Washington - Upper Northeast Region

The National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is constructed entirely of stone, brick, tile and mortar without structural steel beams, framework, or columns. Considered to be the largest church in the Western hemisphere, the Shrine is a mix of Romanesque and Byzantine styles. The National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception features a large collection of contemporary mosaics and noteworthy stained glass in more than 65 chapels.

The monastery is surrounded by 44 acres of wooded land with replicas of Holy Land shrines along its tree-lined paths. They include the Grotto of Bethlehem, Nazareth, the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem and the Roman Catacombs.

The Arboretum features more than 400 acres of introduced and local trees, shrubs, flowering plants found in the Eastern U.S. including magnolias, boxwoods and azaleas. There is a herb garden, a bonsai collection, an administration and research center, and areas to picnic.

The Pope John Paul II Cultural Center has five galleries of interactive exhibits as well as rotating special exhibitions. The galleries include themes such as Faith, Imagination, Wonder and Community. Visitors are welcome to leave their own messages through an audio or video recording, in writing or by creating a computerized drawing.