Subiaco, AR

Subiaco is a quiet rural community in western Arkansas, best known for the striking stone monastery and academy that anchor the center of town. Founded in the late 1800s by Benedictine monks, the area originally grew around a settlement of German Catholic farmers who came to work the fertile Arkansas River Valley. Today, the centerpiece remains Subiaco Academy, a well-regarded college-prep boarding school for boys set against the scenic backdrop of the surrounding foothills.

ATTRDoug Wertman from Rogers, AR, USA / CC BY 2.0

The abbey is still an active home for monks who manage working farmland, raise Angus cattle, and run several popular local ventures. Visitors and residents regularly stop by for Country Monks Brewing, their onsite brewery and taproom, or to pick up bottles of their famous spicy monk hot sauce and peanut brittle. Combined with easy access to outdoor recreation at nearby Mount Magazine, Subiaco offers a peaceful, small-town atmosphere with a distinct character you will not find anywhere else in the region.