Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis King of France

I highly recommend at least walking into this place, even if you’re not Catholic, or religious at all. It is beautiful! The stained glass windows are one of the most incredible things I’ve seen. Also, it is something to do for free! There is a little gift shop in there, if that’s your thing.

A beautiful, historic cathedral in the heart of the French Quarter. Free to visit, and mass services are held regularly. Inside, the artwork and architecture are fantastic. Outside, there are always plenty of street performers, artists, and buskers. Although it can get a little loud and crazy, you won’t be able to hear any of that while inside the cathedral. A must-​see landmark!

The Cathedral-​Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France, also called St. Louis Cathedral is among the oldest Cathedral in the states. The St. Louis Cathedral is one of New Orleans’ most notable landmarks. This beautiful cathedral is the heart of old New Orleans. This building looks down on the green of the Square and General Andrew Jackson on his bronze horse. In September 1987 Pope John Paul II visited the cathedral. The Cathedral is said to be haunted by Père Antoine. He was a priest at the Cathedral and his body is buried within the church. He walks the alley named after him next to the Cathedral in early mornings. Oh my! How spooky! Try to absorb the history, it is very interesting.

Beautiful structure filled with the spirit and preservation of God. This is the oldest active Cathedral in the United States. Basilica St. Louis of France was completed in 1851 and has been New Orleans center of worship for over 280 years.
Tours are free and open to the public. Centrally located in Jackson Square this structure is an amazing sight to see. Stained glass that will make your jaws drop and magnificent artistry from floor to ceiling (there’s literally art on the ceiling). The pews have been well maintained; conveniently equipped with bibles and donation envelopes located in each pew back for charitable contributions that go toward helping preserve and operate this wonderful church.
Take a moment…
~Christy

This is a historic landmark with a little gift store. This church is dedicated to Louis IX, sainted King of France. There’s a very interesting history to this church — checkout their website.
Beautiful cathedral from the ceilings to the stain glass windows. It’s special to have this in the middle of the FQ.
No photos allowed. I only saw the sign on the way out that no photos are allowed. There was a beautiful nativity scene at the front as well.

This famous church is beautiful and in a great location. While many visitors will go to Bourbon Street for entertainment, Jackson Square is truly the center of New Orleans tourism. The Cathedral is the centerpiece of the Jackson Square area being flanked by the Cabildo and Prebytere on each side and the actual Square in front.
The cathedral is very attractive on the outside and very nice on the inside. As being the Cathedral for the Diocese it is not as ornate as one might think. For example, Immaculate Conception Jesuit Church is in my opinion more ornate and historic looking on the inside. However St. Louis is the Cathedral and its history and location make it such a tourist attraction.
There is a small gift shop just inside the front door. Guided tours are available or you may just enter on your own but remain respectful.

I am not religious in any way, shape or form. I was raised in religion, so I do have a healthy respect for the concept and ideas. The Saint Louis Cathedral is spooky at night, beautiful during the day. Amazing. I love bringing visitors here to show that just steps away from Bourbon Street, while still being in the French Quarter is a sanctuary from all of the debauchery in the same block. The surrounding area is the epitome of secularism with traces of religion, while this stands pure and whole. Well. As pure as the Catholic Church can be. Yesterday when I stopped in, there happened to be a funeral service going on. There are tours available and a book store to shop in. I would love to see a wedding here and witness the beauty.
The history, the building, the architecture, the artwork, it can be overwhelming to consider all of the details of this cathedral. Simply amazing.

October 2015
There was a tour in progress, and so I waited in one of the pews for it to end before I started taking pictures. It is free to tour and there is no public restroom. There are some incredible stain glass windows, and the architecture is phenomenal. Per history reports, in 1829 an organ was imported and in 1825 Francisco Zapari, an Italian painter, was employed at a fee of $ 1,855 to decorate the interior of the church and its three altars. Like in the UK, there are individuals buried under the church and on the church website, you can get a list of the individuals along with their burial dates. This church has burned down a few times, and the design has been altered over centuries. Need to check out the garden behind it around sunset because the Jesus there is called «touchdown Jesus» by the locals due to his hand placements on the church walls.

