Built in the 1940’s, Madeira Beach's Church by the Sea may be no spring chicken, but this church’s eye-popping steeple decidedly resembles one.
Because of its likeness to a chicken, this landmark has been dubbed the Chicken Church which has become a famous selfie-site for locals and tourists and has been featured in several roadside attraction websites.
Each side of the steeple features porthole windows, which when viewed on an angle looks like a pair of eyes. The four corners of the steeple also include red tile awnings which resemble a beak between the eyes and small wings on the sides of the steeple, giving the appearance of a chicken head.
When originally constructed in 1947, a twenty-five foot mast with a beacon was placed on top of the Spanish style steeple. At the time, this was the tallest structure in the area.
The church’s light was a nautical landmark for the fishermen to guide them from the gulf toward the safety of John’s Pass. This light stayed on until all fishermen were accounted for, and if the light stayed on longer than usual the community knew someone was overdue and everyone would pray for the sailors’ safe return to port. That mast has since been replaced with a lighted cross.
Located at 495 137th Ave. Circle, Madeira Beach, Florida, the Church by the Sea remains a landmark on the Gulf Beaches, where generations of families have worshipped at the nondenominational church, which has officiated thousands of weddings, baptisms and funerals over the years, and remains a hub of activity in the community with youth programs, Bible studies, music and worship arts ministries, missions, a thrift shop and outreach programs.
To verify your find, attach a photo to your log of either yourself, your geocaching group, your GPS device, or a personal item in front of the church. Faces are not required in photos for verification. No private messages please. Internet search photos do not qualify. As with most virtual caches, you are expected to physically visit the site to log a find.
Virtual Reward - 2017/2018
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between August 24, 2017 and August 24, 2018. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards on the Geocaching Blog.