10 Monasteries in the USA Where Anyone Can Stay Overnight

Strict Rules and Silent Meals Included

Across America, monasteries open their guest rooms to anyone seeking quiet. You do not need to be Catholic or even religious.

These 10 monasteries offer overnight stays with meals, prayer schedules, and a chance to unplug from everything.

The catch?

No phones at dinner, bedtime might be 8 p.m., and the bells start ringing before dawn. You just need to show up, follow the rules, and embrace the silence.

Abbey of Gethsemani, Kentucky

The Abbey of Gethsemani is where Thomas Merton lived for 27 years and wrote his famous spiritual memoir.

Founded in 1848, it remains the oldest Trappist monastery still operating in America.

The retreat house has 30 rooms with private baths for men and women of all faiths. Guests eat in silence, attend services if they choose, and walk 1,500 acres of Kentucky hills.

The monks make bourbon fudge and fruitcake to support themselves. Retreats fill months in advance, and you can only book one weekend and one weekday stay per year.

Mepkin Abbey, South Carolina

Mepkin Abbey was founded in 1949 on land donated by publisher Henry Luce and his wife Clare Boothe Luce.

The 3,000-acre property along the Cooper River includes gardens, a columbarium, and a retreat center with 12 rooms.

Guests join the monks for silent meals and can attend seven daily prayer services. The suggested donation runs $300 for a weekend or $350 for a weekday retreat.

The monks grow mushrooms now, having switched from their former egg operation. Silence is expected most of the day.

New Camaldoli Hermitage, California

Perched 1,300 feet above the Pacific on 899 acres, New Camaldoli Hermitage offers some of the most dramatic monastery views in America.

About a dozen Benedictine monks live in private cottages separated by high walls.

Guest rooms start around $145 per night and include vegetarian meals. There is no WiFi and no cell service, which is the whole point.

The chapel stays open around the clock, and guests can join vespers at 5 p.m. The winding two-mile road up from Highway 1 keeps the crowds away.

Monastery of Christ in the Desert, New Mexico

Getting to the Monastery of Christ in the Desert requires driving 13 miles down an unmarked dirt road into the Chama River canyon.

There is no cell service. About 30 monks live here, chanting seven times daily in an adobe church. The minimum stay is two nights.

Guests stay in a simple guesthouse, eat with the monks, and can volunteer during afternoon work periods.

The monks also run a small brewery and make soap, candles, and pottery. One monk posts YouTube videos about monastic life under the name The Desert Monk.

Abbey of Regina Laudis, Connecticut

The Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, Connecticut, is one of America’s few Benedictine women’s monasteries accepting overnight guests.

Founded in 1947, the community includes about 40 nuns on 400 acres. Mother Dolores Hart, who once kissed Elvis Presley on screen, joined in 1963 and still lives there.

Sister Noella Marcellino, known as the Cheese Nun, earned a doctorate in microbiology studying the abbey’s raw-milk cheese.

Guests can attend Gregorian chant services and help with farm work. The abbey also hosts summer theater productions.

Saint Meinrad Archabbey, Indiana

Saint Meinrad Archabbey in southern Indiana operates one of the biggest monastery retreat programs in the country. The guest house offers 31 air-conditioned rooms with private baths for $100 to $125 per night.

The monks lead scheduled retreats throughout 2026 on topics from marriage to Scripture to basket weaving. Guests can also book private, unstructured stays.

The grounds include a seminary, a library, and walking paths through rolling farmland. The community has welcomed guests since its founding in 1854 by Swiss monks.

Holy Cross Monastery, New York

Holy Cross Monastery in West Park sits on 26 acres overlooking the Hudson River. Episcopal monks have lived here since 1904 in a Gothic building designed by Ralph Adams Cram.

The community welcomes about 3,000 guests yearly for individual and group retreats. Rooms are simple but the food is memorable.

The chef trained at the Culinary Institute of America, which is just across the river. Guests can join five daily services in the chapel.

Author Madeleine L’Engle once led writing workshops here every January.

Mount Angel Abbey, Oregon

Mount Angel Abbey rises 300 feet above Oregon’s Willamette Valley on a hilltop settled by Swiss Benedictines in 1882.

The most striking building is the library, designed by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto and considered one of his finest works.

The recently renovated guest house offers private rooms with views of the abbey church and valley farmland below.

Retreats run about $220 for a weekend.

The monks also operate a brewery, a seminary, and a museum with an eclectic collection including taxidermied animals and insect displays.

Monastery of the Holy Spirit, Georgia

The Monastery of the Holy Spirit near Conyers was founded in 1944 by monks from Gethsemani.

The 22 Trappist monks here run one of the largest bonsai nurseries in the Southeast, along with a bakery, gift shop, and heritage center.

The retreat house has dorm-style rooms on separate floors for men and women. Guests follow a schedule of seven daily prayer services starting at 4 a.m.

Silence is required after 8 p.m. and in hallways throughout the day. The grounds cover 2,300 acres with walking trails and lakes.

Our Lady of Clear Creek Abbey, Oklahoma

Our Lady of Clear Creek Abbey is one of the youngest monasteries on this list, founded in 1999 by French monks. The community has grown to 55 members and continues building its abbey church by hand.

Guests stay in a men’s guesthouse or a separate women’s house called Bethany for about $50 per night, meals included.

The monks celebrate Latin Mass daily and chant the Divine Office in Gregorian style.

The property sits in remote Cherokee County, about 20 minutes from the nearest town. Guests can work alongside monks during afternoon labor periods.

What the Rules Look Like Day to Day

Most monasteries expect silence during meals and in common areas. Guests typically eat what the monks eat, which often means vegetarian food served at set times.

You are welcome at prayer services but rarely required to attend. Electronics should stay in your room or car.

Modest dress is expected, and alcohol is usually prohibited. Bedtime comes early because the first bell rings between 3 and 5 a.m.

Grand silence begins around 8 p.m. and lasts until morning. Some monasteries ask guests to help with chores like gardening or kitchen duty.

How to Book and What to Pay

Most monasteries charge suggested donations rather than fixed rates, typically $50 to $150 per night including meals. None will turn you away if you cannot pay.

Booking usually requires contacting the guest master by email or phone, sometimes months ahead for popular weekends.

Minimum stays of two nights are common.

Bring your own toiletries, a flashlight, and books since there is often no WiFi or television. You do not need to be Catholic, Christian, or religious at all.

The monks follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, which commands them to welcome every guest as if welcoming Christ himself.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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