Roden Crater

Roden Crater is an extinct volcanic crater, situated at an elevation of approximately 6,000 feet near Arizona's Painted Desert. The 400,000 year old, 3 kilometer wide crater is being turned into a monumental work of land art by the artist James Turrell. Working with cosmological phenomena that have interested man since the dawn of civilization and have prompted responses such as Stonehenge and the Mayan calendar, Turrell’s crater brings the heavens down to earth, linking the actions of people with the movements of planets and distant galaxies.

The project has been under construction since 1979. The Roden Crater project is designed to be built in three phases. The first phase is finished and includes the South Lodge, Sun and Moon Space, East Tunnel, East Portal, Crater Eye, Crater Bowl and Plaza. The second phase will complete the construction on the upper portion of the crater and continue the alignment from the Crater Eye to the West Portal and Tunnel, North Moon Space, Amphitheater and the pathway to the South Lodge. The third phase is comprised of the Fumarole Space, to the east of the Sun and Moon Space, and the Cardinal Spaces (North, East, West and South) at the lower crater level. The third phase will include the remaining connecting pathways for all spaces, as well as the Egg Road around Roden Crater.

Roden Crater is not open to the public as it is a work in progress. Construction of the next phases are our top priority and will be determined by fundraising success and construction schedule. We expect to provide access for visitors after the completion of phase two.