6 Best Sights in New York City, New York

By some measures the largest cathedral in the world, even with its towers and transepts still unfinished, this divine behemoth comfortably asserts its bulk in the country's most vertical city. As such, the cathedral has long been a global landmark, and it was finally designated a New York City landmark in 2017. The seat of the Episcopal diocese in New York, it acts as a sanctuary for all, offering special interfaith services that include a celebration of New York's LGBTQ+ community. Built in two long spurts starting in 1892, the cathedral remains only two-thirds complete. What began as a Romanesque Byzantine–style structure under the original architects, George Heins and Christopher Grant Lafarge, shifted in 1911 to French Gothic.

Above the 3-ton central bronze doors is the intricately carved Portal of Paradise, which depicts St. John witnessing the Transfiguration of Jesus. Step inside to the cavernous nave: more than 600 feet long, it holds some 5,000 worshippers, and the 162-foot-tall dome crossing could comfortably contain the Statue of Liberty (minus its pedestal). The Great Rose Window is the largest stained-glass window in the United States. Sunday services are at 10:30, 2, and 7. Tours, including self-guided and guided Highlights Tour and a Vertical Tour, are offered throughout the week. The grand and gothic interior hosts regular musical events including choir performances, organ recitals, artists in residence, and visiting national and international artists; check the online calendar for more details and to purchase tickets.

The National Shrine of San Gennaro, a replica of the grotto at Lourdes, is the high point of Most Precious Blood Church's richly painted interior but otherwise the church has a very local feel. It becomes a focal point during the annual Feast of San Gennaro. Tours of the church and the nearby St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral can be booked through  www.tommysnewyork.com.

This Gothic-style edifice is the largest Catholic cathedral in the United States, seating approximately 2,400 people, and marked by double spires rising 330 feet. "St. Pat's," as locals call it, provides a calm and quiet refuge in the heart of buzzy Midtown, despite the throngs of tourists: the cathedral receives more than 5.5 million visitors annually.

The church dates 1858–79, but it was beautifully restored thanks to a major rehabilitation project completed in 2015. Highlights include the choir gallery's century-old organ, with its 7,855 pipes; the famous rose window, considered stained-glass artist Charles Connick's greatest work; and the ornately carved bronze double doors, each weighing 9,200 pounds. In the alcoves around the nave, there is a modern depiction of the first American-born saint, Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton. The church's Pietà sculpture is three times larger than the version at St. Peter's in Rome.

Daily masses are open and free to the public (check the schedule online) with the exception of Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, which is a ticketed event. Self-guided audio tours ($25) are available daily 9 am to 5 pm; advance purchase is recommended.

If you've seen The Godfather, you've had a peek inside New York's first Roman Catholic cathedral—the interior shots of the infamous baptism scene were filmed here. Dedicated in 1815, this church lost its designation as the seat of New York's bishop when the current St. Patrick's opened uptown in 1879. The unadorned exterior of the cathedral gives no hint of the splendors within, which include an 1868 Henry Erben pipe organ. The interior dates from the 1860s, after a large fire gutted most of the original structure. The enormous marble altar surrounded by hand-carved niches (reredos) houses an extraordinary collection of sacred statuary and other Gothic exuberance. Candlelit tours of the church and its catacombs, along with Most Precious Blood Church, can be booked through www.tommysnewyork.com.

Open since 1766, St. Paul's is the oldest public building in continuous use in Manhattan. The chapel is part of the Trinity Church Wall Street parish, and in addition to its historic architecture, it's surrounded by a churchyard where Revolutionary War heroes are buried. In more recent times, St. Paul's Chapel served as a makeshift shrine after the 2001 World Trade Center attacks, where visitors from around the world sought solace and shared tokens of grief and support. After serving as a refuge where rescue and recovery workers could eat, pray, rest, and receive counseling through 2001–02, the chapel—which amazingly suffered no damage on 9/11—reopened to the public in fall 2002. The chapel is open for Sunday worship services and occasional interfaith prayer events.

Occupying a section of land originally granted in 1705 by Queen Anne of England, Trinity Church is considered one of the first and finest examples of Gothic Revival architecture in America. This Episcopal church (the third on this site) was consecrated in 1846 and remained the city's tallest structure until 1890. Among its notable features are its three sets of enormous bronze doors depicting religious and early New York history, as well as some of the earliest examples of American-made stained glass. The churchyard contains the city’s oldest carved gravestone (Richard Churcher, 1681); on its south side, Alexander Hamilton is buried under a white-stone pyramid, not far from a monument commemorating steamboat inventor Robert Fulton (buried in the Livingston family vault with his wife). Trinity Church recently underwent a major "rejuvenation" project, restoring its historic architecture and adding a new section of stained-glass windows. Episcopalian worship services are held in person on Sunday and online during the week.