You literally can’t miss the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Groom, Texas. Towering nearly 200 feet into the sky, this massive structure is visible from up to 20 miles away as you drive along Route 66 or I-40.
Known as the Groom Cross, this monumental sculpture was built in 1995 by Steve Thomas of Pampa, Texas. The project took eight months to complete, with 100 welders working in two locations in Pampa before the finished pieces were hauled to Groom on seven flatbed trucks.
The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book
Enjoy fun games and challenges to pass the time on your next road trip and have a keepsake to look back on for years to come with this entertaining must-have for your next vacation.
Standing 190 feet tall and weighing 2.5 million pounds, the stainless steel structure was engineered to withstand the fierce winds of the Texas Panhandle. And while it’s often called the “Largest Cross in the Western Hemisphere,” there are a few crosses in the world that beat it by size, like the 492-foot-tall concrete cross in Spain’s Valle de los Caídos and the 208-foot-tall Mission Nombre de Dios Cross in St. Augustine, Florida.
Still, it holds an important title closer to home as the second-largest cross in America. It inspired the creation of the now tallest cross in the United States, the 198-foot “Cross at the Crossroads” in Effingham, Illinois, built in 2001 to be just a touch taller.
Beneath the towering Groom Cross, visitors will find a series of striking biblical sculptures depicting scenes such as the Stations of the Cross, the Empty Tomb, and the Last Supper. The surrounding complex includes a chapel, visitor center, gift shop, restrooms, religious paintings, and the Divine Mercy Fountain.
Open 24 hours a day, this powerful landmark invites travelers to stop, reflect, and take in the view—whether in broad daylight or under the stars. So next time you’re rolling through Groom, don’t just admire the cross from afar. Pull over and experience it up close.
Photos of Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Groom, Texas
