Directions from I-75:
THE EASY WAY: Exit 285 on I-75.
Go east (right) on State Road 52, about 12 minutes. Saint Leo Abbey is on the left, but you may not see it. Drive past abbey to the main entrance of St. Leo University on the left. You cannot miss the university. Turn left into St. Leo University, go around circle and follow the signs to abbey. The abbey is to the left of the university's main entrance, about 1/4 of a mile through campus. Use this easy way for your first visit when you don't want to get lost.
For your next visit, you might try the more direct route, which is explained below after the directions from Orlando/Lakeland.
Directions from Orlando/Lakeland:
Take I-4 WEST to Exit 36 in Lakeland. Travel NORTH on Highway 98 until it merges with Highway 301. Turn right on 301. Then proceed and at the first light, Clinton Avenue, turn left. The road ends at Prospect Street, turn right. Then proceed and at the traffic light, turn left onto Highway 52. St. Leo University is about a mile on the right. Turn right into St. Leo University, go around circle and follow the signs to abbey.
A more detailed set of directions for those coming on I-75 (more direct, but more complicated access to parking lot than the above directions)
Getting directly to the parking lot at the Abbey can be a little tricky. Starting with the exit 285 off of I-75, here are the four main steps on the Map to St. Leo Abbey and the last step has a picture of the abbey church.
The second step is most difficult. It's the one where you turn left off of SR 52 into the parking lot of the Holy Name Monastery (which is for Benedictine Sisters and is separate from St. Leo Abbey). After exiting I-75 at exit 285 you will drive about 5 minutes on SR 52 which will wind through pretty Florida pasture land. Then you will come to a traffic light at an intersection with a BP station on the right and a Chevron station on the left. Continue through the intersection, you go up hill, then curve to the left down hill. Then you come to a red flashing light and SR 52 curves to the right and you are go up hill again.
In about 1/4 mile there is a road-side produce stand on the left. Then about 1/4 mile beyond that SR 52 widens and yellow lines in the center of SR 52 mark where you may turn to the left. You will see the Holy Name monastery on the left. It is a 3-story blue-painted and brick building with portion of the building have a slopping roof.
Just past the Holy Name monastery is their parking lot that has a white statue of St. Michael the Archangel. Turn left into that parking lot.
Then go on the frontage road parallel to SR 52. The frontage road goes down a steep hill and then back up. Step 2 (Entrance) of the Map to St. Leo Abbey shows the frontage road well. Stay on the frontage road and it dead-ends at the parking lot with a US Post Office trailer. Park anywhere in that parking lot.
The second step is most difficult. It's the one where you turn left off of SR 52 into the parking lot of the Holy Name Monastery (which is for Benedictine Sisters and is separate from St. Leo Abbey). After exiting I-75 at exit 285 you will drive about 5 minutes on SR 52 which will wind through pretty Florida pasture land. Then you will come to a traffic light at an intersection with a BP station on the right and a Chevron station on the left. Continue through the intersection, you go up hill, then curve to the left down hill. Then you come to a red flashing light and SR 52 curves to the right and you are go up hill again.
In about 1/4 mile there is a road-side produce stand on the left. Then about 1/4 mile beyond that SR 52 widens and yellow lines in the center of SR 52 mark where you may turn to the left. You will see the Holy Name monastery on the left. It is a 3-story blue-painted and brick building with portion of the building have a slopping roof.
Just past the Holy Name monastery is their parking lot that has a white statue of St. Michael the Archangel. Turn left into that parking lot.
Then go on the frontage road parallel to SR 52. The frontage road goes down a steep hill and then back up. Step 2 (Entrance) of the Map to St. Leo Abbey shows the frontage road well. Stay on the frontage road and it dead-ends at the parking lot with a US Post Office trailer. Park anywhere in that parking lot.
