{"id":23842,"date":"2024-07-25T19:01:36","date_gmt":"2024-07-25T19:01:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/?p=23842"},"modified":"2025-04-09T20:57:54","modified_gmt":"2025-04-09T20:57:54","slug":"st-patricks-cathedral-what-to-see-at-this-nyc-landmark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.exp1.com\/blog\/st-patricks-cathedral-what-to-see-at-this-nyc-landmark\/","title":{"rendered":"St Patrick\u2019s Cathedral: What to See at This NYC Landmark"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

St Patrick\u2019s Cathedral, also known as \u201cAmerica\u2019s Parish Church,\u201d is one of the largest cathedrals in the country. By \u201clarge,\u201d I mean it takes up an entire city block of Midtown Manhattan. That\u2019s 50th and 51st streets and 5th and Madison avenues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, St Patrick\u2019s Cathedral is an international historic landmark that welcomes more than 5 million visitors each year. Are you going to be one of them? Here\u2019s why you should be, what to see when you\u2019re there, and a few helpful facts for your visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why You Need to Visit St Patrick’s Cathedral<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

St Patrick\u2019s is visually stunning. You have to see it to understand. It\u2019s renowned for its titanic bronze doors, gorgeous high altar, and rich Neo-Gothic architecture, including thousands of stained glass windows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From a historical perspective, it\u2019s the final resting place of some of New York\u2019s most legendary humanitarians and clergymen. It\u2019s also the place where memorial Masses for several very famous American celebrities were held. It even has a place in pop culture, thanks to the 1960s hit song \u201cCalifornia Dreamin\u2019,\u201d which it inspired \u2014 the church mentioned in the song<\/a> is none other than St Patrick\u2019s Cathedral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The History of New York\u2019s Great Cathedral<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With an ever-increasing number of Catholics arriving in New York City in the mid 19th century, the Archbishop John Hughes suggested building a new cathedral to accommodate them. Construction began in 1858<\/a>, funded by contributions from New York Catholics, both wealthy and poor, and was completed in 1879. Today, the cathedral serves as the headquarters of the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the years, the cathedral has been a site of worship for many as well as an attraction for tourists to admire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes St Patrick\u2019s Cathedral is confused with The Basilica of Saint Patrick’s Old Cathedral, also known as Old St. Patrick’s. Old St. Patrick\u2019s is located on Mulberry street in NoLita (North of Little Italy). It was the largest Catholic church in New York at the time it was built. It\u00a0 also served as a filming location for the baptism scene in the famous American crime drama, The Godfather. It\u2019s worth a visit in its own right, but it\u2019s not the St. Patrick\u2019s Cathedral, which tends to rank on more tourist itineraries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How people use the cathedral has changed over the years to some degree. It\u2019s become a popular venue for weddings, though they\u2019re not as free as touring! If you want to say \u201cI do\u201d here, expect to pay upwards of $14,000 to rent the venue for a weekend. Fun fact: The Great Gatsby author F. Scott Fitzgerald married his wife Zelda Sayre here in 1920.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cathedral has also held ceremonies to pay tribute to some of New York\u2019s top celebrities by holding requiem Masses for them. These include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n