Referred to as a “Miracle in Stone” by The Iowan magazine, the Grotto of the Redemption is a stunning labor of love created by Father Paul Dobberstein. He began working on the site in 1912, soon after he recovered from pneumonia. He worked on the project for 42 years.

The Grotto of the Redemption isn’t exactly a planned construction. It was Father Dobberstein’s way of meeting his end of the bargain when he asked the Virgin Mary to intercede for him and make his illness go away. He built nine separate grottoes made of different precious stones, fossils, shells, petrifications, and minerals, making experts consider the landmark to have a complete man-made collection of such items.

When Father Dobberstein passed in 1954, the Grotto of the Redemption was already covering a full city block. Continuous preservation and construction of the landmark are still ongoing under Deacon Gerald Streit today.