St Patrick’s Cathedral, New York

On Fifth Avenue, between 50th and 51st Streets, the Roman Catholic cathedral of New York stands in white marble among the glass towers of Midtown, facing Rockefeller Center. James Renwick’s Gothic Revival cathedral was begun in 1858 and opened in 1879, and its spires were briefly the tallest structures in the skyline. It is free to visit, open from early morning, and one of the most visited churches in America.

The white marble west front and twin spires of St Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue between glass office towers, with a yellow taxi passing — St Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue, opposite Rockefeller Center. Photograph by iVes Winzy on Pexels.

A cathedral for an immigrant city

Archbishop John Hughes laid the foundation stone in 1858 on what was then the edge of the city, for a Catholic population swollen by Irish immigrants. Work stopped during the Civil War, and the cathedral was dedicated in 1879; the spires followed in 1888, and the Lady Chapel at the east end was added in the early 1900s. James Renwick Jr. drew on the great Gothic cathedrals of Europe, especially Cologne, and built the walls of brick faced with white marble.

A three-year restoration, finished in 2015, cleaned the marble inside and out, repaired the stained glass and gave the interior back its pale stone colour. It is now one of the great sights of Midtown, a short walk from Rockefeller Center and Central Park.

Looking up at the Gothic west front of St Patrick's Cathedral with flags over the doors — The west front, finished with its spires in 1888. Photograph by Phil Evenden on Pexels.

The carved white marble rose window and gables on the front of St Patrick's Cathedral — Marble tracery round the rose window. Photograph by Martii Tolentino on Pexels.

Nineteenth-century print of St Patrick's Cathedral with its two spires, on a still open stretch of Fifth Avenue — The cathedral in a nineteenth-century print, before the city grew up around it. Photograph by Popular Graphic Arts collection (Library of Congress) on Wikimedia Commons (public domain).

St Patrick's Cathedral seen from high above, its spires and pinnacles among Midtown skyscrapers — From the Top of the Rock: a cross-shaped church among the towers. Photograph by Jean-Marc Astesana from Voisins le Bretonneux, France on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).

The visitor’s cheat sheet

St Patrick's Cathedral at a glance
Opening hours	Usually daily from about 6.30am to 8.45pm; sightseeing is limited during Mass. Check the cathedral’s website
Admission	Free. Audio guides and guided tours are sold separately
Security	Screening at the door; no large bags or luggage
Mass	Several times every day; Sunday morning is busiest
Photography	Allowed without flash
Getting there	Subway E or M to 5 Av/53 St; B, D, F or M to 47–50 Sts–Rockefeller Center; 6 to 51 St (the B and M run on weekday daytimes only)
Opposite	Rockefeller Center and the Atlas statue
How long	30–45 minutes; an hour with the audio guide

Hours and admission checked against the official site in November 2026. They change; the official site is always the last word.

What to see

The nave and the rose window

Go in through the Fifth Avenue doors and walk up the long, high nave, lined with side chapels and altars, among them two by Tiffany & Co. At the crossing, a bronze baldachin rises over the marble high altar, and in the ambulatory behind the sanctuary hang the red hats of four cardinals of New York. Before you leave, turn round: over the great organ at the west end is the rose window by Charles Connick, 26 feet across.

The long nave of St Patrick's Cathedral, with a pale ribbed vault and the high altar in the distance — The nave after the restoration of 2012–2015. Photograph by Peter K Burian on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Gothic arches, stained-glass windows and the gilded baldachin over the high altar of St Patrick's Cathedral — The crossing and the bronze baldachin over the high altar. Photograph by Chris06 on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Tall clustered columns and stained glass in an aisle of St Patrick's Cathedral, lit warm gold — Clustered columns and stained glass along an aisle. Photograph by Tatiana Kathie on Pexels.

A three-light stained-glass window glowing in the dark of St Patrick's Cathedral — One of the cathedral’s stained-glass windows. Photograph by Cornelstown on Wikimedia Commons (public domain).

The Pietà

In the south ambulatory, behind the high altar, is William Ordway Partridge’s marble Pietà, completed in 1905, and often said to be about three times the size of Michelangelo’s.

A white marble Pieta: the Virgin Mary holding the body of Christ across her lap — William Ordway Partridge’s marble Pietà, completed in 1905. Photograph by Jean-Christophe BENOIST on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0).

The Lady Chapel and the crypt

At the far east end, beyond a glass wall added in the restoration, is the Lady Chapel, with windows showing the mysteries of the Rosary. Below the high altar is the crypt, where the Archbishops of New York are buried, with Pierre Toussaint, born enslaved in the French colony of Saint-Domingue, now Haiti, who became a much-loved New York philanthropist. The crypt is not part of an ordinary visit.

The organs

The cathedral has two great organs. The larger, in the west gallery, was taken away for restoration in 2025 and is due to return in 2027, so for now its case may be empty or under scaffolding.

Getting there

The cathedral fills the block of Fifth Avenue between 50th and 51st Streets. The nearest subway stations are 5 Av/53 St (E, M), 47–50 Sts–Rockefeller Center (B, D, F, M) and 51 St (6; the B and M run on weekday daytimes only), each a few minutes’ walk. On St Patrick’s Day, 17 March (or the Saturday before, when the 17th is a Sunday), the parade marches up Fifth Avenue past the cathedral steps.

Tours and where to stay

Entry is free. Audio and behind-the-scenes tours are sold through the cathedral’s tour website, and Midtown walking tours usually stop here.

St Patrick’s Cathedral tours Where to stay in New York

These links go to GetYourGuide and Booking.com. This site earns nothing from them at present — they are here because they are the quickest way to check what is actually available.

Don’t miss

The view down the nave From the Fifth Avenue doors.
The rose window Turn round at the crossing.
The Pietà South ambulatory.
The cardinals’ hats In the ambulatory, behind the sanctuary.
The view from Rockefeller Center The spires framed across Fifth Avenue.

Insider tips

Come early or late. The cathedral opens early and stays open into the evening, and the quietest times are first thing and after the office crowds have gone home. Midday is busiest.

Pack light. Everyone is screened at the door, and luggage and large bags are not allowed in.

Common questions

Is St Patrick’s Cathedral free to visit?

Yes. There is no charge to go in. Audio guides and guided tours, including a behind-the-scenes tour, are sold separately through the cathedral’s official tour website.

What are the opening hours?

The cathedral is usually open every day from early morning, about 6.30am, until the evening, about 8.45pm. Mass is said several times a day, and sightseeing is restricted during services, so check the cathedral’s website before you go.

Can you visit the crypt?

Not on an ordinary visit. The crypt beneath the high altar, where the Archbishops of New York and Venerable Pierre Toussaint are buried, is opened only occasionally, mainly on the paid behind-the-scenes tour, and then subject to availability.

Is there a security check?

Yes. Everyone goes through a security screening at the door, and large bags and luggage are not allowed.

Can I take photographs?

Yes, without flash. Be discreet during Mass.

More churches in the United States

Cathedral of St John the Divine — New York’s unfinished giant.
Trinity Church, Wall Street — Alexander Hamilton’s churchyard.

See all the American churches in this guide →