St Chad’s Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral on St Chad’s Queensway in Birmingham city centre, and the mother church of the Archdiocese of Birmingham. This guide covers opening hours, ticket prices, transport or parking, accessibility, and practical visitor tips.
This guide was last checked in August 2026.
Quick facts
| Opening hours | Mon–Fri: 9.30am–4pm. Sat: opens 11am, closes soon after the 4.30pm Vigil Mass and confessions. Sun: opens 9am, closes soon after the 11.30am Mass. |
| Ticket prices | Free entry. Donations towards the Cathedral’s upkeep are welcomed. |
| Address | St Chad’s Cathedral, St Chad’s Queensway, Birmingham, B4 6EU |
| Nearest transport / parking | Snow Hill station, about a five-minute walk. On-site car park via Shadwell Street (limited spaces). |
| Typical time needed | Around 30 to 45 minutes. |
St Chad’s Cathedral opening hours: when to visit
The Cathedral is open Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 4pm. On Saturdays it opens at 11am and closes soon after the 4.30pm Vigil Mass and confessions, and on Sundays it opens at 9am and closes soon after the 11.30am Mass.
Because St Chad’s is an active place of worship, opening times are built around the Mass schedule rather than fixed sightseeing hours, and the building closes to general visitors shortly after each service ends. The separate Cathedral Bookshop keeps its own hours, Monday to Saturday, and it is worth checking these by phone before a visit.
St Chad’s Cathedral ticket prices: how much does it cost to visit?
Entry to St Chad’s Cathedral is free, unlike at other English cathedrals such as Salisbury Cathedral, Winchester Cathedral and Lincoln Cathedral and there is no charge to look around outside Mass times. Donations towards the Cathedral’s maintenance are welcomed, and an illustrated guidebook is available from the bookstall for £1, or £1.50 including postage if ordered from the Cathedral Office.
Opening hours and ticket information were checked on the official website and last updated in August 2026. Check the official site for current details.
As a free place of worship, the Cathedral is not part of any paid Birmingham sightseeing pass. Nearby paid attractions in the city centre, such as the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, the Coffin Works Museum, Aston Hall and the Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum, are sold separately.
5 great things to do near Birmingham 🏙️
- 🧢 Discover the sites from the gang stories – on a Peaky Blinders walking tour.
- 🌙 Take an after-dark walking tour – and learn Stratford’s ghost stories.
- 🔒 Experience life behind bars – on a tour of Shrewsbury Prison.
- 🎢 Head to Alton Towers – Britain’s biggest theme park.
- ⚔️ Watch jousting and trebuchets – at Warwick Castle.
How to get to St Chad’s Cathedral: transport guide
The nearest train and tram stop is Snow Hill Station, about a five-minute walk away. From Birmingham New Street Station, it is roughly a 20-minute walk, or you can take the tram, which stops outside both New Street and St Chad’s, or a taxi.
From Digbeth Coach Station it is about a 30-minute walk, and a taxi is worth considering for that route. From Colmore Row, where many city bus services stop, it is just under a 10-minute walk to the Cathedral.
Parking at St Chad’s Cathedral
The Cathedral has its own car park, accessed via Shadwell Street, B4 6EY, though spaces are limited, especially during large events. Several public car parks are also available nearby, including one opposite the Cathedral.
The car park and the Cathedral are on separate levels, so reaching the main doors involves either a flight of steps or a walk on foot around Cathedral House. The car park gates are closed outside Mass times, and visitors are asked not to park there except when attending the Cathedral, the Cathedral shop, Cathedral House or Archbishop’s House, unless arranged in advance.
How long to spend at St Chad’s Cathedral
Most visitors spend around 30 to 45 minutes looking around the Cathedral, taking in the shrine, stained glass and Pugin-designed furnishings. Allow longer if you plan to attend Mass, browse the bookshop, or take the virtual tour beforehand to plan what to look for.
Accessibility at St Chad’s Cathedral
Disabled car parking spaces are available at the main Cathedral car park. From there, access to the Cathedral is via an uphill pedestrian pathway around the perimeter of Cathedral House to the main doors.
Alternatively, a drop-off point is available in the bays on St Chad’s Queensway directly outside the main Cathedral doors, avoiding the need to use the car park pathway.
