washington memorial chapel

Beautifuk little chapel absolutely worth a visit. Listed as the ninth stop on the Valley Forge encampment trail it was definitely one of the highlights. Stained glass was vivid. The feel of the church overall was different than any I have seen before.

The chapel is outstanding, totally remembers me of Anglican chapels in Europe. The windows are perfectly forged and the interior is peaceful and astonishing. It's a definitive a place you cannot miss during your visit to Valley Forge.

The number of items in there can be overwhelming but the historical significance makes sorting through it all worthwhile. A local Episcopal rector raised money slowly in the form of nickels and dimes. The stone walls were built a few feet at a time. The church was completed over a period of fourteen years and still has an active congregation. Anyone visiting must be respectful in the event there is a wedding, funeral, etc. The carillon bells are played several times a year and there is a schedule on their website. The bells are 26 tons in all! The George Washington Window depicts 36 scenes from Washington's life. Another wall of stained glass has twelve scenes of American expansion. Throughout the building are statues and plaques devoted to many people associated with the Revolutionary War and the ceiling has medallions for each of the states.The Veteran's Wall and Patriot's area bear witness to the past century's struggles.As a side note, the ONLY place in Valley Forge with food for purchase!

There is so much history in this one chapel. The grounds are amazing. I enjoy strolling through the cemetery after touring the chapel itself. The wood is amazing! I can see why this is a top spot for weddings!

Part of the VF experience. Why would you not visit it if you went to the trouble of going to VF in the 1st place.

The chapel is compose of two buildings. AS a visitor turns off R.23, they will be greeted by a high tower, with eight window, along with an even higher eight sided small lookout twoer. In the lower tower are beaufiful stained glass windows. Each window has three separete sections that relate to Valley Forge. On the ceiling are patriots circling that looks to be George Washington. Past the windows is the Veteran's Wall of Honor to the Revolutiponary Parriots, WW1 & WW11. As a person walks to the first, the Justice Bell greets them. The Bell was used between 1915 & 1920m , calling attention & gaining support to the women's suffrage movement.To the tower's right is the chapel. By the time I arrived, after 4:30, the chapel, so I am not able to describe the chapel's inside. I would suggest arriving before 3:00. From other Trip Advisor reviews, I miss something special inside. By arriving at an early time, a visitor will have the the time to backtrack on R.23 west. Outside in the walk through is a statue of Henritta Heckscher. Even if a visitor is unable to see the chapel's inside, an outside walk around is worth the time to inspect the walls & tunnel like structure. A stop will not disappoint.

WOW , that a Cool place to visit , you feel like your back in the Civil War era ....... Recommend !!!!!! if your already at the Park .

If you visit the park, you must stop and see this beautiful chapel. It gives a serene feeling as you walk up the aisle where services have been held since Washington's time. The carvings and stained glass show the wonderful craftmansip of the time, and enhances the sense of history.

a beautiful chapel, but to a history fan, what makes it special is the fact that George Washington and his Generals came here for services, and some of those generals are buried in the graveyard.

Seeing such a spiritually uplifting place in a national park when so much is being done to eradicate such experiences from public places is a joyful occasion!

If you visit Valley Forge, you won't want to miss the Washington Memorial Chapel. It is beautiful. There was a mini tour that was very informative and interesting. It is worth a stop.

This is a small, but beautiful chapel. The stained glass windows are amazing! The intricate detailing and wood/iron works was fabulous. There are small carved figures of George Washington kneeling in prayer. Just a quiet, peaceful place of beauty.

A beautiful old chapel with many interesting images and figures of George Washington throughout - how many can you spot? The 26-ton bell in the tower is amazing, as are all of the stained glass windows throughout both structures that tell interesting stories - not just religious ones. The chapel overlooks the Grand Parade where George Washington trained his army, and how many churches have you been to where cannons are on the grounds? I had the place completely to myself on a Saturday morning and was delighted to find many hidden gems and treasures while being able to take the time to really look carefully at the details within both structures. Nestled in the woods along the Valley Forge National Historic Park's drive, it's a quiet place for contemplation as well as a great place to discover some interesting historical facts. The little cabin gift shop at the back of the property, operated by local volunteers, was filled with baked goods the local ladies had made as well as some typical touristy finds. There's also a used bookstore at the back of the property with lots of great browsing to be had.

Our trip to the Valley Forge National Historic Park was fantastic except for our last stop at the Washington Memorial Chapel. While the chapel is beautiful, at least what I got to see, the staff was incredibly rude. We went on a Saturday during their listed open hours but they were preparing for a wedding, so not only could we not see the chapel but we were rudely told that it was closed as we tried to walk in. No signs to alert us of this fact. So we thought that we would visit the gift shop. The door was wide open and again nothing to alert us that it was also closed. A woman came in yelling that they were closed and that the bottles of water in our hands (that we had intended to purchase when we were done browsing) were not FREE. As we had not opened them yet, we replaced them and immediately left the chapel with no intention of ever returning. It was a horrible experience. We were not some trouble makers- our group included myself, my children and my parents. I have never been treated so poorly in a place of business, let alone a church!

This chapel is at the end of the Encampment Tour. It is well worth the stop. I was able to locate one of my ancestors on the Patriots of the American Revolution panels. There are listed patriots of different wars on other panels inside the room that has the Justice Bell. This is a very beautiful church. I also enjoyed the gift shop and food located behind the church.