Jaunted

Sightseeing

Get Lost In the Rothko Chapel

March 1, 2007 at 11:05 AM | 0 Comments

Sure, European cathedrals are pretty, but around the 18th one we started making insane speculations about "Da Vinci Code"-style treasures buried underneath them. Houston's Rothko Chapel contains no gargoyles, no relics and no one buried underneath your feet, but once you walk into the quiet building in the Museum District, you'll never want to leave.

Super-minimalist Mark Rothko did 14 paintings for the inside of this interfaith chapel in black-laced blues and greens and reds. Sitting inside the chapel, it isn't uncommon to see or hear at least three different prayer sessions taking place. Car horns and construction noises disappear into its thick walls; Anne Lamott described it as "preternaturally quiet, like being inside the mind of someone whose eyes are closed while he or she is praying." The shock of finding such a sacred space -- sacred in its conception, not necessarily in practice -- in the middle of one of America's largest cities will stay with you long after you walk out into the sunshine.

Open daily 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

[Photo: joshbousel]

Related Stories:
· Rothko Chapel [Official Site]