St Jude’s Ranch For Children

I attended a wedding here and the view coming to the church from over the mountain is so beautiful with the lake in the background! The grounds were being renovated but the church inside was very well maintained.
The inside of the church is really neat and colorful.

A MUST DO and MUST SEE when you are in the area! What first piqued my interest to check this place out was the sign was out in front of the mission looking like chapel. You can see it after you pass by Lake Mead on 93. It was advertising for a gift store and resale shop and open to the public located on the grounds.
So if you are coming here for the gift/​thrift/​resale shop:
Limited Hours — Mon — Sun 10am-​4pm
Go thru the gates, use the parking area in front of chapel, walk toward chapel and follow the pathway to the right of the chapel. It will lead you to the Spanish structure clearly marked «Gift Shop»
It’s a nice size shop, clean, none of that musty odor, organized pretty well, the merchandise was either gently used or in new or newer condition.
The young man running the shop said that some of the casinos donate the unclaimed items from lost & found
Everything is priced to sell. Dirt cheap if you ask me. My finds this visit, puka shells, Hawaiian jewelry $ 1&2. Bought a wallet for $ 2! Looks brand new. Crazy… Found a gold plated silver dollar in it!!!
On my visit I also saw some pretty evening dresses, trendy clothes for teens, lots of shoes for men and women. All kinds of nick knacks. Vintage stuff. Office supplies, toys, kitchen appliances, dinnerware.
Like all thrift shop places it could either be a hit or a miss depending on what you are looking for.
Proceeds from gift shop goes to the kids. So yes this is a MUST DO!
MUST SEE! — NOT ONLY is there a shop, there is a small classic car museum and part of the grounds is open to the public as well. It’s nestled in the rolling hills, there’s also a pathway up the hill with the Stations of the Cross leading up to a memorial. with a few benches. To top off the serene setting, the view of Boulder City and Lake Mead from here. Pretty cool!
What I learned also from talking with young man running the gift shop was that St. Jude’s Ranch for Children is the safe haven and home to abused kids, pregnant and parenting teens, and transitional home for young adults. They nurture and teach the kids life and job skills. He proudly told us that they have a 100% high school graduation rate. Simply amazing!
St Jude’s Ranch for Children is not affiliated at all with Danny Thomas’s St. Judes’s non profit org. In 1967 Father Jack Adam’s founded this place
and for 47 years now it’s been home to many kids. When we were milling about the place, kids were just getting off the school bus and you could tell they were happy and felt safe and welcomed here. The public is welcome and there are plenty of volunteer opportunities
There’s so much more to this special place. Next visit will be to see the classic car museum and the chapel. Another update soon to come!