The Cathedral of St. John the Divine is the Episcopal cathedral of the Diocese of New York, in Morningside Heights on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. 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: general admission now costs $15 for adults, up from the $10 rate that some older guides still list.
Quick facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Opening hours | Mon–Sat 9:30am–5pm; Sun 12pm–5pm |
| Ticket prices | $15 adults; $12 seniors and students |
| Address | 1047 Amsterdam Avenue at 112th Street, New York City, NY 10025 |
| Nearest transport | Subway to 110th St/Cathedral Parkway (1, B or C trains) |
| Typical visit length | About an hour for a self-guided visit |
Cathedral of St. John the Divine opening hours
Self-guided sightseeing runs Monday to Saturday from 9:30am to 5pm, and Sunday from 12pm to 5pm once the morning service has finished. Online Morning Prayer is held Monday to Saturday at 8:30am, and a daily Eucharist service takes place at 12:15pm.
Sunday’s main service, a Holy Eucharist, is held at 10:30am and is open to all, whether or not sightseeing tickets have been bought. Timed tickets for sightseeing are strongly encouraged, since visits are not permitted during services.
This year-round schedule holds through the summer months, with no separate seasonal hours. Some areas may occasionally be closed for cleaning or conservation work, so check the official website before a specific visit.
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Cathedral of St. John the Divine ticket prices
General admission for sightseeing costs $15 for adults and $12 for seniors and students. Worshippers attending a service do not need a ticket, and prayer or meditation is always free of charge.
A separate guided Highlights Tour runs on Saturdays at 1pm, and a more strenuous Vertical Tour climbs over 124 feet through spiral staircases to the roof on select days. Both require advance booking and an additional fee beyond general admission.
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.
The cathedral accepts the New York Pass and the Sightseeing Pass, and its Highlights Tour is also bookable through Go City. This differs from the free-entry St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Midtown, which does not participate in any paid city pass scheme.
How to get to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine
The nearest subway station is 110th Street/Cathedral Parkway, served by the 1, B and C trains, a short walk from the cathedral entrance. Bus routes M4, M104 and M11 also stop within a block or two, running along Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue respectively.
Visitors flying into JFK, LaGuardia or Newark can reach the cathedral by subway or bus without needing a taxi, though the journey typically involves a transfer. From Midtown, the trip takes around 25 to 30 minutes by subway, making the cathedral an easy half-day addition to a broader Upper West Side itinerary.
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Parking at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine
There is no public parking on the cathedral grounds. Individual visitors can use nearby garages or find metered street parking, while scheduled groups may park buses on Amsterdam Avenue outside the cathedral.
As with most of Manhattan, driving is rarely the most practical option. Public transport is faster and considerably cheaper than parking near Morningside Heights.
How long to spend at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine
A self-guided visit typically takes about an hour, enough time to see the nave, chapels and gardens at a comfortable pace. Adding the Saturday Highlights Tour extends a visit by roughly another hour.
Accessibility at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine
The cathedral is wheelchair accessible throughout the main sightseeing route, including the nave, ambulatory and gardens. Visitors with mobility needs should mention this when booking timed tickets, since some conservation areas may occasionally be closed.
The cathedral’s published visitor information does not detail hearing loop provision, so visitors with specific accessibility needs should contact the visitor services office in advance of a visit. The Vertical Tour, which involves narrow spiral staircases, is not wheelchair accessible.
Inside the Cathedral of St. John the Divine: what to see
Construction began in 1892 under architects George Heins and Christopher LaFarge, and continued under Ralph Adams Cram from 1911. Despite more than 130 years of building, the cathedral remains unfinished, earning it the nickname “St. John the Unfinished.”
At 601 feet long, it is one of the largest cathedrals in the world – far bigger than other North American cathedrals such as the Mary Queen of the World Cathedral in Montreal and St Louis Cathedral in New Orleans.
Inside, visitors can see a Keith Haring triptych alongside centuries-old tapestries, a rose window, and the Poets’ Corner honouring American writers. The vaulted ceiling reaches 124 feet, and the surrounding gardens are home to a peace fountain and, occasionally, resident peacocks.
The cathedral’s Romanesque and Gothic Revival design draws comparison with Milan Cathedral, which took nearly 600 years to complete and is, like St. John the Divine, among the largest churches in the world by floor area.
Practical visitor tips
| Tip | Detail |
|---|---|
| Timing | Book a timed ticket in advance, especially on weekends and around major events. |
| Crowds | Sunday mornings are reserved for worship; sightseeing resumes at noon. |
| Layout | Enter through the Visitor Center, where tickets are checked after a security screening. |
| Entry process | All visitors pass through airport-style security before entering the cathedral. |
| On-site logistics | Bring a torch or use a phone light to read the low-lit interpretive panels inside. |
Frequently asked questions about the Cathedral of St. John the Divine
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is the cathedral suitable for children? | Yes, children are welcome, and a family-friendly Vertical Tour age minimum applies to that specific tour. |
| Do you need to book tickets in advance for the cathedral? | Booking is strongly encouraged, since timed tickets help manage visitor numbers. |
| Is the cathedral open on Sundays? | Yes, sightseeing runs from 12pm to 5pm after the morning service. |
| Are bags allowed inside the cathedral? | Yes, but all visitors and bags pass through security screening at entry. |
| Can you take a guided tour of the cathedral? | Yes, a Saturday Highlights Tour and a separate Vertical Tour are both bookable in advance. |
Things to do near the Cathedral of St. John the Divine
The cathedral is close to several Upper West Side and Morningside Heights landmarks, several of which are covered elsewhere on this site.
- General Grant National Memorial — the free National Park Service mausoleum of Ulysses S. Grant, a short walk through Riverside Park.
- Museum of the City of New York — a museum tracing the city’s history, across Central Park on Museum Mile.
- American Museum of Natural History — one of the world’s great natural history museums, a short subway ride south.
- Riverbank State Park — a Hudson River park with a pool and ice rink, a short ride north in Harlem.
- Central Park scavenger hunt — a gamified walking tour beginning near the park’s northern entrances, a short walk south.
Alternative attractions
Visitors interested in other cathedrals or places of spiritual significance have several options within a two-and-a-half-hour drive of New York City.
- St. Patrick’s Cathedral — the city’s Roman Catholic cathedral, about 4.5 miles south in Midtown.
- Riverside Church — a few blocks away, home to the tallest church tower in the United States.
- Temple Emanu-El — one of the largest synagogues in the world, on the Upper East Side.
- Princeton University Chapel — a collegiate Gothic chapel in New Jersey, about an hour southwest.
- The Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Newark — a French Gothic cathedral about 30 minutes west.
More New York City travel
Other New York City travel guides on Planet Whitley include:
- 5 niche New York City museums worth visiting – including the New York Transit Museum, the Morgan Library and the Skyscraper Museum.
- NYC observation decks: How to pay less for Empire State Building tickets, get cheaper tickets for Summit One Vanderbilt and plan your visit to the Top of the Rock observation deck.
- Visit the 9/11 Memorial Museum, Fraunces Tavern Museum and Charging Bull Sculpture in Lower Manhattan.
- Manhattan Museum guides: American Museum of Natural History, National Museum of Mathematics and Intrepid Museum.
- New York art museum guides: The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Frick Collection.
