In a small chapel in Santa Fe stands a wooden spiral staircase that seems to defy the laws of physics, rising 20 feet in two complete turns without a center pole or visible support.

The Loretto Chapel draws visitors from around the world to witness what the Sisters of Loretto called their "Miraculous Stair." This former Catholic chapel, now a private museum and wedding venue, combines French neo-Gothic elegance with an enduring mystery that has captivated architects, carpenters, and curious travelers for over a century.

Whether you come for the legend or the craftsmanship, stepping inside this intimate space feels like entering a different era entirely.

A French Vision in the American Southwest

Archbishop Jean-Baptiste Lamy commissioned the chapel in 1873 for the Sisters of Loretto and their girls' academy. He enlisted French architect Projectus Mouly, who designed the building in neo-Gothic style inspired by Paris's Sainte-Chapelle.

The chapel took five years to complete, with buttresses, spires, and stained glass windows shipped from France via the Mississippi River. Built from locally quarried sandstone, it was consecrated in 1878. The academy served students until 1968, after which the chapel became a museum while the rest of the campus was demolished.

The Miraculous Stair

The famous spiral staircase features 33 steps (matching Christ's age at death) rising to the choir loft without nails, glue, or a central support pole. Constructed from wooden pegs and spruce wood likely not native to New Mexico, it consists of an inner stringer with seven segments and an outer with nine.

The staircase was built between 1877 and 1881 after Projectus Mouly died, leaving no access to the choir loft. Legend says a mysterious carpenter appeared after the nuns prayed to Saint Joseph, built the staircase alone using simple hand tools, then vanished without payment. Handrails and an iron support bracket were added in 1887.

Engineering Marvel or Miracle?

What makes this staircase fascinating is the ongoing debate between faith and physics. Master carpenters have called it mind-boggling even by modern standards. The helical stringers function like a self-supporting structure, with the tight inner radius acting almost like a center pole.

Historian Mary Jean Cook identified François-Jean Rochas, a French carpenter who arrived in New Mexico in the 1870s, as the likely builder. The Santa Fe New Mexican confirmed in 1895 that he built the chapel's staircase. Yet the mystery persists, partly because similar unsupported spiral stairs exist elsewhere, including at the Ponce City Market in Atlanta.

Loretto Chapel Highlights & Tips

• The Spiral Staircase The main attraction features two complete 360-degree turns ascending 20 feet without a center support pole, held together entirely by wooden pegs. Note the 33 steps and the craftsmanship of the joinery.
• Neo-Gothic Architecture Admire the stained glass windows, spires, and buttresses imported from France in the 1870s. The design echoes Paris's Sainte-Chapelle on a more intimate scale.
• The Wood Construction Look closely at the inner and outer stringers made from spruce wood, assembled in overlapping segments without nails or glue, creating a laminate stronger than solid wood.
• Photography Restrictions Check current photography policies before your visit, as rules may vary in this privately owned museum and active wedding venue.
• Location Access The chapel is located at 207 Old Santa Fe Trail in downtown Santa Fe, within walking distance of the Plaza and other historic sites.
• Staircase Access The stairs have been mostly closed to public use since the 1960s to preserve them, so you'll view them from the chapel floor rather than climbing them.
• Wedding Venue The chapel operates as a wedding venue, so check ahead if you're planning a visit to ensure it's open to tourists during your preferred time.

The Loretto Chapel offers something rare: a place where mystery and craftsmanship coexist without contradiction. Whether François-Jean Rochas built the staircase with extraordinary skill or something more miraculous occurred, the result remains a masterwork of 19th-century carpentry.

Standing before those 33 wooden steps spiraling upward, you witness what professional carpenters still call mind-boggling. The chapel invites you to draw your own conclusions about faith, physics, and the remarkable things humans can create with simple tools and determination.