United States Air Force Academy (Cadet Chapel)
Every magnificent place has that an even greater spot. A place that people can see even a pixel of the image and know what they are looking at. At Walt Disney World it’s Cinderella’s castle and at Yellowstone National Park its Old Faithful. Some of these places are known around the world. While others are known to only those who truly look.
The United States Air Force Academy is located in Colorado, just north of Colorado Springs. The academy was established on April 1, 1954. Since the opening, the academy’s mission has been the same, “to educate, train, and inspire men and women to become leaders of character, motivated to lead the United States Air Force in service to our nation.”
The focal point and most visited site at the United States Air Force Academy is Cadet Chapel. To this day the chapel is the most visited man-made tourist attraction in Colorado.
Construction on Cadet Chapel began in 1959, four years after the establishment of the academy. The architecture behind the chapel is what makes people drawn to the site. The outside of the chapel has seventeen spires that travel 150 feet into the sky. The elements used to create the outside of the chapel were steel, aluminium and glass.
Once one walks into the chapel they witness a breathtaking view. The upper level is where the Protestant Chapel is located. There you will find a ninety-nine-foot high ceiling with stained glass windows around the chapel. The pews within the Protestant Chapel are one of the most magnificent features at Cadet Chapel. The pews are made of American walnut and African mahogany, and each pew is cared to resemble a World War I airplane propeller.
Within the chapel are several different worship areas. A Protestant Chapel, Catholic Chapel, Jewish Chapel, Buddhist Chapel, Falcon Circle and All-faiths room are all available for students, graduates and tourist can come and explore their faith.
Cadet Chapel is the place to stop and explore when traveling through Colorado. The pristine architecture and story behind each detail provide hours of exploration at the top-visited man-made attraction in Colorado.
