Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist, Savannah: Visitor guide with hours, prices & tips

The Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist is a Roman Catholic cathedral and minor basilica on Lafayette Square in Savannah‘s Historic District. This guide covers opening hours, ticket prices, transport and parking, accessibility, and practical tips for a first visit.

This guide was checked in August 2026. One detail worth flagging: the cathedral now carries the formal title “Cathedral Basilica,” a change from the plain “Cathedral of St. John the Baptist” that many older guides still use, following its 2020 elevation to minor basilica status.

Quick facts

Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist opening hours

The cathedral is open for self-guided visits Monday to Saturday, generally from around 9:00am to 11:30am and again from about 12:30pm to 4:30pm. Sunday visiting hours are more limited, from roughly 1:00pm to 4:30pm, once the morning Masses have finished.

Mass is held on Sundays at 8:00am, 10:00am and 11:30am, and on weekdays at 7:30am and noon. Saturday Mass runs at noon and 5:30pm, the latter as a vigil Mass. Tours are not permitted during Mass, weddings or funerals, so it’s worth checking the parish calendar before visiting on a Sunday or holiday.

Exact visiting times can shift slightly depending on the source consulted, so it is worth calling ahead if timing is tight. This continuous daily rhythm of prayer echoes that of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York, another cathedral dedicated to a St. John, though the two share little else beyond the name.

Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist ticket prices

Like some other North American cathedrals, such as the Mary Queen of the World Cathedral in Montreal and Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago, entry here is free. No ticket or booking is required for a self-guided visit. A donation of a couple of dollars per person is customary and helps fund the cathedral’s ongoing preservation.

Docent-led tours can be arranged in advance by phone, with a suggested donation of $3 per adult. Group tours should be booked ahead, since same-day availability is not guaranteed.

Opening hours and ticket prices were checked on the official website and last updated in August 2026. For the latest details, check the official website.

Because entry is free, the cathedral is not part of a paid city pass scheme. It is, however, a stop on several hop-on-hop-off trolley and walking tours of the Historic District, including the Old Town Trolley route.

How to get to the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist

The cathedral stands on Lafayette Square, in the heart of Savannah’s Historic District, and is easily reached on foot from most downtown hotels and squares. Visitors arriving by car should approach via Liberty Street to Abercorn Street, then walk the final block.

There is no dedicated cathedral parking, so visitors typically park downtown and walk in. The cathedral is also stop six on the Old Town Trolley route, and features on several other hop-on-hop-off tours of the Historic District.

Parking at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist

There is no dedicated visitor car park at the cathedral. Metered street parking is available nearby, and several public parking garages operate within a short walk of Lafayette Square.

Given Savannah’s compact, walkable Historic District, most visitors combine cathedral parking with a longer stay downtown rather than parking specifically for the cathedral alone.

How long to spend at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist

A self-guided visit typically takes 10 to 20 minutes, enough time to see the nave, side chapels and stained glass. Visitors who attend Mass, or who take a docent-led tour, should allow closer to 45 minutes to an hour.

This is a brief stop compared with a purpose-built pilgrimage site, but the cathedral rewards a slow look. Many visitors combine it with a longer walk through Lafayette Square and the surrounding historic blocks.

Accessibility at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist

The cathedral is wheelchair accessible via an elevator and accessible entrance on the Harris Street side of the building. Designated seating is available inside for visitors with mobility needs.

The cathedral’s website does not publish details on hearing loop provision, so visitors with specific accessibility requirements should call ahead. Savannah’s brick and cobblestone streets nearby can be uneven, so allow extra time when approaching on foot.

Inside the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist: what to see

The current cathedral was designed by architect Ephraim Francis Baldwin and dedicated in 1876, with its twin 214-foot spires added in 1896. A fire on 6 February 1898 gutted the interior, leaving only the outer walls and spires standing; the rebuilt cathedral held its first Mass on Christmas Eve 1899.

Inside, the ceiling rises to 96 feet at its highest point, above 34 murals of biblical scenes painted by Savannah artist Christopher Murphy. The stained glass, made by the Innsbruck glassmakers of the Austrian Tyrol, was installed by 1905, and the Italian marble altar weighs around 9,000 pounds.

The cathedral’s French Gothic style is a deliberate echo of French cathedrals such as Chartres, reflecting the French Catholic colonists who founded the congregation in the 1790s. That French connection also links Savannah to St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans, the oldest continuously active Catholic cathedral in the United States, also founded by French Catholic settlers.

The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Baltimore, America’s first Catholic cathedral, took a different path. Its architect deliberately chose a neoclassical style over Gothic, while Savannah’s cathedral commits fully to pointed arches, ribbed vaulting and towering spires throughout.

Practical visitor tips

Frequently asked questions about the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist

Things to do near the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist

The cathedral stands on Lafayette Square, within easy walking distance of several other Savannah landmarks.

• Andrew Low House Museum — a 19th-century historic house museum directly on Lafayette Square, a minute’s walk from the cathedral.
• American Prohibition Museum — an interactive museum on the “noble experiment,” including a hidden speakeasy, around a 12-minute walk north.
• Webb Military Museum — a personal collection of military artefacts near Columbia Square, about an 8-minute walk east.
• Savannah History Museum — a walkthrough of the city’s timeline from 1733 to the present, around an 18-minute walk northwest.
• Georgia State Railroad Museum — a restored Antebellum railroad complex, close to the History Museum.

Alternative attractions

Visitors interested in other cathedrals or places of spiritual significance have several options within a two-and-a-half-hour drive of Savannah.

• Christ Church, Savannah — Georgia’s oldest church, founded in 1733 on Johnson Square, a short walk from the cathedral.
• The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Charleston — sharing the same dedication, about 1 hour 45 minutes north.
• St. Helena’s Episcopal Church, Beaufort — a colonial-era church dating to 1724, around an hour north.
• Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Jacksonville — a Gothic Revival minor basilica, about 2 hours south.
• Sacred Heart Cultural Center, Augusta — a former Catholic church turned cultural venue, roughly 2 hours 20 minutes northwest.

More Georgia travel

Other Georgia travel guides on Planet Whitley include:

• Complete guide to the Tybee Island Marine Science Center.
• The best places to see manatees in Georgia.
• What you need to know before catching the St Mary’s to Cumberland Island ferry.
• Midtown Atlanta attraction guides: High Museum of Art, Piedmont Park, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Museum of Design Atlanta and Center for Puppetry Arts.
• Guides to state parks near Atlanta: Sweetwater Creek State Park, Panola Mountain State Park, Red Top Mountain State Park.