Entry No. 13 — the Cleveland file — filed under: history
Museum of Divine Statues
Housed in a decommissioned 1970s Polish Catholic church, this museum displays over 200 meticulously restored religious statues rescued from shuttered parishes by makeup artist and photographer Lou McClung.
The story
When the Diocese of Cleveland shuttered dozens of local Catholic parishes in 2009, makeup artist and cosmetic brand owner Lou McClung stepped in before the liquidators did. He purchased Saint Hedwig Church—a decommissioned 1970s Polish parish in Lakewood's Birdtown neighborhood—and converted the sanctuary into a refuge for rescued saints. Instead of letting hand-carved wood, plaster, and marble figures get auctioned off or dumped in landfills, McClung gathered them to create the Museum of Divine Statues.
The real secret here is in the technique. McClung uses his background in cosmetic formulation and fine-art painting to restore the damaged figures, applying specialized cosmetic pigments and makeup-shading methods to achieve startlingly realistic skin tones. Examine figures like Saint Sebastian pierced by arrows or Saint Lucy bearing her eyes on a plate; the lifelike depth in their skin comes straight out of a cosmetic artist's studio.
Today, more than 200 restored pieces stand alongside rescued stained glass, monstrances, and reliquaries. You aren't just looking at anonymous sacred art: scan the code beside any display on your smartphone to pull up archive photos of the specific closed Cleveland parish the piece belonged to, plus photos showing its broken, pre-restoration condition.
What it's like
Stepping inside feels quiet, reverent, and slightly surreal as sunlight filters through stained glass onto rows of uncanny, hyper-detailed figures. It's entirely self-guided, so you move at your own pace scanning codes to view original parish histories and before-and-after repair photos. You can park for free in the lot off Halstead Avenue behind the church, though note that getting through the main front entrance requires walking up five steps.
The move: Wander past the glowing stained glass and admire the beautifully restored, slightly eerie figures of saints and martyrs, then discuss the artistry of Lou McClung's cosmetic-pigment restoration techniques.
- 📍 Lakewood
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 12905 Madison Ave, Lakewood, OH 44107
Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Cleveland Curiosities — Walk three blocks west on Madison Avenue to keep the offbeat preservation tour going among taxidermy, wet specimens, and oddities.
- Pins & Needles — Trade 1970s sacred architecture for a 1970s basement rec-room speakeasy tucked under Mahall's bowling alley two blocks away.
- Amazonia — Head down the street to shift from quiet sanctuary lighting to a hidden, jungle-themed cocktail den behind Hola Tacos.
Good to know
Who created the Museum of Divine Statues?
Professional makeup artist, photographer, and cosmetics founder Lou McClung created the museum to preserve Northeast Ohio's lost church art.
Where did the statues come from?
Most artifacts were rescued from decommissioned Catholic churches across the Diocese of Cleveland after mass parish closures in the late 2000s.
How do you learn about the statues during the visit?
Exhibits are self-guided using your smartphone to scan codes next to displays, which show historical details and pre-restoration photos.
Is the museum wheelchair accessible?
The main entrance requires climbing five stairs; visitors using collapsible wheelchairs can call ahead to arrange assistance at the side door.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Atlas Obscura
last checked: 2026-07-21