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National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows
442 S Demazenod Dr, Belleville, IL 62223, United States
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Um
Review №1

This is one of my best lights I have seen so far in different festivals. The wide area exhibiting lights on different themes. It is enjoyable through walk as well as drive in. Along with the displays camel ride and carriage ride is also available. The another important thing is the drive in way of light is almost free just they accept donations. Location wise is very convenient, right beside the road. In a word it is amazing.

Yo
Review №2

Visited this place this winter for way of lights festival. The campus was decorated with millions of lights through start to end. Various activities for kids like Camel ride etc.. Must visit place..

TO
Review №3

Ofallons lights are so much better these lights were just white and not a lot of images in the park it was very boring we drove an 1hr too see it and it was terrible I suggest Ofallon lights

Nn
Review №4

You need to have a personal experience of the way of the light at night time. You wont regret it

Ph
Review №5

Awesome shrine. Grounds are meticulously maintained.

Ka
Review №6

If you havent come here to for lunch or dinner you are totally missing out on some amazing food. The lunch menu start at $9.99 for soup and salad and at dinner time which starts at 4pm you can add the Fried Chicken entree to you soup and salad starting at $14.99. The best part is you can eat to your full and then walk around the beautiful grounds to get some exercise in. Come out here and meet their beautiful wait staff. The entire staff & Manager are wonderful people they make your meal experience that much more enjoyable.I almost forgot if you need to find the perfect gift for a birthday wedding St Patricks Day or just want to say I love you stop by there gift shop tell all your friends to come here for dinner

Na
Review №7

Absolutely beautiful ️

P
Review №8

The Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, IL is VERY BEAUTIFUL. Our family has been there several times. We’ve only been there in the summer and fall. I’ve heard and seen photos of the Christmas decorations, the lights, and the Holy feeling everyone has felt. It is a great trip to take especially for families, they also have places to stay right on the sight. If you’ve wanted to take a pilgrimage, and live in the USA this is a wonderful place to see and spend time with Our Lady and Our Lord.

Mi
Review №9

Way of lights is an annual family tradition to drive through. The volunteers do a great job of putting the lights up every year. It is a very beautiful display for adults and kids alike.

Ja
Review №10

Great Christmas Eve mass.....and great lights! Plenty of parking and a well organized flow through the lights exhibit. Very nice staff, too. Thanks!

Mi
Review №11

+JMJ...Lovely grounds, Church and Chapel. Also, ate lunch in the restaurant. Pricing was good, server friendly, and the meal delicious. As a matter of fact, a side dish that I had ~ fried eggplant, was so yummy, I tried to replicate the dish at home. Spent only a few hours, but could have stayed much longer. My visit to this Shrine was very enjoyable because of the many beautiful areas dedicated to prayer. Particularly the replicas telling the story of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the story of Our Lady of Lourdes. Transcendental reminders of Our Heavenly Fathers desire that we recall His loving mercy in the gift of Jesus our Saviour. Please pardon my explanation, but when one visits these places of prayer, there is a need to understand that what one sees is more than natural beauty. The soul should rejoice in the spiritual atmosphere everywhere present.

Ni
Review №12

This shrine has been my favorite for a decade. It has gorgeous grounds and wonderful places to pray. When I was very small I loved to eat in their cafe and play on the exceptional playground. It’s a beautiful and peaceful place to be.

Sa
Review №13

BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO VISIT! I ENJOYED EVERY MINUTE OF MY EXPERIENCE. THE PEOPLE, THE OPENNESS, THE ENLIGHTENMENT WAS WORTH THE VISIT.

Ab
Review №14

I love it so much the food is great it is beautiful around Xmas so fun

Sa
Review №15

This is a healing place. If you have a chance to stop and walk the gardens or light a candle it will be worth it.

Br
Review №16

Myself and a group from work - less than 25, made reservations. We had a few that ran late; however, still NEVER exceeded the number we reserved for. The lead person, I’m assuming manager (white/black uniform) was terribly rude. The service was very slow, although pleasant - unlike the female manager, who at one point rudely pulled our waitress away when she was in the middle of a conversation with us. It took a very long time to get our tickets. The breakfast food was delicious; however, the lunch food was tasteless and dry. I paid almost $25.00 for a one person buffet. Definitely not worth it. I will NOT return to the restaurant! I expected much friendlier service than I witnessed today.

