A Patient-Guided Tour of St. Mary’s at Mayo Clinic, Rochester

Like many patients, I traveled to Mayo Clinic. Scheduled for surgery at Saint Mary's Hospital, I wondered what the hospital would be like and where I needed to be in the morning.

The night before my surgery, I visited St. Mary's to assess the lay of the land and discovered a beautiful welcoming space. The main entrance to the hospital - the "Mary Brigh" entrance - is on 14th Avenue SW. The circle drive allows patients to be brought up to the door under the portico with its beautiful rainbow-colored stained glass window. 

Under the portico is the patient drop off. The staff will bring wheelchairs to your vehicle if you need assistance. From there, the driver can continue and turn into the entrance for underground parking before exiting to the street. Elevators from the underground parking bring you right inside the front entrance by the revolving door across from an information desk.

After checking with the entry staff (for Covid protocol, etc), you can walk directly into the registration area. This is where patients line up as early as 5:30 AM to check in for surgery. The line moves quickly. From here, you will be escorted to your appointment by a Mayo staff person.

Just beyond the registration desk is a large waiting area with a beautiful stained glass bay window.

In the circle in the stained glass window are symbols and the Latin words "DEVS MEVS ET OMNIA" which translated means, "Mine prepares all" or "God is my all" representing the spiritual history of Mayo Clinic and the Sisters of Saint Francis who founded the hospital with the Mayo brothers and their father. The fleur-de-lis symbol in the stained glass represents perfection, light and life and is a blessing for all the patients who enter. At the bottom, “ET SANAVIT OMNES” translates to “and he healed them all.”

The stained glass window looks out on a large courtyard where you can go outside. The courtyard has trees, a fountain, and a bronze statue of Edith Graham Mayo, the first nurse hired by the Mayo brothers and the future wife of Dr. Charlie Mayo. She trained nurses in the early days of Mayo Clinic. Here you see the windows of a cafeteria overlooking the courtyard.

Relax on a bench or enjoy a game of checkers with some fun checker pieces.

At the far end of the courtyard, you can see portraits of the Sisters hanging on the wall.

To the left the corridor leads past the gift shop to the Tower entrance of the original Saint Mary's building which is around the corner from the main entrance on 2 nd Street SW if you were outside.

The Tower entrance is directly across the street from lodging.

The Tower entrance leads into the corridor past the cafeteria and past the courtyard on the right where you can find the stained glass windows, and when you make a right turn at the next corridor, you will find yourself at the waiting area in front of the stained glass. If you are waiting for a ride, you can relax near the stained glass windows. There is a monitor that displays a live video feed of the vehicles arriving at the main entrance, and the stop for the Mayo Clinic and hotel shuttles.

There is artwork everywhere at Mayo Clinic, and being in such a beautiful place creates a relaxing nurturing atmosphere.

There are people everywhere who can help you get where you need to be. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Learn more from the Mayo Clinic Visitor Guide for Saint Mary's Hospital and the campus maps.

What tips or highlights of the St. Mary’s campus would you like to share?
(Note: If you would like to share pictures, please ensure other patients are not included in your photos.)