New York Catacombs by Candlelight

Recommended by 91% of travelersBadge of ExcellenceNew York City, USA

1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Go behind-the-scenes and deep underground at the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, with the only Catholic catacombs in New York City. See parts of the church that are otherwise off-limits to visitors. As you explore with the help of a guide, learn all about the landmark’s place in New York history and discover the final resting place of some famous New Yorkers.

Explore the catacombs and other areas that most visitors miss
Learn all about the history of the church from your guide
Choose from a number of convenient departure times
The convenient tour starts and ends at the church in Lower Manhattan

What's Included

Professional guides
All taxes, fees and handling charges

Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

266 Mulberry St, New York, NY 10012, USA
Check-In Address: 266 Mulberry Street, New York, NY 10012 (corner of Mulberry St. and Jersey St.) between Houston and Prince Street. Directions: By Subway B/D/F/M/6 trains to Broadway-Lafayette St/Bleecker St; R/W train to Prince St.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Meet your guide and group at the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, centrally located in Lower Manhattan. After an introduction to the church and the history of the area, as well as insights into the story of Catholicism in New York, follow your guide into the church and the only Catholic catacombs in New York City.

Discover the rich history and spirituality hidden beneath the church as your guide leads you to hidden areas that most visitors never see. Spend some time exploring the church and its cemetery and feel free to ask follow-up questions of your guide before saying goodbye.

The Basilica of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Children must be accompanied by an adult
PLEASE CHECK IN AT 266 MULBERRY STREET (CORNER OF MULBERRY ST. AND JERSEY ST.), WHERE THE TOUR BEGINS. CHECK IN 15 MINUTES BEFORE TOUR PLEASE.
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed

Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Most travelers can participate
PLEASE DO NOT GO TO ST. PATRICK'S CATHEDRAL ON FIFTH AVENUE! THIS IS A DIFFERENT ST. PATRICK'S IN MANHATTAN
Guests requiring wheelchair should contact Tommy's New York in advance to allow us to make proper preparations for your tour
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 30 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.5

2,604 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 2,604 reviews

An Excellent Tour

Teresa_M, Dec 2024

My friend and I enjoyed this curated tour of the Catacombs lead by Leslie. She was extremely knowledgeable and always asked if there were questions. Tommy, the owner of the company, was on hand and gave us a history of his company. I highly recommend this tour.

Great tour

Lindsay_M, Dec 2024

Entire family loved it! The tour guide was fantastic. Would definitely recommend to native and non native New Yorkers.

Fun and worth the effort.

Stuart_P, Dec 2024

Understanding the history of the evolution of Catholic worship in New York. Also the relationship between the old and new st. Patrick’s.

Our guide was very...

Michele_G, Dec 2024

Our guide was very charasmatic, knowledgeable, thoughtful, and funny. There was so much interesting history that you can't get from Wikipedia. I would totally recommend others take the tour.

Old St. Patrick's Cathedral Catacomb Tour

Rosemarie_G, Dec 2024

Did the 3:30pm tour on Saturday Nov 30th,2024 don't know the ladies name, but she was very informative of the history. A great tour!!

Our guide gave a great...

Michael_M, Dec 2024

Our guide gave a great history of the church and the downtown NYC area. We all learned things when never knew before. Highly recommend

Amazing catacombs

Michelle_D, Dec 2024

Beautiful Church and very cool catacombs, my favorite are the steps that had been covered with an open window to connect Heaven and Earth and the tombs below. We had a very informative and engaging tour guide!

Great guide!

Ise_L, Nov 2024

Our guide was fantastic. Great knowledge of the history with fun facts mixed in. Recommend this tour!

Phenomenal tour guide

Juliana_G, Nov 2024

Our tour guide from 11/29 4pm was phenomenal- his memory for historical information was impeccable and impressive and my two teenage girls and I were captivated by him, the graveyard and basilica. Highly recommend this tour to learn more than you would expect for a short tour.

Fun, unique and Informative!

Staci_D, Nov 2024

A very unique experience about the history and the people that shaped New York City right under our feet. Being the only catacombs in NYC, Leo was a great tour guide full of interesting stories and facts that formed this great city. Would recommend for anyone looking for something off the beaten path for an informative insight into the early days of lower Manhattan.

Great history

William_M, Nov 2024

If you love history, GO! Rich history about the Catholic Church, the city, and the people who made NY.

NYC Girls Historical Tour

Audrey_C, Nov 2024

We enjoyed the great tour by John Boyle. Great historical facts with an awesome sense of humor. Great tour for tourists as well as New Yorkers.

Ronnie was an amazing,...

Hailey_A, Nov 2024

Ronnie was an amazing, candid, detailed tour guide. It was dreary rainy day and it made the experience that much more enjoyable. The fall leaves falling from the trees as we were told the history of the (first) St. Patrick's cathedral. Really enjoyable and loved the catacombs themselves!

10/10 Experience

Mariah_H, Nov 2024

My favorite part was that it wasn’t a religious tour, but a history tour. Beautiful architecture and cemetary. The tour guide was a hoot.

Educating

Annette_S, Nov 2024

It was all amazing. The whole place was mesmerizing. Sad we do not know who is the cemetery. The tour guide was very informative

Unique opportunity to see history

Melissa_G, Nov 2024

Nice opportunity to see part of the church history that has been off limit to visitors. Our guide was very knowledgeable and had very interesting stories to share. Would highly recommend

Worthwhile

Katherine_O, Nov 2024

Our docent, Jimmy, was so conversant with the history of the area and church specifically. He kept the group engaged with stories and charm. . I highly recommend the tour.

Interesting Activity for new and returning city visitors.

Walter_J, Nov 2024

Interesting centuries old history of the church and lower Manhattan. Plus the surrounding area of NYC is full of delicious restaurants and bars.

Real NYC history

Grace_H, Nov 2024

This tour is a gem! The guide is crazy knowledgeable about the city, but especially about the surrounding area. The tour was interesting from start to finish!

A Must Do!

Catalina_A, Nov 2024

The tour was excellent, the church was beautiful, and the catacombs were very interesting. I was there with a friend and had a lovely time. I especially loved the fact that we were able to stay after the tour ended and weren't rushed to leave.

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