St. Patrick's Cathedral

I have a question about whether or not you can go inside the cathedral for a ';tour';. I%26#39;d really like to see the inside of the church. I%26#39;ve heard that it%26#39;s really beautiful and the architecture is incredible. I would certainly be respectful (quiet) and I wouldn%26#39;t be taking pictures or anything. I%26#39;d just like to kind of walk around and look. Is this allowed and how can I find out when I%26#39;d be allowed in? I don%26#39;t want to go there in the middle of a service. Thanks!

St. Patrick's Cathedral

you are allowed in at all times of course, it%26#39;s swarming with tourists! it%26#39;s just when there is service going on - the front of the church is %26#39;reserved%26#39;, that is you can go in there too, if you wish to participate in service, but not to walk around . but even during the service you can get in and just kinda stand quietly and look at the back.

the side chappels are very different and beautiful and it%26#39;s best to be able to get closer for a look.

however, during the holidays it%26#39;s very busy, lots of people want to attend, so you might not get in for service. it is open very late too.

also one-two blocks before on 53st there is a wonderful church that is almost always quiet and empty - st. thomas. also there is st barts on park ave. in the 50%26#39;s. very bysantine. there are many more churches in nyc, very old and very beautiful - most you can just walk in and look around .

St. Patrick's Cathedral

Whoa! St. Bart%26#39;s! It%26#39;s beautiful, and they have a nice Xmas craft fair, too.

You certainly can go in any time the Cathedral is open (which is from early morning until well into the evening), and visitors are very welcome. They have a desk just inside the front doors (N.B. - the central doors are almost always kept locked; use the doors in the towers on either side) where they have informational brochures for the Cathedral.

Two other very beautiful churches not to miss are the Dominican friars%26#39; St. Vincent Ferrer on Lexington at 68th Street (the even greater masterpiece of Bertram Goodhue, who was the architect of St. Bart%26#39;s) and St. Michael%26#39;s Episcopal on 99th near Amsterdam, which has an amazing set of windows by Tiffany himself.

Is anyone here old enough to remember the glass-encased wax figure of Pope Pius XII that was to the left when you entered St. Patrick%26#39;s? Damn, when I was a child I thought that was his preserved body and it used to freak me out.

You might want to take your camera with you to St. Patrick%26#39;s. Everyone else takes pictures in there. I used to think this was wrong - but they have a gift shop inside the church - so they obviously don%26#39;t mind being a tourist attraction.

greenwhiteblue - great tips, never been inside those, since they%26#39;re a bit out of the way, but will try when it gets warmer.

what%26#39;s happenning in st.johns the divine? haven%26#39;t been there in ages. they usually run very good concerts this time of year?