Wayfarers Chapel
The “Glass Church” Lloyd Wright built into a Palos Verdes redwood grove — currently closed following landslide damage, with no confirmed reopening date.
A landmark glass chapel, now closed pending relocation
Please note: Wayfarers Chapel is currently closed and not accepting wedding bookings. Accelerated land movement from the Portuguese Bend landslide complex cracked the chapel’s foundation and glass panes, forcing a February 2024 closure that cancelled roughly 175 already-booked events. By July 2024 the structure had been fully disassembled and its components placed into preservation storage. The nonprofit is pursuing a rebuild at a nearby site, but as of our most recent research no land transfer, construction timeline, or reopening date has been confirmed.
Designed by Lloyd Wright (son of Frank Lloyd Wright) and dedicated in 1951, the chapel was built as a memorial to Emanuel Swedenborg, with glass walls designed so the surrounding redwoods and Pacific effectively built the sanctuary around you. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in December 2023 — just months before the closure. We’re keeping this page up as a record of the venue and our work there; we’ll update it if and when weddings resume.
What photographing Wayfarers Chapel was like
Between roughly 2020 and early 2024, we photographed multiple weddings here, working with coordinators like Moments Remembered Events and Master Plans Events & Designs, and corresponding directly with the chapel’s own events staff. Ceremonies ran on a tight, fixed window — about an hour for setup and an hour for the ceremony itself — with amplified music not permitted, so couples paired the chapel with a separate reception venue nearby, often Point Vicente Interpretive Center or a hotel ballroom.
What we remember about the space
- Glass walls meant the redwoods and ocean did most of the decorating
- A strict, tightly timed ceremony window with no amplified music
- No on-site reception or prep space — always paired with another venue
- The Hallelujah Tower’s carillon bells traditionally rang after ceremonies
For couples researching this venue
- The chapel is not currently bookable for weddings
- No confirmed reopening date exists as of our latest research
- A relocation effort is underway at a nearby Rancho Palos Verdes site
- We’re happy to talk through nearby alternatives with a similar coastal feel
What couples and guests notice about Wayfarers Chapel
Nearly every account of the chapel calls the glass-and-redwood structure stunning on camera, regardless of the day’s light.
The Pacific and Portuguese Bend backdrop is repeatedly described as spectacular, even by guests unfamiliar with the venue beforehand.
The chapel has been closed since February 2024 with no confirmed reopening date — worth knowing before you fall in love with it online.