NYC: St. Patrick's Cathedral Official Self-Guided Audio Tour
Description
Explore St. Patrick's Cathedral, the largest gothic-style Catholic cathedral in the U.S., opened in 1879. Located on 5th Ave., opposite Rockefeller Center, it is one of NYC’s finest buildings. Enjoy expedited entry and a self-guided multilingual audio tour, narrated by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, about 1 hour long. Allow up to 1.5 hours to pause the audio tour and enjoy features like the Lady Chapel, twin spires, and 9000 lb. bronze doors. Explore the main altar, stained-glass windows, and Pieta sculpture, three times the size of Michelangelo's. The Cathedral has 21 altars and 19 bells, each named after a saint. Memorial masses were held here for Babe Ruth, Andy Warhol, and Robert F. Kennedy. The Cathedral takes up an entire city block and is a significant historical and architectural landmark. Visitors can listen to the audio tour and explore at their own pace, appreciating the intricate details and rich history of this iconic New York City site.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The cathedral developed this audio tour from script to final production edits. It’s an ever evolving labor of love to communicate as much as we can about St. Patrick’s Cathedral to those who wish to learn. We hope this tour will entertain and educate our millions of returning visitors from around the globe. During the months St. Patrick’s Cathedral was closed, we had the opportunity to overhaul and upgrade the entire audio tour. We added hundreds of new images and audio segments. The tour is offered in English, Spanish, Italian, French and Portuguese.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- All visitors to St Patrick's Cathedral must pass through airport-style security
- The cathedral is normally open 9.00am - 4.30pm for audio tours, although it is recommended to avoid Sundays before Noon
- Last entry to the cathedral is normally 5pm - 1 hour before closing
- St Patrick's Cathedral audio tour is available in English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and French. Kid-friendly self-guided audio tour is in English only
- It is recommended that you bring your own headphones, although disposable headphones can be provided
- Sanitized audio devices are available for use at the cathedral, but you can also download the audio tour onto your own personal device from the App Store or Google Play
- Participants are asked to dress and act appropriately since you'll be inside a church
Reviews(48)
Beautiful church but our tour didn’t happen because there were weddings booked all afternoon. I asked the tour desk why we were allowed to schedule and they just shrugged their shoulders. Disappointing.
This was a very informative tour. I was able to pause the audio and take my time. It was absolutely beautiful.
5 stars for the audio tour and 0 stars for the ladies at the outside gift shop for an average of about 3 stars. I visited on 3/9/26. The audio tour was very good and informative. I highly recommend it, and the lady and man who helped me were such sweethearts! At the tour, I found out I can get a 20% discount off gift shop purchases. I purchased from the outside gift shop before the tour. 1. The lady at the gift shop failed to ask me if I will or had a tour. (It would actually help promote audio tours, too, for I don’t think I saw anyone purchase the audio tour from the reception desk while I was there?) 2. I went back and asked for the 20% adjustment from the outside gift shop. The 2 ladies there around 3:40ish pm refused despite the fact the receipt states I can return the items within 21 days! Rather, they told me other patrons have also been missing out on the discount despite doing the tour! I did 9 activities in NY so far (8 secular plus this 1), and I only had bad dishonest customer service with them. One of the other secular activities even asked what admission ticket I had to adjust any discounts. I am not Catholic though I attend a Catholic Church. Time after time bad experiences with Catholic Church workers like there have stopped me from converting to Catholicism (from my other Church) and eventually I stopped donating to our local Catholic Diocese or anything directly related to them altogether. Just wanted to let the Church know about 20% of my receipt not reimbursed will be taken off my tithe and please re-train the 2 ladies working (at above time) in the outside gift shop, for they have continually wronged patrons. Thank you. I am very disappointed that it took representatives of the Catholic Church to put a damp on a good trip.
Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback about your visit. We’re truly happy to hear that you enjoyed the audio tour and found it informative, and that the team members who assisted you during the tour made a positive impression. Your kind words about that part of the experience mean a lot to us. At the same time, we’re very sorry to hear about the situation you experienced at the gift shop. We completely understand how frustrating that must have felt, especially after learning about the tour discount. Your feedback is very important, and we will make sure it is shared with the appropriate team so they can review the situation and improve how these policies are communicated and handled with guests in the future. Our goal is always for every visitor to leave with a positive experience, and we truly regret that this part of your visit affected your overall impression. Thank you again for bringing this to our attention and for visiting. We truly appreciate your feedback and hope that your next experience will be a much better one.
The person in charge of getting us started wasn't at all attentive. The stations were out of order, so it made it difficult to follow. THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE. almost impossible to navigate.
Pictures do not do this beautiful Cathedral justice. If you ever get a chance to see this place in person, do it. You will not be disappointed. I could have spent all day there. I was just in awe of all the stained glass and the architecture. STUNNING!!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We’re thrilled to hear that the cathedral left such an incredible impression on you. It’s wonderful that you were able to appreciate the stained glass and architecture—it truly is a stunning place. We hope you get the chance to visit again and soak in even more of its beauty!
We weren’t allowed to go because mass was in session….all morning. We were turned away and couldn’t come back later due to another tour. Why sell tickets when you know mass will be happening?!? Trying for a refund!
Sorry to hear about your experience with the mass schedule affecting your visit. Please give us a call so we can learn more about what happened and assist you with your refund request.
The tour desk was not staffed during times mentioned. We could not redeem nor change the times of our tour
We kindly invite you to check the availability of tour times beforehand next time, so you can choose the schedule that best fits your plans. We’re always here to help ensure you have the best possible experience. Hope to welcome you on a future tour soon!
Beautiful neo-Gothic cathedral in the center of Manhattan. Certainly interesting even if not at the level of European cathedrals. The exterior is very beautiful and contrasts with the adjacent skyscrapers.
Visit to St. Patrick's Cathedral in the heart of Manhattan very beautiful solemn and majestic a place to see a cathedral amid so much bustle
¡Qué bien que hayas disfrutado de la visita a la Catedral de San Patricio! Es impresionante cómo un lugar tan solemne y majestuoso se encuentra en medio del bullicio de Manhattan. Sin duda, un contraste único que hace la experiencia aún más especial. ¡Gracias por compartir tu opinión! ⛪🌟
It was great Beautiful But you do not need a ticket We walked right in I requested my money back but have not heard back from anyone So do not buy a ticket
