By Graydon Rust
Alabama 200
May 17, 1934
The Ave Maria Grotto park in Cullman was officially dedicated. Sometimes called “Jerusalem in Miniature,” the park features a collection of miniature replicas of shrines, buildings and fantasy scenes on the grounds of the Saint Bernard Abbey, Alabama’s only Benedictine monastery. Brother Joseph Zoettel, a monk at the abbey, created the replicas using marble, cement, wood and everyday items. The park includes 125 miniatures constructed by Zoettel, including the Ave Maria Grotto, from which the park received its name, which is 27 feet high by 27 feet wide by 27 feet deep. The park was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 and attracts about 20,000 visitors each year.
Read more at Encyclopedia of Alabama.For more on Alabama’s Bicentennial, visit Alabama 200.
Please visit Alabama News Center for the Full Article
