Entry No. 3 — the Louisville file — filed under: mummies
Shrine of Saints Magnus and Bonosa
Inside this 1853 sanctuary lie the full skeletal remains of two 3rd-century Roman martyrs, Saint Magnus and Saint Bonosa. Brought from Italy in 1901, the complete human skeletons are dressed in historic vestments and displayed inside illuminated glass reliquary sarcophagi beneath side altars.
The story
Walk into St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church on Shelby Street, built in 1853, and you might expect typical mid-19th-century sanctuary architecture. Keep walking down the aisle toward the side altars, though, and you'll find something vastly older staring back through glass. Resting inside illuminated reliquary sarcophagi beneath those altars are the fully articulated, 1,700-year-old skeletal remains of two 3rd-century Roman martyrs: Saint Magnus and Saint Bonosa.
Their arrival in Louisville in 1901 brought two of the only complete martyr skeletons in the country to a neighborhood parish. Transported from Italy, the complete human bones were painstakingly dressed in ornate historic vestments and relic garments before being enshrined under glass. Rather than tiny bone splinters tucked into brass lockets, you are standing inches from full human ribcages, skulls, and limbs preserved across seventeen centuries.
What it's like
Step into the sanctuary during open hours and the environment is dead quiet, carrying the heavy air of an active place of worship. You will find Saint Magnus under one side altar and Saint Bonosa under the other, each lit from within their glass sarcophagi. There is no tour guide or admission desk—just slide quietly into a pew to observe. Because this is an active parish, keep your voice down, respect any ongoing prayer or mass, and double-check open hours before you drop by.
The move: Walk into the quiet, historic church sanctuary to view the fully articulated skeletons dressed in relic garments in illuminated glass cases under the side altars.
- 📍 Phoenix Hill / Smoketown
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 639 S Shelby St, Louisville, KY 40202
Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Eastern Cemetery — Follow up 1,700-year-old Roman reliquaries with a walk through an overgrown 1840s cemetery known for its dark local history of grave recycling.
- Unorthodox — Pair ancient sacred skeletal remains with modern bone specimens, dark art, and occult supplies less than a mile down Barret Avenue.
- Planet of the Tapes — Decompress after the heavy silence of the sanctuary with a craft drink and cult VHS archives just a three-block walk away.
Good to know
Where are the skeletons displayed inside the church?
They are enshrined in illuminated glass reliquary sarcophagi built into the bases of the side altars flanking the main sanctuary.
How did 3rd-century Roman relics end up in Louisville?
The full skeletal remains were brought directly from Italy in 1901 and permanently enshrined at St. Martin of Tours.
Is there an admission fee?
No, viewing the shrine is free, but visitors should be mindful that it is located inside a working house of worship.
Who were Saint Magnus and Saint Bonosa?
They were early Christian martyrs killed in Rome during the imperial persecutions of the 3rd century.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Atlas Obscura · leoweekly.com · Reddit
last checked: 2026-07-21