St John the Divine, New York vs St Patrick’s Cathedral, New York
Two churches in New York City. St John the Divine, New York has 1 ticket or tour to book; St Patrick’s Cathedral, New York has 3 tickets and tours to book. The table and the two notes below put them side by side; the full pages have what to see, the ticket and the timing for each.
There are two quite different ways to do this building and the choice matters. General admission gets you into the nave, which is enormous and worth an hour on its own. The vertical tour, sold separately and booked ahead, takes a small group up 124 feet inside the walls, through spiral stairs and along the buttresses to the roof, and it is the best architectural tour in New York; it sells out, particularly at weekends, and has an age minimum.
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.
