Loretto staircase, Wooden spiral staircase in a chapel in Santa Fe, United States
The Loretto staircase is a wooden spiral structure in a chapel located in Santa Fe that makes two complete rotations over roughly 20 feet in height. It contains 33 steps joined without a central support pole or nails, displaying an unusual construction method.
The staircase was built in 1878 after French architects completed the Gothic Revival chapel, serving to connect the ground floor to the choir area above. It has remained part of this building ever since its completion.
The staircase is popularly attributed to a mysterious carpenter who arrived with only a few tools and vanished after finishing it, a story repeated in chapel tours and local retellings. Visitors often count the 33 steps, a number some link to the years of Jesus' life, and the chapel's Loretto Chapel name and Sisters of Loretto history are part of the site's identity.
The site is located within an active house of worship that now functions as a museum open to visitors and sits easily accessible on Old Santa Fe Trail. Visit during daylight hours when natural light streams through the windows, allowing you to see the construction details clearly.
The staircase's 33 steps rise about 20 feet in two full turns with no central pole, and the stringers are joined with wooden pegs rather than nails. Carpenters have noted that the wood is unlike local Santa Fe timber, and no record names its species or source.
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