With the rose-tinged stone walls of the Rockefeller Chapel behind and the golden light glinting of the fresh cut grass, students enthusiastically fling their black topped graduation caps, smiles displaying the triumph beating in their veins. Don’t be surprised if this is a sight you come across while at the Rockefeller Chapel. Visible from all four corners of the University of Chicago, the chapel remains the single most attention grabbing monument within the campus to date. The typical steeple roof and narrow nave is capable of seating 1,500 visitors, the entire compound drawing inspiration from the European era of Gothic ecclesiastical wonders. Each bevel and bas-relief was set in stone by Bertram G. Goodhue, known for his pioneering efforts to display Spanish Colonial and Gothic architectural styles in bold and unorthodox ways.

The chapel is now a nurturing chamber to develop a budding arts scene while quite unexpectedly hosting interreligious discussions and lectures exploring the depths of spirituality. Its iconic 207 ft tower shelters 72 bells weighing between 10.5 pounds and 18.5 tons, when put together the second-largest musical instrument to be constructed in the world. Entering the chapel at 4.30p.m on Tuesdays will leave you drenched in a shower of clear tones by the tremendous E.M. Skinner organ, its notes so pure they could rival its counterparts throughout Europe. A chapel experience unlike any other, the Rockefeller Chapel is a moving work of art and music.