Traveler Description
This Gothic-style cathedral is the sixth largest in the world and is put to all sorts of national purposes, such as President Wilsons funeral and a prayer vigil for American hostages during the Iranian crisis.

Address: Massachusetts and Wisconsin Aves. NW
Phone: 202 537 6207

http://www.cathedral.org

Traveler Reviews

Get to 7th floor
Reviewed by A TripAdvisor Member on Sep 19, 2008


Don't pass up a the trip to the 7th floor. There is viewing of the city with photo maps of what you are looking at from all four directions. This is very similar to the Washington Monument without the wait. A Docent tour is worth your time. They do not "charge" for the tour but recommend a donation. It is worth the time and donation to hear about the construction and details. The gift shop has many items that are spiritual (jewelry, books, music) that I found good. We took the Metro to Dupont Circle and then took a cab (the circulator also runs this route) and he was willing to point out several of the Embassies....I hope you get as lucky. I think it took us around 2 1/2 hours to do the tour, 7th floor, and gift shop on a Friday afternoon.

Beautiful place, well worth the effort
Reviewed by A TripAdvisor Member on Apr 27, 2008


The cathedral is spectacular, with lots of interesting details to engage young children. Well worth a detour if you have several days in DC. (Though, having visited a number of European cathedrals, I did miss the sense of AGE.) Our trip was a bit rushed (we were there only an hour or so), but very enjoyable. The kids enjoyed looking at the windows and gargoyles, as well as taking in the view from the observation area. What they liked best though was the Bishop's Garden, a truly lovely oasis just next to the cathedral, perfect for hide-and-seek. We made our trip to the cathedral part of our "tour the city" day. We took an Old Town Trolley hop-on-hop-off tour that included a stop at the cathedral. Open Top also does this, and we also saw city buses that stopped there. Old Town Trolley was OK, except for occasional issues with seat availability (we had to wait an extra 20-30 minutes for the next trolley to come around. On a future trip, we might try a different approach to getting there (tour with better seating avalability or a city bus), and allow enough time for a tour ... and to locate the kid-friendly materials. Food tip: The extensive gift shop has a well-hidden snack-food section that sells decent pre-made salads and sandwiches. Ask for it, and you have yourself a nice picnic. (Or bring your own.)

A Glorious Tribute to God
Reviewed by A TripAdvisor Member on Mar 23, 2008


Absolutely a must for any trip to DC. The size, beauty, and peace you feel being there is truly unique. A good break from the crowds of the main DC sites. Take the guided tour from the friendly and enthusiastic staff. Great views from the tower. Amazing gift shop. The grounds are beautiful too. I will never forget the experience.

Stunning!
Reviewed by A TripAdvisor Member on Jan 11, 2008


Absolutely amazing!!!! The architecture is breath taking and the service could not have been more moving. I took a group from my Boy Scout troop to Washington DC and during our visit we did Mass at the National Cathedral. It was everything that I expected and more. We were there with 32 teenaged boys who sat mesmerized during the entire service. I even had boys come up to me after Mass and comment that if 'regular church' was that 'cool' they'd give their parents less of a hassle on Sunday morning.

Even my four year old loved it!
Reviewed by A TripAdvisor Member on Jan 9, 2008


This was well worth the extra side visit to see! The National Cathedral is huge and absolutely impressive. We visited on a Saturday, and it is the only place we've ever been able to find parking in DC proper! There is a parking garage under the cathedral, and on weekends you can park for as long as you like for a flat 4$ fee. There is a problem with the metro being about a mile and a half from the Cathedral, but the drive isn't very bad. It's one of the few places we'd drive to see. We first looked at the gargoyles on the outside of the Cathedral. There are several handouts available for children that list the various styles (including one that looks like Darth Vader!) and my kids spent nearly 45 minutes excitedly finding them all. Now my son wants a gargoyle in his bedroom... The inside of the Cathedral is even more impressive. There are several small chapels below the main Cathedral, and a children's chapel in the main area. My eldest daughter was excited to notice that Woodrow Wilson is buried in the Cathedral, and took several pictures of his tomb. In all, we spent two and a half hours touring the Cathedral (which is free, aside from parking), and my children wanted to stay longer. It is so impressive and so gothic, it seemed to transport the kids back into a time of Knights and Ladies and they thoroughly enjoyed it's fairy tale ambiance. There are also several moderately priced places to eat in the immediate vicinity - making it a perfect day outing.