Thorncrown Chapel

Thorncrown Chapel is located in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, designed by E. Fay Jones and constructed in 1980. The design recalls the Prairie School of architecture popularized by Frank Lloyd Wright, with whom Jones had apprenticed. The chapel was commissioned by Jim Reed, a retired schoolteacher who envisioned a non-denominational pilgrimage chapel set apart for meditation. The design was inspired by Sainte-Chapelle, a Gothic church in Paris pierced by numerous stained glass windows. It held some of King Louis's medieval Christian relics, including the Crown of Thorns believed to have been worn by Christ. This relic inspired the name of the American chapel.

The chapel's unusual artistry has been recognized. It was selected for the 2006 Twenty-five Year Award by the American Institute of Architects. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000, a status not granted to buildings less than 50 years old unless exceptionally significant. It was included in Budget Travel's list of "12 Most Beautiful Churches in America" and Bored Panda's list of "50 Most Extraordinary Churches Of The World."