St Patrick’s Cathedral, New York

St Patrick's Cathedral, New York tickets: which one to buy

Saint Patrick's Cathedral stands on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, opposite Rockefeller Center, and entry is free. It is the largest Gothic Revival Catholic cathedral in North America and one of the most visited sights in New York. Guided tours, including an official audio guide and occasional tours of the crypt, are offered for a fee, and they explain the history and art of the cathedral.

The cathedral is a natural stop on walks along Fifth Avenue, combined with Rockefeller Center, Top of the Rock, the Museum of Modern Art, Radio City Music Hall and the shops. Security checks may be in place at the entrance. The cathedral is an active church, with masses throughout the day, and visitors should be quiet and respectful. The cathedral is particularly crowded during the Christmas season. Audio guides are sold at the entrance and online, and last about forty-five minutes.

Visiting St Patrick's Cathedral, New York: what to see

The cathedral was designed by James Renwick Jr. and built between 1858 and 1878, with the spires completed in 1888, replacing Saint Patrick's Old Cathedral in lower Manhattan, which had become too small for the growing Irish Catholic community. It is built of white marble, and its twin spires rise about a hundred metres above Fifth Avenue. Inside, the cathedral is spacious, with a tall ribbed vault, a great rose window designed by Charles Connick, stained glass windows made in France and England, and a bronze baldachin over the high altar. The Lady Chapel, added in 1906, has stained glass depicting the mysteries of the rosary.

The crypt holds the tombs of the archbishops of New York and of Pierre Toussaint, a formerly enslaved man from Haiti who became a philanthropist and is a candidate for sainthood. A major restoration was completed in 2015, cleaning the marble and interior. The Pieta in the cathedral is a copy of Michelangelo's, three times larger than the original. The organ, with thousands of pipes, is played for concerts and masses. Side altars include the altar of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first native-born American saint. The cathedral's bronze doors, added in 1949, show figures of saints connected with New York. The spires are made of the same white marble as the walls. The cathedral seats about 2,400 people. Memorial plaques commemorate archbishops and victims of the September 11 attacks.

St Patrick's Cathedral, New York opening hours and the best time to go

The cathedral is open daily from early morning until the evening, with masses throughout the day. The Saint Patrick's Day Parade on 17 March passes the cathedral on Fifth Avenue. Christmas is the busiest season, when the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is lit across the street, and midnight mass is televised; entry to major services may require tickets. Early morning on weekdays is the quietest time. Allow about half an hour for the cathedral, and cross Fifth Avenue to Rockefeller Center. The Museum of Modern Art is a few blocks north on 53rd Street, and it is open late on Fridays.