The day visit is like a brief retreat. Some folks come to bask in the peaceful silence of the monastery grounds. Some folks come to spend several hours at the monastery for the purpose of prayer, meditation, quiet, or the seeking of spiritual counsel. They may just come to see the Norman Gothic architecture of the Abbey Church and take a meditative stroll along the lake.

We welcome such visitors seven days a week, between the hours of 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. They are greeted by a monk at the Welcome Center (except on Sundays) who shows a video about the monastery, answers any questions they may have and directs them to the various areas of interest such as the Church, Bonsai, and Gift shop.  There is no reservation required for such visits for individuals.

Bring your own lunch and if the weather permits you can enjoy your snack at the lakeside picnic area. Give us a day’s notice and we can have lunch prepared for you in the Retreat House for a nominal fee of $10.00 per person.

Large groups (10 or more people) are asked to call in advance to make a reservation. If you are bringing a bus tour to the monastery, please give us a call. For further information or to make reservations for a group contact the Guestmaster at: (770) 760-0959. . You may reserve a meeting room for your group for a nominal fee of $10.00 per person.

Times of Prayer

The Abbey Store:
While you are here visit the Gift Shop where fruitcake and fudge from the monastery's bakery, and coffee, candies, preserves and creamed honey from other Trappist Abbeys are available. The Shop also offers select books, tapes, religious articles, icons, candles, and other specialty gift items. The Gift Shop is open 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday thru Saturday.
The Bonsai Store is open 9:00am to 5:00 Tuesday thru Saturday (closed on Mondays)
You can also visit the Abbey Gift Shop online.