Ave Maria Grotto (Jerusalem in Miniature) in Cullman, Alabama

The Ave Maria Grotto is located in Cullman, Alabama.

Brother Joseph Zoettl was born on 1/24/1878.
He was poor and hunchbacked.
He joined the St. Bernard Abbey and spent 17 hours a day for 30 years working in the pump house. During that time, he began building models to keep himself occupied because his work in the pump house was so tedious.

Brother Joseph Zoettl created thousands of miniatures to sell and hundreds of larger scale models to keep at the Abbey.

What began as a hobby became the Ave Maria Grotto, or "Jerusalem in Miniature," a 4 acre miniature city, filled withminiature versions of 125 famous, holy places. He built the Basilica in Lourdes --his last model--at age of 80 in 1958.

Address:

1600 St. Bernard Drive, Cullman, Alabama, 35055

Hours:

Open daily 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.       
Closed Christmas Day

1600 St. Bernard Drive SE
Cullman, AL  35055


Phone:  (256) 734-4110

Cost:

Adults $7.00 Children 6-12 $4.50 Sr. Citizens $5.00 Children under 6 - Free with Adult 

Website:

http://www.stbernardabbey.com/default.asp?iId=LHGJD

To Tour the Grotto, Here is the website:

http://www.avemariagrotto.com