St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral

St. Patrick's Old Cathedral tickets: which one to buy

The Basilica of Saint Patrick's Old Cathedral stands on Mulberry Street in the Nolita neighbourhood of Lower Manhattan, between Little Italy and SoHo, and entry to the church is free during open hours. It was New York's first Catholic cathedral, before the new Saint Patrick's on Fifth Avenue, and it is known for its catacomb tours, which take visitors into the crypts beneath the church and the old churchyard;

these tours require a ticket and must be booked in advance. The church's walled churchyard, with its old gravestones, is one of the few in Manhattan. The church appeared in films such as The Godfather, and walking tours of Little Italy and Nolita point it out. The surrounding streets have cafes, restaurants and shops. The church is an active parish, and visiting pauses during services. The catacomb tours are run by the parish and last about an hour and a quarter.

Visiting St. Patrick's Old Cathedral: what to see

The cathedral was built between 1809 and 1815, designed by Joseph-Francois Mangin, who also worked on New York City Hall, in a Gothic Revival style, one of the first in America. It served Irish immigrants in the neighbourhood, and during the anti-Catholic Know-Nothing riots of the 1830s, a high brick wall was built around the churchyard to protect it, which still stands. The church was damaged by fire in 1866 and restored. When the new Saint Patrick's Cathedral opened on Fifth Avenue in 1879, the old one became a parish church, and it was designated a basilica in 2010. Inside, the church has a tall nave, a carved altar screen and a large organ built by Henry Erben in 1868.

The crypts hold the tombs of bishops and notable New York families, including the founder of Delmonico's restaurant, and Pierre Toussaint was originally buried in the churchyard. The church's altar screen is carved and painted, with statues of saints under Gothic canopies. The stained glass windows show the life of Saint Patrick and scenes from Irish history. The organ, restored in recent years, is one of the finest nineteenth-century organs in New York. The crypts are reached by stairs from the churchyard and hold family vaults with ironwork doors. The churchyard's gravestones include those of early Irish and French immigrants. The church's walls are made of brownstone and brick. Concerts on the organ are held regularly.

St. Patrick's Old Cathedral opening hours and the best time to go

The church is open daily for services and at limited visiting times. Catacomb tours are held on several days a week and sell out, so book ahead. The Feast of San Gennaro in September fills Mulberry Street with food stalls and a procession, and the church is at the heart of the neighbourhood. Christmas brings concerts. The area is lively in the evening with restaurants. Allow about twenty minutes for the church, or an hour with a catacomb tour, and explore the cafes and shops of Nolita afterwards. The Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side, about fifteen minutes' walk away, recreates the lives of immigrant families.