- Independent
- Sourced
- Facts vs legend
- Reviewed Nov 2026
Loretto Volunteers is an independent research project on the Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe and its famous spiral staircase: 33 steps, two full turns and no central pole. We separate what the record shows from what the legend says, and we link every source.
Start here
The three mysteries
- How does it stand?Two helical stringers and a tight inner curve, explained.
- Who built it?The legend’s stranger and the 1895 record naming Frenchy Rochas.
- What wood is it?Spruce, and what “Loretto Spruce” really means.
Miracle or debunked?
Neither headline holds up on its own. The physics is explainable; the craftsmanship is remarkable; and whether it was a miracle is a question of faith. We weigh every claim, believers’ and skeptics’, on one page.
- Debunked or miracle?Every claim against the evidence, including the Easley paradox.
- The 1887 iron bracketThe support the “unsupported” story leaves out.
- Stairs without a centre poleHow “unsupported” spirals actually stand.
Facts at a glance
The Miraculous Staircase
- Where
- Loretto Chapel, 207 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe
- Steps
- 33
- Turns
- Two full 360° turns
- Height
- About 20 ft
- Centre pole
- None
- Wood
- Spruce
- Built
- After 1878
- Probable builder
- François-Jean Rochas
History and faith
- The Sisters of LorettoThe women who crossed the Santa Fe Trail in 1852 and built the chapel.
- The St. Joseph legendThe novena and the carpenter who vanished.
- The St. Joseph novenaWhat it is and how to pray it.
- The traitThe French layout craft behind the helix.
- The lost St. Vincent staircaseRochas’s second, forgotten stair.
- Loretto SpruceThe proposed species that was never confirmed.
Plan a visit
The chapel is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Christmas, with admission from $5. It can close without notice for weddings.
- Hours, tickets & tipsChecked against the official site.
- Where to stayHotels within walking distance.
- San Miguel vs LorettoTwo historic chapels on the same street.
- Pictures17 credited, free-licence photos.
On screen and in comparison
- The Staircase (1998)The Loretto film, not the Netflix series.
- TV, film & booksEvery appearance and the books worth reading.
- Staircases like Loretto’sWhat actually compares.
- Could you build it today?What a modern build shows about the original.
How we work
We are an independent project, not affiliated with the Loretto Chapel, its owners, the Loretto Community or any tour operator. We work from published primary and archival sources, link them on every page, mark what is disputed, and correct mistakes. Read our editorial standards or about us. Questions or corrections: hello@lorettovolunteers.org.
tech work supported by Ryan – who has put together an awesome guide on vollyeball