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Holy Places Everywhere

When viewed from a pagan perspective, there are many places, even in cities, that can be a place of worship for an Hellenic polytheists. Below is a list of such things (statues, parks, festivals, natural features), organized by place. For new shrines made especially for Hellenic pagans, see our page for Temenoi. If you have anything to add to this list, please contact us.

Alabama - Birmingham

Alabama - Montgomery

  • Jasmine Hill Gardens and Outdoor Museum, "Alabama's Little Corner of Greece", features over 20 acres of year-round floral beauty and classical sculpture, including new statuary honoring Olympic heroes and mythical gods. A tour of Jasmine Hill offers spectacular and ever-changing views, including our full-scale replica of the Temple of Hera ruins as found in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the Olympic Flame.

California - San Francisco

  • Sutro Heights park, located in the northwest corner of San Francisco near Ocean Beach, includes mansion ruins and a great copy of a sculpture of Diana the Huntress. The original is at the Louvre in Paris.

California - San Marino

  • Huntington Botanical Gardens, a Temple of Love featuring a beautiful statue

California - Woodside

  • The Pulgas Water Temple - beautiful Graeco-Roman style building open to the public, marking the place where the water from the Hetch Hatchey Reservoir in the mountains (which provides the Bay Area with fresh water) flows into the Crystal Springs Reservoir

Florida, Tarpon Springs

  • Statue of Poseidon - the area is a Greek community, it was founded by sponge divers and fishers and has a lot of very good Greek restaurants and some import shops that feature alabaster statues of the gods. Also, they feature several traditional Greek festivals throughout the year.

Georgia - Athens

Indiana - Indianapolis

  • A stunning war memorial in the city's center, includes a representation of Victory and Peace (Victory stands atop the monument) and this monument is visited by millions every year.

Louisiana - New Orleans

  • Mardi Gras - every February, New Orleans erupts in an incredible carnival of music, dancing, drinking and debauchery, a Bacchanalia if I ever saw one!

Maine - Portland

  • Our Lady of Victories, a civil war veterans monument - essentially a statue of the goddess Nike, and has become such a symbol of Portland she could almost be seen as its patron goddess. Also a good place to pay homage to those who have died in battle.
  • Garden of Dionysos, the side courtyard next to the UU Church. Not its official name, but rather named so by local teenagers, possibly due to the influence of pagans in the area. Still, has now become known as such.
  • Theatre Mask of Bacchus - on Temple St. in front of some shops lies this stonework mask which was found during the excavation of the library, having once adorned the Elm Theater. The mask's open mouth is perfect for leaving offerings to Dionysos especially in his role as god of the theatre.

Maine - Sidney

  • At Immanent Grove, an eclectic Pagan circle, there is a Hekate on the path between the house and circle. Visits to the property must be approved by the owners, and arranged beforehand with them. Email grove@ctel.net.

Massachusetts - Boston area

  • Museum of Fine Arts - has an incredible Greek antiquities section, and many statues of Greek gods made in modern times.
  • Brewer Fountain, a copy of a French piece, features figures of Neptune and Amphitrite, Acis and Galatea. Near the Park St. T stop on Boston Common.

Michigan - Traverse City

Minnesota - Minneapolis

  • In the lobby of the Minneapolis City Hall, there's a large classical style statue titled "Father of Waters". Effectively, it's a statue of the god of the Mississippi River.

Missouri - Kansas City

  • Statues: Dionysos & Nymphs - 47th and Broadway in the courtyard of the Cheesecake Factory; Poseidon - 47th and Wornall in front of the coffee shop; Artemis - Ward Parkway and Wornall; Artemis & Apollon - State Line Rd at 55th St.; Hermes - 47th and Jefferson
  • The Nelson-Atkins Museum at 47th and Oak has a display of Greek and Roman art all year 'round.
  • Gorilla Theater puts on a traditional Greek play at dawn on the weekends nearest the summer solstice.

Nevada - Las Vegas

  • Statue of Apollo Belvedere in front of Caesar's Palace, pointing majestically out toward the Strip.

New Jersey - Morristown

  • College of Saint Elizabeth - on their grounds is a Greek-style theatre built of stone, into the side of a hill, used by the college and others for theatrical productions including ancient Greek plays. Intended to be a reproduction of the Theatre of Dionysos in Athens.

New York - New York City

  • Statue of Liberty - representing our country, she has pretty much become the genius loci of our nation
  • Grand Central Station, has a pediment featuring Mercury, flanked by Hercules and Minerva, on the front exterior, especially appropriate seeing as Mercury/Hermes is god of travellers.
  • Greenwood Cemetery, in Brooklyn, features a large statue of Athena.

Ohio - Dayton

  • The Art Institute: a statue of Demeter seated on her throne, located in one of the courtyards.

Oregon - Eugene

Pennsylvania - Bryn Mawr

  • Bryn Mawr College: The patron goddess of the college is Athena. Her statue is located in Thomas Great Hall. Students make offerings to Athena for her gifts of wisdom and strength when taking finals, writing papers, just asking for a little personal help, and innumerable other reasons.

Rhode Island - Providence

  • The WWI Monument there is in the form of a Greek column, with nymphs carved around the base, and a statue of a goddess (said to be either Victory or Peace) standing on top.

South Carolina - Myrtle Beach

  • Brookgreen Gardens, which has one of the largest collections of American figural sculpture, including a number of Classically-inspired pieces. In one of the side gardens is a stunning statue of Dionysos, by Edward McCartan

Tennessee - Nashville

Washington - Index

  • The Aquarian Tabernacle Church has a very nice shrine to Hekate. They also host one of the largest and longest running festivals celebrating the Eleusinian Mysteries. During the festival local Pagans erect about a dozen permanent and semi-permanent shrines to the gods.

United Kingdom - Cornwall

  • At a shopping centre called Trago Mills, located in the picturesque wooded Glynn Valley, there are lakes, picnic areas and lots of wildlife alongside 2/3 mile of beautiful Fowey riverbank. Statues of Hellenic interest there include Poseidon, Pan & Nymphs, Alexander the Great/Ares?, Hera/Demeter? and Medusa.

Australia - Melbourne

  • Busts of Herakles and Apollon in the Queen Victoria Gardens; Statue of Artemis ("Diana and the Hounds") outside the Conservatory in the Fitzroy Gardens; statue of a satyr inside the Conservatory.

Australia - Sydney