New York Catacombs by Candlelight
Recommended by 91% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
New 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
Why Travelers Choose This Tour
This tour grants you access to the restricted catacombs under this historic church.
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.Itinerary
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.
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.
1
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
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.7
based on 2,888 reviews
Sandra_S, Apr 2026
This is an incredible view of the history and an up close and personal look at St Patrick’s Cathedral. Sofia was amazing, her joy, energy and knowledge made the tour alive and so real! As a Catholic and New Yorker I was extremely impressed and learned so much!
lik2run67, Apr 2026
Wonderful tour. Our guide Tom knows his history and clearly loves this church. Bonus for us, they were tuning the organ. Sounded amazing!
Melissa_C, Apr 2026
A must see for Catholics but an amazing historical tour for everyone. This was the highlight of my trip.
Heather_F, Apr 2026
This candlelight experience was l lovely! We started off in the graveyard - only available with a tour and I never knew was there in years of living in NYC - then traveled into the church and down to the catacombs. I learned quite a bit about the history of NYC and its relation to the church/Catholicism.
Amy_O, Apr 2026
We were totally surprised by the history lesson we received along with the tour. Our tour guide was funny and engaging and very knowledgeable. We weren't sure that the 14-year-old girls on the trip would be that interested but they loved it.
Doug_C, Mar 2026
Great story of the transition of Catholic Church in America. The guide did a fantastic job, the space was beautiful.
Michelle_D, Mar 2026
Tour guide was great!!! Loved learning about the history. Old St. Patrick's cathedral is beautiful as the new one.
Daniel_J, Mar 2026
Jimmy was a very knowledgeable and friendly guide and it was overall a fantastic experience, would recommend it to anyone
MaureenE_C, Mar 2026
The tour guide was very knowledgeable about the topic and how it related to NYC and the Catholic Church.
Sadie_m, Mar 2026
The guide is worth his weight in gold 💛 smart, funny, and kind. A great experience!!such a historical experience
Stephanie_D, Mar 2026
We were looking forward to this tour. Being Catholic we wanted to hear about the history. Our tour person was not appropriate to the tour. He made jokes that shouldn’t have been part of the tour. For example, as we are entering into the Catacombs, he says “ go towards the light” in an eery sounding voice. Then when down there, he came around and says “I’m the evil twin”. He made references to Frankenstein. We left the tour and attended Mass. Totally disrespectful in the space we were at.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Thank you for your feedback, Stephanie.
I’m truly sorry to hear that your experience did not meet the standard of respect and reverence we expect, especially in a sacred space like the Basilica and its catacombs. What you described is not aligned with how our tours are intended to be presented.
We take this very seriously. Our goal is always to share the history of the Basilica and the lives connected to it with the dignity and respect they deserve. I am addressing this directly with our team to ensure this standard is consistently upheld.
If you’re open to it, I would appreciate the opportunity to speak with you personally and make this right.
Thank you again for bringing this to our attention.
Tommy
Peter_M, Mar 2026
This is a great tour. Our guide, Tommy was so knowledgeable and considerate. We learned so much about the New York Catacombs, and the surrounding area. Highly recommend this tour!
Jessica_B, Mar 2026
This was a lot more of a church tour than catacombs tbh. It was fine but not really what I was thinking.
Kristen_P, Mar 2026
The tour guide was quite knowledgeable, it felt like a true New York experience. We learned the importance of this church within the fabric of this community
Theodore_C, Mar 2026
Very fun enjoyed the stories and learning about the church history and the people - Right here in our own country
Gail_E, Mar 2026
This was an interesting lesson in the history of religion in New York City. It was enjoyed by our group.
brenda_m, Feb 2026
It’s a waste of time. It’s marketed as candlelight but it’s really. You can’t see without the lights on and the candles they give are small votive candles. Save your money. Don’t go.
Wendy_F, Feb 2026
Not really candlelight, but great history and look at the catacombs underneath the church. Jimmy, our guide, was super personable and did a fantastic job.
Donna_R, Feb 2026
Our tour guide was so knowledgeable not just about the church but about the whole area. We learned so much history. Excellent tour of the church, the grounds, the cemetery, and the catacombs.
Beth_M, Feb 2026
Very insightful and informative..guide was very knowledgeable and friendly..answered all questions and quite personable.
Nancy_D, Feb 2026
Great! The tour guide was extremely knowledgable. We had a wonderful experience. Recommend this tour for historical knowledge about NYC and Catholicism.
Debra_B, Feb 2026
Very nice Experience… Nowhere near as creepy as we thought it would be! That’s my only lament… The church is amazing in the history of New York City is fascinating. Tony, our guide was extremely knowledgeable. I would recommend this trip to anyone - especially if you were interested in history of New York City or you are Catholic!
Joy_F, Feb 2026
We had an excellent, knowledgeable guide who explained the history of Old St Patrick’s Cathedral, which was quite surprising and led us through the church and to the graveyard and the catacombs. This is a worthwhile tour for anyone interested in New York history.
Maureen_K, Feb 2026
The guide James had a lot of interesting information. The tour could have been completed in less than an hour and a half. Candles were battery operated. With this said, I really did enjoy the tour!
gina_b, Feb 2026
The guide was very informative. We enjoyed learning about the history of the area and the catacombs.
Deirdre_V, Feb 2026
It was interesting to hear the history of this old cathedral. The guide knew his stuff and had interesting tidbits to share.
Dan_A, Feb 2026
Wonderful tour guide, fun and easy tour of a historic Cathedral and crypts! Convenient bathrooms too :)
Cristina_H, Jan 2026
The tour guide had so much knowledge and added interesting facts. I believe he may have been a priest as well, so understood the historical topics in depth.
Leigh_B, Jan 2026
What a fun find! We had NO idea that this was a part of NYC history! Enjoyed the guide and the experience.
Kurt_B, Jan 2026
This was one of our favorite activities on our trip. We both have been to NYC several times and stumbled across this tour. Our guide, from Brooklyn and an Irish Catholic, made it memorable. He grew up in the area and had childhood stories about it among other stories, as well. We loved hearing about the history and architecture of the church as well as the "movie history" behind the church, as well. If this isn't a bucket list item on your trip to NYC, it should be!
From $38.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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New York Catacombs by Candlelight
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1 hour 30 minutes
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