The Abbey Church's bell banner rises 112 feet and is intended to resemble a monk's cowl.
The monastery holds the original Saint John's Bible, a multi-volume, hand-calligraphed, and illuminated manuscript commissioned in 1998.
The campus includes over 2,000 acres of protected forest and prairie ecosystems managed by the Abbey.
Marcel Breuer, a key figure of the Bauhaus movement, designed the primary church building in the mid-1950s.
The abbey's monastic community has continuously operated in Collegeville since 1856, arriving from Pennsylvania.
The church interior contains a large, honeycomb-patterned stained glass wall designed by Gerald Bonnette.
Saint John's Abbey is a Benedictine monastery located on a 2,700-acre campus in Collegeville, Minnesota. It is home to the Abbey Church, a modernist structure designed by Marcel Breuer, featuring a dramatic concrete bell banner. The community, established in 1856, maintains an active monastic life that includes liturgy, education, and land stewardship. The campus encompasses the Saint John's Arboretum, which offers extensive woodland, wetland, and prairie trails. The abbey complex serves as the heart of both Saint John's University and the resident monastic community. Visitors can explore the grounds, participate in prayer services, or view the Saint John's Bible housed in the university library.
The lakeside view looking back toward the iconic concrete bell banner of the Abbey Church.
Check the daily liturgical schedule if you wish to observe or join the monks for prayer services.
Bring comfortable walking shoes to explore the extensive trail systems of the Arboretum.
Visit the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library to see rotating exhibits of ancient and medieval documents.
Do not wander into restricted monastic living quarters or private administrative offices.
The Abbey Church remains open to the public daily, but certain areas of the monastery are restricted to community members; check the website for seasonal retreat availability.
Maintain silence inside the Abbey Church, especially during prayer times; dress modestly as this remains a functioning monastery.