Inside St Chad’s Cathedral: what to see
Above the High Altar stands the Shrine of St Chad, containing relics of the saint that were rescued from Lichfield Cathedral at the Reformation and remain the heart of the building today. The shrine is the Cathedral’s principal focus for pilgrims and visitors alike.
The interior holds an extensive collection of work associated with architect Augustus Welby Pugin, including a medieval statue of Our Lady, a rood cross bearing a medieval Flemish figure of Christ, and 15th-century canons’ stalls carved with misericords. A 15th-century pulpit from Louvain and a 16th-century statue of St Chad, set beneath a 19th-century carved oak canopy, are also on display.
Elsewhere, the Immaculate Conception window in the north transept was designed by John Hardman Powell, Pugin’s son-in-law, and a monument to founder Bishop Thomas Walsh, also designed by Pugin, was once exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851.
Consecrated in 1841, St Chad’s was the first Catholic cathedral built in England since the Reformation, and it became a minor basilica in 1941. It remains a Grade II listed building* and an active parish church, so visitors are asked to be mindful of anyone praying or attending confession.
Practical visitor tips
| Tip | Detail |
|---|---|
| Timing | Visiting outside Mass times, such as a weekday early afternoon, gives more time to look around before the Cathedral closes to visitors. |
| Crowds | Sunday mornings are the busiest period, as the Cathedral hosts two Masses back-to-back. |
| Layout | The car park is on a different level from the Cathedral entrance, so allow a few extra minutes to walk up to the main doors. |
| Entry process | There is no ticket or security check; visitors simply enter through the main doors during opening hours. |
| On-site logistics | The Cathedral Bookshop keeps separate hours from the Cathedral itself, so check these in advance if you want to buy the guidebook. |
Frequently asked questions about St Chad’s Cathedral
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is St Chad’s Cathedral suitable for children? | Yes, though it remains an active place of worship, so quiet, respectful behaviour is expected throughout the visit. |
| Do you need to book tickets in advance for St Chad’s Cathedral? | No, entry is free and no booking is required to look around outside Mass times. |
| Is St Chad’s Cathedral open on Sundays? | Yes, it opens at 9am and closes soon after the 11.30am Mass. |
| Is parking free at St Chad’s Cathedral? | The on-site car park is free to use, but spaces are limited and the gates close outside Mass times. |
| Is St Chad’s Cathedral wheelchair accessible? | Yes, via disabled parking bays, a pedestrian pathway around Cathedral House, or a drop-off point on St Chad’s Queensway. |
Things to do near St Chad’s Cathedral
- Library of Birmingham: A large modern public library with a rooftop garden, about a 10-minute walk from the Cathedral.
- Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery: A city-centre museum holding a major Pre-Raphaelite art collection, roughly a 15-minute walk away.
- Birmingham Cathedral (St Philip’s): The city’s Anglican cathedral, known for its Burne-Jones stained glass, about a 15-minute walk from St Chad’s.
- Jewellery Quarter: A historic quarter bordering the Cathedral, home to independent jewellers and several small museums.
- Coffin Works Museum: A preserved Victorian coffin-fittings factory in the Jewellery Quarter, around a 15-minute walk away.
Alternative attractions to visit
- Coventry Cathedral, Coventry: A modern cathedral built beside the ruins of its medieval predecessor, destroyed in the Second World War, about a 30-minute drive away.
- Lichfield Cathedral, Lichfield: The medieval cathedral that originally held St Chad’s shrine before the relics moved to Birmingham, roughly a 30 to 40-minute drive away.
- Worcester Cathedral, Worcester: A cathedral on the River Severn with an 11th-century crypt, around an hour’s drive from Birmingham.
- Hereford Cathedral, Hereford: Home to the medieval Mappa Mundi map, about an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half’s drive away.
- Gloucester Cathedral, Gloucester: A Norman and Gothic cathedral with a well-known cloister, roughly an hour and a half’s drive from Birmingham.
More West Midlands travel
Other West Midlands travel guides on Planet Whitley include:
- Guide to parking at Cadbury World in Birmingham.
- Plan your visit to Winterbourne House and Birmingham Botanical Gardens in Birmingham.
- Discover the Tolkien connection at Sarehole Mill in Birmingham.
- What to know before visiting Aston Hall in Birmingham.
- Key information for visiting the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham.
