Mildred B Cooper Chapel

If you know me at all, then it’s no surprise that this would be my first “travel” post.

For YEARS, I have wanted to visit here.

Last May, Anna surprised me with a mother/daughter trip to Northwest Arkansas. And, of course, this was number 1 on my list of “to-do’s”, and it most certainly did not disappoint. I even got to go back this May when Brian and I took a short vacation out to Bella Vista.

If you get the chance… go!

Here’s some information about the chapel.

The Mildred B Cooper chapel (also known as Cooper Chapel) is located in Bella Vista, AR. It was designed by architect E Fay Jones, along with his business partner Maurice Jennings. If you are not familiar with the work of E Fay Jones, Google him NOW. His style is unlike anything else you will ever see… unless you are familiar with another famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, as E Fay Jones was an apprentice of Wright’s. Also worth noting is that E Fay Jones also designed the Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs (upcoming blog). Now I am not really an “architect” kind of person, but you have to respect his work… it’s so different and so impressive.

The chapel is surrounded by beautiful tall trees. When you see it, it will leave you speechless. It is stunning.

There are 31 tons of steel in the 15- 50 foot arches that make this building stand out like no other. There is over 4,400 square feet of glass that allows natural light to bring warmth and peace inside. At this point, you are falling in love with this place. As you enter thru the massive doors the stone floor, the quiet sound of piano music and the outside scenery will seal the deal.

So who is Mildred B Cooper? Mrs. Cooper was raised in Earle, AR. She was successful in life having served as the postmistress in both West Memphis & Cherokee VIllage, where she also owned local gift shops. At the age of 31, as a widow of 2 small children, she married John Cooper. Mr. Cooper built retirement villages in Arkansas thru the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s… one of them being in Bella VIsta. John & Mildred went on to have 2 children of their own and in 1983 she passed away. After her death the family decided to build her a memorial, and chose Bella Vista to be the place they would honor her. Construction began in 1986 and the first ever event, a wedding, was held on February 1988.

Something else to note is that there is a concrete pathway surrounding the chapel that follows the banks of Lake Norwood. You will want to enjoy this while you are there. You can find more info for it on the AllTrails app… just search “Cooper Trail”.

Today the chapel hosts weddings, concerts, memorial services and much more. Maintenance and upkeep are paid for entirely by private contributions and donations.

Some things to know:

• The chapel is located just behind the town center in Bella Vista, beside the Harps grocery store.
• There is no admission fee, donation only.
• Hours are 9am-5pm, 7 days a week.
• Dogs are allowed on the grounds. There are no signs and no info on the website regarding dogs being allowed inside the chapel. We did sneak Blue in for a quick picture (below) because no one else was there but be respectful and use your own discretion.
• Check their Facebook page to make sure they aren’t closed for a private event before you go.
• Be sure and sign the guestbook and leave a donation in the box.
• Sit down a while and enjoy your time, it’s peaceful.
• There is plenty of parking, and room for rv’s/campers.

Sooo… be sure you add this to your list when you head to NW Arkansas. There is so much to do in this area and I’ll be blogging about all that soon!

Until next time…