St. Peters Chapel

BUILT IN 1901, ST. PETER’S Chapel is the oldest surviving Naval chapel in the United States. It is home to one of the largest collections of Tiffany stained glass windows under one roof and is filled with historic naval memorials.

St. Peter’s was the second chapel built on a U.S. Navy property. (It was preceded by the original chapel at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, which was replaced with a new building in 1904.) The single-story chapel was designed by Albert Sutton. The walls are lined with 29 striking stained-glass windows, 25 of which were created by Tiffany Studios. While they look quite dull from the exterior, from the inside they are luminous!

Surrounding the chapel are a host of eucalyptus trees, redwoods and pine, some of which still host monarch butterflies in the winter months when they hibernate. If you arrange a tour of the chapel, plan for the late afternoon. The windows come alive; it is a vision to see the light dance through the stained glass as the leaves move in the breeze.

You can schedule a tour of the Chapel to see the interior. Visit MIHPF.org to book your tour!