This Baltimore Basilica is known as America's First Cathedral. I highly recommend their tour, which they offer on Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 AM to 12 PM and also on Sundays following the 10:30 AM Mass. The tour is about an hour and includes the main church, Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Chapel, the crypt, and the Pope John Paul garden. I thought visiting the crypt was very cool. Parking is free on Sundays until noon. On weekends, you can park at their garage for only $5, otherwise it's an hourly rate. Sunday Mass Schedule: 8 AM, 10:30 AM, and 5:30 PM read more

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America's first Catholic Basilica is not the biggest nor grandest Basilicain the world. There is not much in term of stain glass windows, paintings, icons, and statues. The pews are simple and functional. What really shines are the history, the architecture, brightness, and interior design. My wife and I joined a free group walking tour with a very knowledgeable guide. The tour was about an hour long. We visited not only main chapel, but also the the undercroft. The crypt and a smaller chapel were located in the undercroft. The guild nararated the history very well and answered all our questions. My wife and I really enjoyed the guided tour and tbe Basilica. The guided tour is only available on certain days. It is best to call for info before going. read more

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Walked to the Basilica from my conference hotel to attend Sunday mass. At the end of the mass, they threw rose petals from the top of the dome and it was breathtaking. Everyone was surprised and started taking photos and videos. I asked an old man who seemed to be a regular if they do it every Sunday and he said he's been going there for years and it's the first time he has seen it. I guess I was lucky. I did the self-tour to the undercroft after seeing the brochure by the church entrance. A nice, young lady approached, asked if I needed help and I declined, but it was really nice of her to ask. read more

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Just an amazing religious experience. This particular Sunday the health care workers were honored and the celebrant was Bishop Denis Madden a guy from the Bronx!! The Mass was beautifully done. Music and choir exceptional. The Bishop's sermon was just so appropriate and moving read more

Oh! How I just live this beautiful Basilica. It's breathtaking and so well preserved. The interior is what a traditional Catholic Church looks like. High arches , candle stations with exquisite statues. My favorite statue is an enormous one of St. Michael. We have attended Sunday mass here and you just feel like you're in heaven with the organ playing. The best part is their underground areas, open to the public. Small chapel areas with brick arch ways. There's a gorgeous stone statue of Sto. Nino and an area to honor the Blessed Mother. read more

Baltimore Basilica - Our Lady of the Rosary - Churches Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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A friend invited to to join her as I am not catholic. It was stunning and a quiet place to visit and be spiritual. We stumbled upon their mass and they were very welcoming to newcomers. read more

Baltimore Basilica - Churches Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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I am so glad I had the chance to attend Sunday morning mass here - I had just landed in Baltimore, checked into and powerwalked the mile from the hotel. The basilica is so huge it took me awhile to figure out where the front entrance was (though in my wandering I did find the Pope John Paul II garden towards the back of the church). Though mass was not completely packed, I was happy to see a pretty diverse group of people attending. If you tend to doze off during mass (guilty) you can at least enjoy the beautiful chorus and incredible interior detail :) read more

How can you not give this place 5 stars? It's gorgeous and majestic inside! I came here for a special event or on by Father Leo, called the "Olive Mass." I'm not super religious but I really enjoyed the event and the message. I would be open to attending a Christmas mass here - I think it'd be quite cool. Great architecture and very meticulously maintained. read more

