Living Water Wayside Chapel – Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario - Atlas Obscura

Living Water Wayside Chapel

Only six people can sit inside this delightfully quaint sanctuary. 

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This charming chapel is a tiny sanctuary for tourists seeking a moment of peace and respite from the road. From the outside, it looks more like a child’s playhouse than an active church.

Local tourist guides claim the Living Water Wayside Chapel holds the Guinness World Record for world’s smallest chapel. However, according to the Guinness World Record website itself, there is “no current record holder” for that title. Even without the official title, at about 72 square feet, the chapel is still delightfully quaint.

The chapel was originally built in 1964 by the Niagara Falls Christian Reformed Church. It was meant to serve as a worship space for tourists in the region. The structure was moved in 2012 to its current location for renovation, but it is unclear who currently manages the chapel. No website exists for the church or the congregation.

After ducking your head down while entering the archway, you’ll see that the inside of this miniature worship space holds four short pews as well as two Bibles and a guest book. Visitors can say a quick prayer in the chapel and walk next-door to Walker’s Country Market for fresh produce. Weather-permitting, every Easter guests can join a sunrise worship at the chapel. The space is also available for intimate wedding parties of about six people.

Know Before You Go

This is a quaint stop for tourists bound from Niagara-on-the-Lake to Niagara Falls and is open to visitors 24 hours a day.

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