Grotto museum and gift shop switch locations

By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
September 29, 2005

WEST BEND - If you haven't visited the Grotto of the Redemption in a while, there have been some changes.

According to Rhonda Miller, executive director of the Grotto, the museum and gift shops have switched locations.

They started packing up the gift shop and museum pieces last January in preparation of the move. That timing was the least intrusive to impact gift shop customers.

While the floor space of the gift shop has been reduced, Miller noted that the sales have been at about the same levels.

"The move was a leap of faith, but the rock-faced building for the museum lends itself to being a museum. It is right in the middle of the Grotto," she said. "People who have taken the tour, that have been on the tour in the past, say they like the museum where it is located. They think it flows better."

The museum contains several rocks, petrified wood, some historical articles and more. It contains some of Father Verne Stapenhorst's rock and petrified wood collections. He is the pastor at Laurens who serves as a volunteer tour guide at the Grotto.

"For a casual onlooker, looking at it now, they may think we have too much unused space in the museum. But what they don't know is what our future plans are," said Miller.

When Father Dobberstein built the Grotto, she explained, he not only wanted to give glory to God but he wanted it to be a teaching tool.

"We have positioned ourselves to be able to expand what we had in the museum," said Miller, who noted that some personal items of Father Dobberstein's will soon be on display. "I think that will add the personal touch to the museum, to help people learn the history of the builder."

She even has some of the letters of Father Dobberstein that documented some of the construction costs of the Grotto and so forth. Eventually these will be put on display at the museum as well as old newspaper clippings, photographs and more.

Because families have so many options for entertainment, Miller mentioned that it is all the more important for the Grotto to present the best experience possible. In addition to offering education via the personal tours and the museums, the Grotto will expand their offerings of educational opportunities such as workshops.

"Father Dobberstein was a marketer. I would like to have a segment in the museum with Grotto memorabilia through the years and maybe postcards through the years," said Miller.

Now that some people know they plan to offer this display, some people are making donations of items they purchased at the Grotto years ago.

She pointed out that there is a large room in the museum building that can be used for presentations and seminars. That room will also be utilized for special seasonal displays. The Grotto does have a rock studio where educational workshops are presented, but the new room will allow for such things as Powerpoint presentations.

The gift shop is located next to the Grotto offices, right on the street. This allows people to park on the street and go directly into the shop as opposed to walking across the grounds. From a business perspective, the location on the street is better because it is more visible.

While there is some Grotto-specific memorabilia, the shop contains numerous gift items for any occasion.

"There are Catholic-related items that you cannot necessarily get at a Christian bookstore," added Miller. "Plus, there are other nice gift items that aren't just for Catholics." Just a few of the items at the shop are Christmas ornaments, wall tapestries that can be woven with a personal photo, music CDs and more.

In addition to the physical museum, she pointed out that with the Grotto's Web site redesign, they hope to offer more education such as to learn more about the geology of the various stones within the Grotto.

Miller said the Grotto can accommodate tours and educational opportunities for adult groups and school students as well. For more information contact Miller at (515) 887-2371.