This rural retreat invites guests to step away from daily life and experience peace on the prairie.
Sometimes the hardest places to see are the ones right in front of us.
I’ve journeyed widely as a travel writer, but only recently did I visit Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat in east-central Iowa. After leading a weekend retreat there, I left both renewed and a little astonished — how had I overlooked such a remarkable sanctuary so close to home?
While many retreat centers are located in scenic locations, I love this one in part because it’s the distilled essence of my home state of Iowa. Our Lady of the Prairie is set on 100 acres of forested hills and restored tallgrass prairie along the Wapsipinicon River. Its landscape offers a glimpse of what Iowa once looked like, before the land was reshaped by intensive farming.
What I recall most about my visit is not just the beauty of the place, but its soundscape — wind through grasses, birdsong, and the near-absence of human noise.
Hospitality Rooted in the Land
The idea for the retreat center took shape in the 1990s, when local Catholic leaders saw the need for more spaces devoted to adult spiritual growth. After passing through several owners, the property became part of the ministry of the Congregation of the Humility of Mary, a community of Catholic sisters in Davenport, Iowa.
Since its opening in 1998, Our Lady of the Prairie has welcomed thousands of visitors for retreats, workshops, and online programs. The center can accommodate up to 45 people for daylong events, with guesthouse lodging for about a dozen. While churches frequently use the center for meetings and programs, it also welcomes other organizations and groups.
Two Victorian-style buildings form the center of the property. The smaller is an early-1900s farmhouse that now houses the Guest Services Attendant, who lives on site. The larger building, Prairie Heights, serves as a retreat and conference center. Its broad wrap-around porch, lined with chairs, is perfectly placed for watching the beauty of the surrounding landscape.
An Ecological Treasure
In addition to being a spiritual refuge, Our Lady of the Prairie is also an ecological haven. Its fifty acres of tallgrass prairie are a rare remnant of what once stretched across 70 to 80 percent of Iowa. Today, less than one percent survives. The landscape is a marvel of diversity and resilience, with root systems reaching twenty feet below the surface, holding soil in place while supporting a vibrant community of plants, birds, and insects.
Our Lady of the Prairie also protects twenty-five acres of woods, which provide additional habitat for wild species. Beehives at the prairie’s edge support pollination of plants, with the bees’ low hum reminding visitors of the intricate web of life here.
Sustainability is woven into the center’s daily life in other ways as well. Meals are healthy and nourishing, often made with produce from the retreat’s garden and greenhouse or sourced from the local region. Solar panels provide renewable energy, and composting returns organic matter to the soil.
Spaces for Prayer, Rest, and Reflection
Guests at Our Lady of the Prairie come for many reasons: to attend programs, pray, write, read, study nature, bird-watch, or simply soak in the gift of solitude. Some receive spiritual direction during their stay, guided by a certified Spiritual Director. Visitors may come for just a day or stay several nights in comfortable, private guest rooms, each offered at a modest cost. The center includes a chapel for group worship and private prayer, as well as a small library where books can be enjoyed on site.
Outdoors, the grounds invite exploration. A beautifully crafted labyrinth opens onto the Cosmic Walk, a two-mile nature trail marked by 22 stones that trace the story of creation, weaving together the Genesis account with insights from modern science. Other features include a screened gazebo overlooking the valley, a rain-fed pond that draws wildlife, and landscaped gardens accented by benches for quiet reflection. The Stations of the Cross provide another way to pray with one’s steps.
I left Our Lady of the Prairie with a deep gratitude for how the land heals: prairies are reborn, wetlands are restored, and gardens flourish, all offering a glimpse of wholeness in a fractured world. Our Lady of the Prairie is a gift to anyone in need of renewal.
If You Go: Our Lady of the Prairie is located near Wheatland, Iowa, thirty minutes north of the Quad Cities. It welcomes people of all faiths to its programs and retreats.
The center has eight private guestrooms. Each shares a bathroom and shower with its adjoining room. There is also a hermitage/efficiency apartment on its lower level for private retreats. Scholarships are available for sponsored and private retreats.
Lori Erickson is one of America’s top travel writers specializing in spiritual journeys. She’s the author of books that include Holy Rover, Near the Exit, The Soul of the Family Tree, and Every Step Is Home. Her website Spiritual Travels features holy sites around the world.
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