended to be not merely a burial place, it was a place for memories to reside. A place to enjoy and to celebrate. He decided to develop the park in this new style and in 1935 commissioned Mexican artist Dionicio Rodriguez to construct the main features of the park. In 1938 a cave was dug into the hillside at the center of the park and work began on The Crystal Shrine Grotto. Mr. Rodriguez worked in faux bois style of concrete. Meticulously texturing and coloring surfaces to mimic natural materials like wood and stone. He was extremely secretive about his methods and was sought after as a master of this art at the time and made a good living for himself even during the depression. The cave is comprised of almost 5 tons of natural crystals hand placed onto the cave walls and ceiling. The crystals were collected from the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas. Worked continued on and off until it was completed in 1955 just after Rodriguez's death. The niche art displays were not completed until the 1980's when the last of the 10 niches were filled with art work depicting events in the life of Christ. All the features around and in the grotto depict events and places out of the Old and New Testaments. The Cave of Machpelah to the left of the Grotto is a depiction of the 1st tomb mentioned in The Bible, Genesis 23, as Abraham and Sarah's resting place. The Pool of Hebron and Abrahams Oak invite visitors to explore the area and find the hidden faces, figures, and resting places the artist included in the naturalistic concrete to entertain visitors. If one looks closely you can even see the faces of children in the base of the fountain in The Pool of Hebron. In 1991 The Grotto and Rodriguez's other works in the park were added to the National Historic Register. Although it took nearly 60 years to complete and fill with art, it has remained virtually unchanged since its construction. Roughly 100,000 people visit The Grotto each year and it is a very popular spot for photographers, sightseers, and is even used occasionally as a wedding venue. The Crystal Shrine Grotto continues to carry out its purpose as a work of art that houses works of art. Entertaining and inspiring to both young and old. A timeless reminder that death is not the end in a place that must be seen in person to fully understand.