Entry No. 155 — the Denver file — filed under: 373-steps
Mother Cabrini Shrine
A free, open-to-all mountaintop pilgrimage site where visitors climb 373 steps past the Stations of the Cross to reach a 22-foot Sacred Heart of Jesus statue — all anchored by a mountain spring that St. Frances Cabrini reportedly called forth from solid rock in 1912. The grounds are open daily 7 a.m. to dusk, with sweeping views of the Front Range at the top.
The story
In 1909, Italian missionary Frances Xavier Cabrini bought a patch of dry, sun-baked land on Lookout Mountain to serve as a summer camp for Denver's Queen of Heaven Orphanage. Local ranchers assumed she had been swindled because the property lacked a reliable water supply. But in 1912, during her final trip to Colorado, Cabrini struck a rock with her walking cane and instructed the sisters to dig. Water trickled out of solid rock, and the mountain spring hasn't stopped flowing since.
Before departing, Cabrini took the orphan girls up the slope to gather white quartz stones, arranging them on the earth into a giant heart surmounted by a cross and a crown of thorns overlooking the Denver basin. By 1954—eight years after Cabrini was canonized as the first U.S. citizen saint—workers erected a 22-foot Italian-carved statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus atop that stone heart and poured 373 concrete steps up the incline in just 67 days, embedding Italian mosaic Stations of the Cross along the ascent.
Today, the shrine remains an active Catholic retreat, but it doubles as one of the Front Range's stranger outdoor monuments. The original heart of stones sits preserved beneath a glass case at the statue's feet, the miracle spring feeds a public drinking fountain in the grotto below, and the 1912 Stone House where the orphans stayed still stands, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
What it's like
Arriving off Cabrini Boulevard, you'll find ample free parking at the base before deciding how to face the mountain. The primary route ascends 373 open-air concrete steps—a real workout at 7,000 feet elevation—marked by Italian stone mosaics, shaded resting benches, and step-counter numbers etched into the concrete. Peak hours draw a mix of Catholic pilgrims, tourists, and local runners using the stairs for leg day, so hit the climb early on a clear morning before midday heat bakes the exposed hillside. The water from the grotto spring is free and potable, but bring an empty bottle if you want to carry some home, and remember to keep your voice down near the active chapels and outdoor grotto.
The move: Arrive mid-morning, climb the 373 stone steps together pausing at each Station of the Cross for the views and inscriptions, then drink from the spring and linger at the summit statue before exploring the grotto and gift shop — budget about 2 hours and finish with lunch in nearby Golden on Washington Ave.
📍 Before you go It's tucked into Lookout Mountain just west of Golden — from Denver take I-70 to Exit 259, from the mountains Exit 256, then head east on US-40 following the brown signs to Cabrini Blvd, where there's ample free off-street parking at the base. The 373 steps face open sky, so aim for a clear, dry morning; midday gets hot and winter snow or ice makes them treacherous (a dirt service road offers an easier route, but roughly only Memorial Day through Labor Day). This is a working pilgrimage site with daily Mass, so stay quiet and reverent in the chapels and grotto. Picnic tables sit up top (no grills), and you can pair the trip with the Buffalo Bill grave nearby on Lookout Mountain.
- 📍 Golden
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 20189 Cabrini Blvd, Golden, CO 80401
Hours: Mined 2026-06-07 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Triceratops Trail — Follow up your stair climb with a free 1.5-mile gravel trek through a clay canyon where 68-million-year-old dinosaur footprints stick straight out of vertical rock walls.
- Rock Rest Lodge — Follow a mountain pilgrimage with a drink inside an 1885 stagecoach stop that operated as a speakeasy and brothel in its earlier days.
- Buffalo Rose — Head into downtown Golden for lunch at Colorado's oldest continuously operating bar, housed above a preserved 1920s indoor swimming pool.
- Mount Falcon 'Summer White House' Ruins — Pair Mother Cabrini's completed mountaintop statue with the stone ruins of an ambitious presidential mansion that was struck by lightning before it could ever be built.
Good to know
Is admission free to Mother Cabrini Shrine?
Yes, entry to the grounds, parking, and access to the miracle spring and 373-step stair climb are completely free.
How difficult is the stair climb to the summit statue?
The climb covers 373 concrete steps facing open sky. At 7,000 feet above sea level, it requires real physical effort, though resting benches line the route. An unpaved service road offers an easier walking or driveable route to the top, typically open from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Can you drink the water from the spring?
Yes, water from the 1912 mountain spring flows through a public drinking fountain in the lower grotto area, and visitors regularly drink from it or fill water bottles to take home.
What are the hours and best time to visit?
The grounds are open daily from 7 a.m. to dusk. Aim for a clear weekday morning to avoid the afternoon heat and crowds; winter snow and ice make the exposed stairs slick and hazardous.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Yelp · Wikipedia · loc.gov
last checked: 2026-06-07