Established in the 1770’s, the Santuario de Guadalupe (The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe), is the oldest standing shrine in the United States. Located on the corner of Guadalupe Street and Agua Fria Street, it’s an easy walk from the Plaza and is close to shopping and restaurants on the Guadalupe corridor that leads to the Railyard.This enduring landmark commemorates the apparitions of Mary to the Aztec peasant Juan Diego at Tepeyac, Mexico between December 9 – 12, 1531. The Shrine consists of the historic chapel – the Santuario de Guadalupe, which is now an art and history museum, a new larger, Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, to accommodate the growing parish, and the El Cerro de Tepeyac, a walking path featuring six tile mosaics illustrating the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego, by the artist Arlene Cisneros Sena.
The newest addition is a twelve feet tall statue of the Virgin de Guadalupe that greets visitors from the shrine’s courtyard. The statue was unveiled after being trucked from Mexico City, where it was made by the sculptor La Señora Georgina Farias. It’s estimated that over 1,000 people came for the unveiling on August 16, 2008.