Stunning art and architecture
Hop-off the Philadelphia bus tour to explore one of the city’s biggest and most recognizable buildings. Marvel at the massive stone columns and great dome of the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.
Take a self-guided tour of the cathedral with a free 20-minute audio tour using your smart phone. Inside you can discover shrines and statues, altars and art. If you’d like to know more – ask the helpful Cathedral Ambassadors who wear maroon blazers.
The city’s most prestigious building
The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul has seen two papal masses – one by John Paul II in 1979 and the other from Francis in 2015. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
Other interesting facts about the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul
- The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul opened in 1864 and serves as the main church of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
- The basilica was modeled after the Lombard Church of St Charles in Rome – it’s only Roman-Corinthian cathedral in the US
- It was designed by notorious Philadelphia architect Napoleon LeBrun - whose other works include the Philadelphia Academy of Music
- The interior of the great dome features paintings by Constantino Brumidi, who also painted the US Capitol in Washington DC
- The main nave and eight side chapels can comfortably hold up to 2,000 worshippers.