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Basilica of the Assumption in Baltimore...June 2016...5 stars...Beautiful Roman Catholic basilica on the outskirts of downtown Baltimore. When we dropped in, they were just finishing a Mass...so it was nice to see that the basilica is more than just a museum piece. Self-styled as America's first cathedral, this property is about 200 years old since its construction dates back to 1806 to 1821. Of course it has been redone and remodeled many times over the years...the last major redo coming in 2004/2006 when it was closed for two years. But what you see today is on the same property as when original. The upper church is very nice...wide open and filled with beautiful furnishings and a number of altars. Basilicas often have the red hats from prior Cardinals who were in residence hanging from the ceiling...and this one is no exception. James Cardinal Gibbons' hat hangs off to the left side of the main altar...the interesting point being that the hat hangs very low so one can actually see what it looks like. The nicest part for me was in the basement...called the undercroft (sometimes called the crypt church). This was one of the main areas refurbished in the last go around. Down here walking the length of the church you can see the very early construction that has been dug up and exposed for viewing. The undercroft foundation for the church is mainly brick work and brick arches built by craftsmen years ago. Everything you visit here is free admission. They have a nice little museum in the church, and a gift shop on the way out. This was worth the visit. read more

Baltimore Basilica - View of main altar - Churches Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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The Baltimore Basilica is the first Roman Catholic church in the States, built by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, considered to be the first professionally trained architect. The church is 200 years old and apparently has gone through extensive repairs from earthquake damage. It's really nice and serene inside. The crypt church on the lower level is also very cool to check out. read more

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Definitely worth the visit. An impressive historical site for all U.S. Catholics. If there is someone giving tours, it is worth your time to take the tour. read more

A beautiful church! It is huge almost as big as the churches in the philippines. The architecture is wonderful and it looks so peaceful inside. The white interior makes it such a good place for worship and of course the ceiling art is such a terrific view. And some people would not know this, but theres an amazing area under the church, the crypt! It looks so different from the main church, the crypt has a little chapel too, and it looks amazing. Its like youre walking in another time and in a different place. read more

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Church doesn't quite do the Basilica of the Assumption justice - it is a basilica after all. After attending my friends' wedding rehearsal at the basilica, listening to the monsignor at the rehearsal dinner and then attending the wedding at the basilica, I feel like the basilica and I are close friends. I'm still not entirely sure what the difference is between a basilica and a cathedral, but I know (or at least Monsignor Kenney says) that the Basilica of the Assumption is the oldest cathedral in America - the mother cathedral of America (built in the early 1800s). My weekend in the Baltimore area was an educational one - I also learned that Maryland is the Catholic capital of the country. From the outside, the basilica doesn't look like it would be much - basic, gray. But the basilica was renovated in the last decade or so, and it is gorgeous. It has that new/old feeling because the place is sparkling, brand-spanking new, but it still retains some of the old charm (like the beautiful stained glass). The inside of the basilica is this beautiful yellow color, buttery and warm with beautiful paintings on the dome. One of the great things about the newly renovated basilica is that all of the facilities are renovated too - many and NICE, clean bathrooms. There's a little gift shop next door for bottled water (I was quite parched). read more

This basilica is not just a First American Cathedral, or two centuries old stone building, or just designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe, father of American architecture. This is a National Historic Landmark and it is a part of the American fabric that happens to be in Baltimore. It is light and not overly decorated. It is a must in a Baltimore architecture tour. read more

Baltimore Basilica - Churches Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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Amazing spot. 1) They have a free tour. Which was fantastic. 2) This spot is the nation's first cathedral. It is also a National Landmark, National Shrine, Basilica, and Cathedral. Which is cool. 3) Must visit if you are around the area. read more

Reviewing a "Church" which is actually a Basilica is a little odd to me. However, my sister and I took a morning to see if there was a service or tour. Who am I kidding? The weekday service was at 6am which meant we would have had to wake up at 4am to make it with the drive time. So we hoped for a tour. Our timing worked out perfect since there was an older gentlemen getting ready to do an informal tour for several people and he offered to have us join him. It was a truly amazing, informational intimate tour that I thoroughly enjoyed. He took us through every inch of the basilica that he was permitted to walk through. He contributed personal stories along with all the dates and past history of the Basilica. He explained the obvious and answered all the questions we threw his way. He himself had obviously spent years loving this place of prayer. I learned much and hope to visit again when I ahhhh have more time to attend a mass. I would imagine the holidays or sacrament being celebrated here would be an amazing experience. The Basilica of the Assumption is the oldest cathedral in America (built in the early 1800s). The basilica was renovated in the last decade and it is absolutely beautiful. read more

