Places to Visit in Arkansas: Thorncrown Chapel

Designed by E. Fay Jones (a protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright) and completed in 1980, the structure soars 48 feet high and spans 24 × 60 feet. Crafted entirely from pressure-treated Southern pine, native stone, and 6,000 sq ft of glass spread across 425 windows, the chapel invokes what Jones called “Ozark Gothic.” Its design reflects that of the Sainte‑Chapelle in Paris—light-filled and soaring, yet intimately rooted in place.

Since opening, Thorncrown Chapel has received high praise and multiple awards, affirming its status as a modern architectural masterpiece. It earned the American Institute of Architects National Honor Award in 1981 and the prestigious AIA Twenty-Five Year Award in 2006, selected as one of the few structures nationally recognized for lasting significance.

In a 2014 AIA members poll, it ranked fourth among “Top Ten Buildings of the Twentieth Century.” Known for blending seamlessly with its woodland landscape, Thorncrown feels more like a living forest chapel than a confined building—critics have called it “one of the finest religious spaces of modern times.”