265 – Hidden Grotto @ Guardian Angel Home
Grotto. noun. (1) a cave, especially one with interesting natural features. (2) an imitation cave, especially as an ornamental shelter in a formal garden on a hill.
My apologies for the long delay in updating this.
Piecing together various stories, this was built in the 1920’s by the orphans and nuns who called the Guardian Angel Orphanage home. It is located at the end of Heading Ave in West Peoria which continues to operate as a small orphanage under the oversight of Peoria Catholic Charities. To find the grotto, park on the right-hand side of the parking lot just as you enter through the gates and head down the steep hill to the north. Be careful, it’s a steep grade, but completely worth the effort. As my fellow adventurer mentioned, the coolest thing about this place is that no-one knows it’s here and you can’t see it from any road. When viewing it up close, one wonders how they pulled this off.
My personal thanks to commenters ImaSwede who originally took me here and to Josh Harris for joining me in a return visit. This easily made my top 10 “Peoria: off the beaten path.”
December 6th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
[...] 4. NameThisPeoriaLandmark #265 [...]
December 6th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
This one is worth a prize!
December 6th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
True, Josh … a vintage 1940’s Life Magazine to anyone (besides the select few who were with me) that knows what/where this is… bonus points for any history and/or personal stories involving this mostly unknown place hidden in the woods.
December 7th, 2008 at 1:19 am
Ummm … the wooded area along Abingdon hill near Woodruff High School.
December 7th, 2008 at 10:46 am
Holy Chamoly, you went back down there after it snowed? Brave man! Someone, besides my family, has to know about this place!
December 8th, 2008 at 8:12 am
That grotto is in the ravine by Guardian Angel Home/Catholic Charities in West Peoria.
December 8th, 2008 at 8:24 am
I think it was built by a nun and some of the orphans. The Communications department and the Volunteer Coordinator have some great old photos of it. It is a scary trip down!
December 8th, 2008 at 10:24 am
Communications Department of what??? Catholic Charities? Got a name or number? Thanks!
December 8th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Sorry…of Catholic Charities. I’m not sure who is running Communications now, but Sue Hirschman, the Volunteer Coordinator, knows a lot about the grotto and its history. It’s really a cool spot!
December 8th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Catholic Charities Communications Department
Jamie Cecil-Monari, Public Relations/Media Specialist
Office: 309.636.8017
communications@ccdop.org
December 9th, 2008 at 2:11 am
Thank you! My mother was one of the orphans that built the grotto. She took me and my 3 sisters down there all the time. I’ll give Sue a call. I’d love to have some copies of the photos to see if my mom is in any of them.
December 9th, 2008 at 2:13 am
And thanks to you too, PI, for being interested enough to come take the pictures!
December 9th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
I can’t believe I grew up so close to the place and my mother NEVER went near or mention the place. Orphanage or grotto.
January 4th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
I grew up in the Peoria Hebrew cemetery adjacent to the Guardian Angel home. My parents were the care takers for 15 years or better. When we were little kids (my two sisters and I) we would play in these woods all the time. My mom would take us down to see the “Grotto”. There use to be a statue of Mary in the pocket.
January 27th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
Adam: I think YOU have a story to share about living within the
cemetery! Wow! I think one of the best parts of growing up
in Peoria (esp. above the bluff) was all the ravines and creeks
and woods that were ideal for playing in as kids. Flat land doesn’t lend
itself to that. And even living near a beach (I’m in CA now) can’t
hold a candle to “the woods.”
June 17th, 2009 at 3:48 am
wow i lived ther for 2 years and never knew ths wasdown there i really would like to see this does aperson need permission to go down there ?
November 10th, 2009 at 12:22 am
I lived at Guardian Angel Home from 1947 to 1961.My father worked there and we lived on the grounds in one of the three houses there.I remember the Grotto..we used to have a little ceremony there in May.. it was for crowning of Mary as Queen of the May I think. One of the girls would place a crown of flowers on the statue head.At that time there were still stairs leading down to the grotto.but it was used very little in the last years I was there.If you were not familiar with it,you would not even know it was there. I also served as an Altar Boy at the chapel and sometimes at the Nursery’chapel.I went to grade school there from 1st through 6th grades..for 7th and 8th grades I went to St. Mary’s Cathedral School in downtown Peoria.
November 21st, 2009 at 4:59 am
Adam: I too spent many times down in the woods below Guardian Angel Home.We used to explore “Dry Run ” Creek . I don’t know if that’s was the official name for it but that’s what we called it.Never had any water in it unless it rained hard. We also used to go to Kickapoo Creek.which was even farther, to go swimming.I remember the water was very muddy looking…couldn’t see two inches below the surface..but we never had any problems.In the winter sometimes two of the nuns would accompany us kids down to the woods and let us build a fire and cook potatoes in it. Nothing like charcoal skinned potatoes to eat on a winter’s day.Ah,the simple joys of childhood.