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This is a truly historical Basilica, I was so amazed by the architecture and all the history behind it. We were lucky that we went on a Wednesday because Patt was there and she was able to show and explain every little detail and history of the Basilica, she was really passionate and made the experience 100 times better. Loved it! read more

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Definitely worth a visit if you're in Baltimore! The Basilica is the oldest Roma Catholic cathedral in America, and was majorly renovated in 2006. I came here after a couple of hours at the Walters Museum. Had a private tour by STEVEN, who deserves a million thanks and a promotion, if volunteers can get those. We came on a Sunday, and there was a pretty large sign that said, "Tours available Monday through Friday." I'm one to try my luck, so I went up to the nearest employee (Steven) and asked about a tour of the crypt (I'd toured the crypt at the Notre Dame in Paris, so I wanted to see what another one looked like!). He seemed dismissive of me, asking suspiciously, "Just the crypt?" and started walking. I walked with him, and said, "Well, you can give me a tour of everything if you want, but yes, I'm interested in the crypt too. And look, we just so happen to be at the start of the tour!" (We'd walked near the sign that says TOURS START HERE.) He saw I was clever, smiled, and said okay. Steven took us down to the crypt (really just the basement, nothing like the Notre Dame) and asked if we wanted to see a movie about the church. I said yes. It was about 15 minutes long, and about the history and recent renovation of the Basilica. It wasn't a blockbuster thriller, but I found myself engaged and it didn't feel like a long 15 minutes. We followed that with walking around the crypt -- the architecture is awesome -- and then a tour of the actual church part. At the end, we got to see the little Basilica "Museum." I wouldn't really call it a museum myself, but they have some little priest hats and robes and chalices and pictures and letters (memorabilia). Though he seemed suspicious of me at first, Steven warmed up pretty quickly and spent over an hour with us walking us around the church. He's a member who volunteers his time, and it's obvious that he's knowledgeable about it's history, but more importantly, really loves the building. He made our experience memorable and I'm so glad we stopped in. read more

Such a beautiful church. We came here early on a Saturday morning. We were the only visitors so it was pretty sweet being able to walk around in quiet. There is a crypt in the basement where I guess some old Catholic dudes are buried. Kinda spooky but fascinating. One of the employees was nice enough to offer us a personal tour since there was no one else around but we politely declined and just walked around on our own. A visit to the Basilica + the Walters Art Museum makes for a great half day of sightseeing in the Mount Vernon neighborhood. Highly recommend! read more

This is a beautiful church. If you are attending a service, allow extra time to tour the place. The sanctuary is large and wonderful. Hubby is Catholic and I don't mind tagging along. There is a prayer garden outside. read more

My dad researched this and it was open before the museum so we tried it out. Wow, this place is amazing just seeing the basement with the maze-like layout. Plus, we got to see some special exhibits on their traditional clothing of the popes. Expect to spend around 1 hour to 2 hours depending if you take the tour and visit the museum. For us, we got their before 9am and we saw a family waiting at the tour guide sign. The tour guide never showed up but again it was during the holidays. Bring your camera since there are some great shots inside the basilica. read more

Very beautiful cathedral, I went on a free walking tour of course donations are always welcome. I got to experience behind the scenes and learns things I didn't know before. Great experience I was just going in to take a look around, when the tour had just started and the guide, a very sweet woman let me join in on the fun. I would definitely recommend the tour it's about 30 to 45 min, and very informative. Out of respect for the church I didnt take any photography or videography on the inside although it was permitted. read more