Sh
Review №17

We come to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows annually to see the Christmas light display they put up each December. Not only is their light display beautiful but they also have a host of other activities to make it a fun destination evening for the kids. Inevitably there are camel rides and other adorable livestock to see and pet.Recently they have also had one of their visitor centers open with huge Lego displays put on by a local Lego Group. For a nominal fee you can go in and see a large number of what looks to be professionally built Lego dioramas. The kids always spend a good half an hour excitedly exploring all the detailed setups.

Ba
Review №18

Gift shop had a wonderful selection.

L
Review №19

Spent 60$ for a carriage ride. Wasnt at all worth it. Went on a Monday and the traffic was so horrible. Our route was right by the endless amount of cars emitting pollutants nearly in our face, impatient families honked angrily, and people were constantly focused on our horse rather than the lights. There needs to be a better system before you try to make people spend 60$ on a carriage ride again. It was completely not worth it

Sc
Review №20

Very peacefull

Vi
Review №21

You have to go if you are in Illinois and it is around Christmas time,my husband and I had never went it was absolutely beautiful the lights the Nativity,these people work days getting this all put together. You can see all the love that goes into this beautiful lights display it is free to get in, I think its about 5 miles in length ( maybe more). At the end they have young volunteers asking if you would like to buy a Lamb it costs$10.00 each we bought two,they offer them every year and the Lamb has the year on it. The lambs are so cute and they are not tiny a very good size.

bo
Review №22

A warm and lovely place greater than the sum of its parts. 1.1 million lights depicting the birth of Jesus. Many outdoor activities. We ate at the Banquet Center then waddled back to our room at the Hotel. A Christmas tradition we have enjoyed here for many years.

ti
Review №23

Large group of us planned to eat dinner at new Hofbrauhaus then check out lights after dinner. No mention anywhere that you can only access entrance from east or west? The very rude traffic guys wouldn’t let cars enter from HB. So we made turn got in line and waited nearly 40 minutes because kids wanted to see the lights. Most say I’ve seen better lights in our neighborhood. Don’t waste your time.

bi
Review №24

We have been going to the Shrine since 1970. The place is like the Garden of Eden for me. Me and my wife enjoy the morning walk inside the compound. Grandma, be careful with the Reindeers. Love the Nature

Jo
Review №25

Great place alot to see

Cu
Review №26

The Christmas lights are excellent! All the volunteers are always extremely friendly.

Na
Review №27

Went for soup and salad bar for lunch. Salad bar had many good choices. However, soups were all SO salty. There were four of us and we all were disappointed that we couldn’t eat much soup.

Rh
Review №28

Very nice drive thru Christmas light display. Lots of things for kids to do if you want to get out of the car and pay for them. The lights are free but they take donations at the end.

E
Review №29

Beautiful place! We experienced the whole place when the shops were closed and only a few others around; very peaceful.

Jo
Review №30

Recently attended a conference here. Great food and amenities. The hotel is dated, but clean.

Kr
Review №31

Such a beautiful place. I find peace and comfort every time I visit. Christmas time is especially beautiful with the way of lights Christmas campaign.

Ho
Review №32

A free as and beautiful experience. The scenic drive through the lights is best seen at night especially if there is snow and ice. It is available to all. There are times of worship there check the web site. There are also many other activities avalible.

Ba
Review №33

We visited here in the mid seventies. The shrine and grounds are beautiful & clean. The shrine buffet featured great soups, veggies, fruit. The hotel was clean & pleasant. The tour around the grounds was great. There was a small building there from the World Fair in Kentucky. Passing through it showed the world at large thru technology and as you exited a large Jesus appeared Follow me!

Jo
Review №34

Not bad place. It has a drive through way of the cross which is kinda weird... Nice outdoor masses.

Da
Review №35

This a great place. I loved the Lourdes Grotto and the Stations of the Cross and the Shrine. The Staff is great. The Pilgrim Motel is super and a good price. The radio station is excellent. One time when I was there, the Shroud of Turin was on display...that was really something.

