Churches to Visit in the United States

America’s great churches are younger than Europe’s, but some of them were built on a medieval scale and in the medieval way. This chapter begins with three on the East Coast: Washington National Cathedral, finished only in 1990; the vast, unfinished Cathedral of St John the Divine in Manhattan; and Trinity Church, at the head of Wall Street, with Alexander Hamilton in its churchyard.

The west front of Washington National Cathedral lit up at dusk
Washington National Cathedral — where this guide to the United States begins. Photograph by Peter Global Visions on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Where to start

Washington National Cathedral

Gothic high above the capital: a moon rock in a window, Wilson’s tomb and Darth Vader on a tower. Sightseeing by ticket.

Washington, DC

Cathedral of St John the Divine

Begun in 1892 and still unfinished, with a 40-foot rose window and a tour to the roof.

New York, Morningside Heights

Trinity Church, Wall Street

Upjohn’s Gothic church of 1846, with Hamilton’s grave in the churchyard. Free, open daily.

New York, Lower Manhattan

Practical notes

At a glance
AdmissionBig cathedrals often charge for sightseeing but never for worship; parish churches are usually free
Opening hoursServices take priority: sightseeing is often shorter on Sundays and on days with events
SecurityExpect a bag check at the door in big-city churches
Getting aroundAll three churches here are reached easily by subway or Metro

Coming next

St Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue is the obvious next addition in New York, and the Spanish missions of California and the South-West further afield.