Baltimore Basilica - Churches Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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I came here on Saturday while exploring Baltimore with a friend. While I'm not religious, I was still really interested in seeing the Basilica, as it was the first Roman Catholic cathedral built in the US. It's over 200 years old! Architecturally and aesthetically it's a really interesting building, with the front having a Greek or Roman feel with a temple structure and ionic columns, and the back having a domed ceiling and domed spires. The back half of the Basilica feels almost like a mosque. The interior of the Basilica is relatively simple: spacious, brightly lit, with minimal paintings and decoration. Very beautiful in its simplicity though. When we came there was a bridal party preparing for a wedding, and the bride and groom were taking photos. I can certainly see why people would want to get married here. *There's also a somewhat creepy crypt that's maybe worth checking out. read more

My first visit, and I found it peaceful and beautiful inside. Many parts of the Basilica are under repair since last year's earthquake. Tip for first timers: Before you visit, Check their website for hours of operation. read more

A very peaceful & beautiful place to pray or attend Mass. Tours are offered to help learn the religious, historical, & archetictual significance of the Basilica. read more

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Came here around 12:45 on a Sunday and we were still offered a tour even though the tour is normally at noon. Tour Guide Debbie is the absolute best. Her family has been going here for generations and she is knowledgeable about the edifice and catholic history on a holistic level. She was so sweet and accommodating. read more

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Beautiful. They open at 9a for tourists and also offer guided tours. Mass was in English with a full church. The architectural details were stunning. read more

Baltimore Basilica - Ceiling - Churches Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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Beautiful church, light pours in and illuminates the entire church. Amazing artwork everywhere, you really feel the presence of God. Worth the travel time no matter where you are coming from. God bless. read more

Easy parking, went there for Wednesday's ash mass. Leave water and hats in you car as I noticed that they don't allow you to bring those things in. I will go back and walk around the neighborhood as well. read more

Worth a visit on its own. There are also other attractions nearby such as the Washington Monument and the Enoch Pratt Free Library. Easy access off the Purple Route of the free Charm City Circulator. Take a self-guided free tour any time of day any day or a guided tour at 3 different times on weekdays. The free self-guided tour comes with a map to help identify what you are looking at. More helpful than the map however are little silver rectangular plaques throughout the building giving a bit more info on what you are looking at than just the title provided on the map. Be sure to take a look at both the upper church and undercroft levels of the church, the latter of which is also home to the gift shop. read more

The Basilica of the Assumption is an absolutely beautiful place to attend mass. I didn't get to visit much of the grounds but attend a late 4:00pm Sunday service, but really loved how serene and peaceful it was inside. I particularly enjoyed how the presiding priest gave a little context to each bible reading, it was a nice touch on better understanding how we can relate to the passage. The grounds outside were beautiful, and I especially loved the peaceful Pope JPII Prayer Garden. I would like to come back again and go on the guided tour. read more

Its technically called, "Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary". This is the first US church constructed after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. read more

I feel close to our Savior and Blessed Mother here. The church is absolutely beautiful. Very spiritual place in the baptismal font is a special place from members of the family who are just recently brought into the Catholic faith. It is a very historic location as well. I would recommend taking a tour of the facility to include underneath the Basilica. If you have the opportunity I would also encourage you to go to mass there. read more

Small basilica (take the tour, you'll learn why it's a basilica and not a cathedral), doesn't hold a candle to anything in Europe. But it's airy, Catholic and storied. Free tours make the visit worthwhile, just check their website for the times. The Basilica of the Assumption isn't a destination stop, but if you're in the area and have an hour free, think about dropping by. read more

Just gorgeous! My parents use to take me there when I was a child and I have very fond memories of this church.

This was a gorgeous place to stop during my stay in the area.

Amazing church! Its very peaceful and beautiful a true gem in Maryland. Attended two services and the Priest gave beautiful messages. Must see. The museum downstairs is pretty neat. read more

This is truly a beautiful basilica. You must visit the catacomes.

Beautiful church. Mass is nice. Plenty of seating. A+++