Je
Review №36

Nice little shop and walking paths. Terrible surrounding area though, so get there and get home. Dont stop along the way.

J.
Review №37

Nice place. If youre a St. Louis Catholic, these be your digs. Especially around Christmas. Make the drive, see the Lady. Go in the snow. The Lady of the Snows wont let anything happen to you. That would be false advertising!

Ma
Review №38

Beautiful grounds for a walk or jog. Has an awesome old grotto and an outdoor amphitheatre with many walking trails. A must-visit for holiday lights.

Ev
Review №39

The shrine is beautiful and the restaurant is pricey but amazing!had the pleasure eating there for my grandmas 80 birthday!

To
Review №40

Family went to eat at Hofbräuhaus and planned to check out the lights at Our Lady of the Snow. The traffic kids directing traffic would not let us enter (straight) and the Belleville Police officer just cussed at us and told us to turn. Very disappointed, nobody ever explained why we couldnt enter the Shrine. Belleville Police big fail. Save your family and kids the disappointment and drive around the neighborhood.

Su
Review №41

Beautiful grounds. Food good in the dinner. Have a beautiful light display at Christmas.

Ry
Review №42

A fantastic community including a walking trail, theater, and retirement community. Come here during the holidays and youll be wowed by the Way of Lights.If you drive to the far west side of the grounds, there is a fantastic view of St. Louis.

Wi
Review №43

They have a wonderful christmas light display here during the holiday season. By all means, if youre in the area, check out out.

Ca
Review №44

So fun to drive through here and stop off and watch the light show.

Ta
Review №45

Beautiful lights complemented by scriptures posted through this driving tour move you to reflect on helping others, especially the tired, the poor, the weak, and broken.

Po
Review №46

You could easily spend a whole day at this beautiful shrine!It is beautiful any time of the year but especially at Christmas!

Al
Review №47

Beautiful place to go, I love their Christmas display

Si
Review №48

I love the Shrine. My family and I go every year around Christmas to see the lights and get dinner. Such a warm and friendly atmosphere.

me
Review №49

A wonderful place to find solace, play with your children, attend church services, take a hike or drive the lazy turns in the wooded roads. They have a special memory for anyone and everyone waiting to be made.

Af
Review №50

We went to the Sunday Buffet and it was excellent. I was with a group of 10 and we all enjoyed our food. It is a Brunch and has everything from breakfast food to chicken, salad, vegtables, dessert. Our service was very good.

Lu
Review №51

A very beautiful and peaceful place both for conferences and reiligious retreats. Walking around helped me reflect on many things in life needed to pause for a while and think.

To
Review №52

Well if you like sending your kid to a place that allows your kid to go home with someone else with out your knowledge and then show up to school for pick up and ask the principal where your kid is and the answer is I dont know then briskly walk past you, then feel free to. The school administration is as friendly and professional as a White Castle worker.And future dads, dont even begin to think you will be involved with coaching your son/daughter in sports. Unless you went to school there of course, see the dads who attended the school as youngsters now have kids there themselves, they think they run the place. Basicly outsiders beware, so my recommendation, if you grew up there probably great, if you like gossip among adults, great, like unprofessional people, great, like cold shoulders from other parents cause your not in that click of Alumni yourself, awesome. enjoy the train wreck. Highly disappointed ! If your looking for more, move along.

Ma
Review №53

A very clean and peaceful place to walk around.

je
Review №54

Ever since they made it 2 lanes to go through the lights the visits have been horrible. Can never seen anything on the other side because always have some bus or big suv/truck blocking everything on the other side. This is the last year we will be here. Need to go back to the 1 lane.

Ca
Review №55

Beautiful place

Ro
Review №56

Always. excellent food a great place tosee beautiful lights and get many religious items, I got medals for myself and for my dogs an bird,!

