Tours, concert free and open to the public
Construction photo of the USAFA Chapel
/ Courtesy: USAFA
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, COLO. -- The U.S. Air Force Academy this week celebrates 50 years since the construction began on the Cadet Chapel, which is now a national historical landmark.
The celebration includes a free concert and guided tours of the world-renown design on Friday, Aug. 28. The event is open to the public.
Events begin at 2 p.m. with opening remarks by Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Mike Gould. A concert follows, featuring the U.S. Air Force Academy Band’s Stellar Brass combo and Dr. Joseph Galema, Academy organist.
Chapel guides will be available for tours and question-and-answer sessions immediately following the concert, and all levels of the chapel will be open to the public. Storyboards with photos, historical data and information on the architects and contractors will also be on display.
Soaring 150 feet toward the Colorado sky, construction of the chapel began in 1959 and was completed in 1963.
The Cadet Chapel cost $3.5 million to build, and is an all-faiths house of worship designed to meet the spiritual needs of every cadet. The aluminum, glass and steel structure features 17-spires, and is considered among the most beautiful examples of modern American academic architecture, attracting over 800,000 visitors a year.
The principal designer-architect of the chapel was Walter A. Netsch Jr. of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill of Chicago. Construction was by Robert E. McKee, Inc. of Santa Fe, N.M.
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