The Loretto Chapel Staircase Shouldn't Exist

Loretto Chapel, 233 East De Vargas Street. Small chapel built in the 1870s for the Sisters of Loretto. The claim to fame is the staircase — a double helix connecting the main floor to the choir loft, two intertwined flights around a single central column, with no visible means of support. The builder's name vanished. No one signed the ledger.

33 steps in each flight, cedar and pine, turning toward the loft like a question mark in wood. The engineering is ahead of its time even now. The treads seem to float around the central column — no visible nails or brackets. The balustrade aligns so precisely the eye follows the continuity where the flights meet.

Inside, the air is beeswax candles and old varnish. Light through tall narrow windows. The staircase seems to hum with a quiet energy — geometry so good it feels intentional in a way that transcends carpentry. It's a chapel that could be a physics classroom.

Small, quick visit. A few dollars admission. Worth it for anyone who finds engineering as interesting as art.