Es
Review №57

The lady of snow always reminds me if it times to visit her. I love to come in see her all the time if I live closer to her.

ke
Review №58

A very special place that its hard to find words for. Be sure to get the fried chicken at the restaurant

Di
Review №59

Me and my sister and my mom went there last year and it was amazing the lights were so pretty and the food services were good and the playground was good for my little sister

La
Review №60

Love their lights. We go every year

pa
Review №61

Beautiful peaceful place for reflection and prayer

Ch
Review №62

I understand why Tony Beckett would write a critical review as he was so unhappy with what happened at the school. I didnt remember that there WAS a school on the property. His anger is misplaced. There is NO school at this particular Our Lady of the Snows.No one that would be able to help him with his feeling of disconnect is at this location. There are several OLS in Nevada, and other states, but not in Belleville, Illinois. Perhaps he should issue an apology to this OLS , and then CUT/PASTE his remarks to the OLS in question.If I had not been to the Shrine before, and enjoyed the surroundings, I would have had second thoughts about visiting. Perhaps this is why I took affront at his understandable, but misplaced. anger and critique.

Sa
Review №63

Went to see the Christmas lights. It was so crowded, we sat in the car in one spot for 10 minutes, then we would move 2 inches and sit there again for another 10 minutes. This was not enjoyable, especially for kids. There was a petting zoo and some other attractions, but we couldn’t possibly get over to park because of the two lanes of cars. Go to Rock Springs Park in Alton, IL.

An
Review №64

Beautiful place to seek solemnity and reconciliation with Jesus.

R
Review №65

Love this place at Christmas time they decorate it beautifully

bi
Review №66

My wife and I had a wonderful experience thank you all so much/

An
Review №67

Food was Awesome at restaurant...Great Christmas atmosphere everywhere

Ji
Review №68

A place for meditation and reflection.

Th
Review №69

I love to go there to pray and to talk to God! !!

Na
Review №70

Reeks of Modernism and the Novus Ordo.

ma
Review №71

Awesome stop on the way home. Beautiful!!!

J
Review №72

The banana cake was stale. I reported it to the waitress and the female manager this past Sunday and they did nothing..

Ky
Review №73

Best light show anywhere

Ro
Review №74

I just have to say that the Lady of the Snows in Belleville, IL is HORRIBLE to deal with if you want to plan an event there... Dont.

Gr
Review №75

No matter the direction I am coming from, Im very trust worthy on Google maps. Plus, theres two entrances.

Sy
Review №76

Its has a very relaxing atmosphere

fo
Review №77

Go to buffets on Holidays. Getting expensive.

Je
Review №78

Great light didplay

Th
Review №79

Beautiful

Da
Review №80

Been going for years

gr
Review №81

So crowed

Ja
Review №82

Nice place, very open banquet halls.

Ta
Review №83

Are used to take my child when he was two now he is 22 I’m waiting for Jesus to come and turn the table over because it it’s not the same it’s it’s more commercial I was very disappointed I do remember it was just my son and myself it when he was two for Thanksgiving we would go there for Thanksgiving dinner it was a humble place and it was kind I don’t think I’ll ever go back again I’m as will go to jelly stone national park with their Christmas

Jo
Review №84

Loved it

Br
Review №85

Light show was a glorified traffic jam

D.
Review №86

Not as much as I thought.

Sh
Review №87

Once you visit, this place calls you to make pilgrimages.

No
Review №88

Beautiful

Ti
Review №89

Beautiful lights.

Pa
Review №90

Brings back so many memories keeping the tradition alive with my family

Gi
Review №91

Its a very special and holy place on earth.

Be
Review №92

Very enjoyable experiance

Ti
Review №93

Eastside graduation

Mi
Review №94

Diamond in the rough; literally.

Ba
Review №95

The playground was the best part.

Sh
Review №96

They are friendly and its activities for the kids. Camel rides, pony rides, and a free petting zoo.

Information
100 Photos
96 Comments
4.4 Rating
  • Address:442 S Demazenod Dr, Belleville, IL 62223, United States
  • Site:http://snows.org/
  • Phone:+1 618-397-6700
Categories
  • Tourist attraction
  • Shrine
Working hours
  • Monday:6am–10pm
  • Tuesday:6am–10pm
  • Wednesday:6am–10pm
  • Thursday:6am–10pm
  • Friday:6am–10pm
  • Saturday:6am–10pm
  • Sunday:6am–10pm
Accessibility
  • Wheelchair-accessible entrance:Yes
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