Art & Architecture
Thanks-Giving Square is a unique architectural setting for private services and events in the heart of downtown Dallas. We offer several options to meet the needs of both small and large gatherings.
Highlights
The Square
Pritzker Architecture Prize winner Philip Johnson was commissioned to bring the vision of Thanks-Giving Square to life. Opened to the public in 1977, the Square was recognized by President Gerald Ford as a major national shrine.
Set 15 feet below ground level to reduce city noise
100-foot-long freestanding bridge crossing the Great Fountain
Iconic modernist stained-glass chapel
Granite markers with Scriptural references
Religious symbolism adorns mosaic, stained glass, engraving, and graphic art features throughout the Square
Golden Rule Mosaic
A mosaic rendition of Norman Rockwell’s 1961 painting Golden Rule. The mosaic, created by the Cooperative Scuola Mosaico Venziano in Venice, was commissioned in 1985 in honor of the 40th anniversary of the United Nations and installed in 1996.
Glory Window
Inside the Chapel of Thanks-Giving is the spiral Glory Window designed by French artist Garbriel Loire in 1976. Images of the spiral stained-glass have become world-famous. The Glory Window was chosen for the 2000 United Nations stamp during the International Year of Thanksgiving and featured in the 2011 Oscar-nominated film The Tree of Life.
Court of All Nations
The ceremonial entry to Thanks-Giving Square celebrating gratitude as a universal human value. Three great bronze bells hang above, bearing inscriptions from three Biblical psalms. The larger-than-life, 14-foot-high gold and aluminum Ring of Thanks rests on the granite Circle of Giving at the entrance to the Square.
Chapel of Thanks-Giving
The spiritual center of Thanks-Giving Square, the iconic white Chapel of Thanks-Giving is a 90-foot-high spiral representing the upward reach of the human spirit. Inspired by the Great Mosque in Samarra, Iraq, the Chapel is a welcoming place for people of all faith traditions.