Oldest Catholic church in the United States? As a lifelong Catholic, I had to see it while traipsing around Jackson Square. It’s quite modern and restored looking on the outside, but pretty enough. It has a great presence while walking about the city and offers a lovely view no matter where you’re standing whether at close or from several blocks over. The inside is pretty with very ornate paintings on the ceiling. Again, looked pretty new to me, personally, but the US isn’t THAT old. I’ve hit tons of cathedrals in Europe and it’s still new compared to those, y’all. Perhaps I’m an admitted cathedral snob.
I wanted to attend 5pm mass on Saturday, BUT… THE most blasphemous thing?! I’ve NEVER gone into a Catholic church where there’s not a drop of holy water out and available. NEVER. Every single bowl was BONE DRY. Not a drop of moisture! Do they do this on purpose cause of all the tourists? Did someone literally sop it up with a towel and the church just didn’t replenish it?! No clue, but I was very shocked, taken aback, and felt icky for not having a holy water blessing on the way in and out. How can I attend a mass at a place without holy water? I’ve taken it for granted all these 35 years of life! I was so busy checking every holy water bowl that, yes, I was distracted and probably didn’t stop to «appreciate» as much as I should have… but, dang, for real blasphemy.

Seeing this cathedral has been on my bucket list for probably 20 years. I was almost afraid it wouldn’t live up to my expectations. I was shopping on nearby Royal Street and heard the bells for Saturday night vigil mass. The bells sang «come to church! come to church! come to church! hurry! hurry! hurry! come to church!» So I obeyed.
This church is not as fancy as some other churches I have been inside. The fancy plaster curliques and pillars and extensively decorated side altars that are present in most 19^th century cathedrals in the US are noticeably absent in this 18^th century church. Most of the artwork in this church is painted on the ceiling. Some year, someone got up there on a very scary scaffold to paint up that high. They have my admiration. I couldn’t imagine painting on my back that high up on a rickety scaffold. If their intent was to draw the viewer’s eye upward towards heaven, mission accomplished gentlemen, mission accomplished.
I made it inside the doors literally one second before Father rang the bell to start the processional. I slid my butt in the first available pew which happened to be second from the last, next to some elderly regular attendees who were greeted warmly and hands shaken by the priest as he went by.
Mass was spot on. I liked Father’s use of pineapple upside down cake as a metaphor for the gospel. Helped hold my attention even if it made me hungry for cake. I was also highly amused that father’s two weekly requests for prayer were for workmen doing restoration on a high elevated platform on the side of the church this week and for the Saints to continue their winning streak.
There are supposedly as many as 45 people buried under the church including former priests, bishops, and French colonial nobility. The garden in the back of the church was used to grow vegetables, fruit, and plants used for medicine. Saint Louis Cathedral has always cared for people who needed help, especially during yellow fever epidemics. Marie Laveau went to mass here every day and was close friends with Pere Antoine. They treated many yellow fever victims together and nursed them back to health or buried their bodies.
Sometimes when people look at churches, all they see is an antique building. While the building is incredible, and the history is interesting, this church is still a vibrant, active parish who cares for the community as well as three historic cemeteries. If you pop in to visit, consider not just taking pictures but also giving some money to the restoration and upkeep of this gorgeous church that means so much to the French Quarter. Donations are the only income this church gets to make necessary repairs and continue community programs.

Beautiful church right by Jackson Park. Part of this structure was rebuilt during a fire many centuries ago from what I heard. The AC works really well inside as it was very cool while it was hot outside. Inside is beautifully constructed as it should be, an old world feel. The drawings were gorgeous and I always wondered how they drew up on the ceilings? It’s just a wonder… This was a grand cathedral for sure.
We got to go here twice during our stay and say a few prayers as I do not get to go to church as much. There is a store inside to get your rosaries, etc. The lady inside was very nice. We bought a few things for the family. Everyone should visit here and hear about its rich history.

While first time visitors will notice the insanity that makes up Bourbon street and many other places in the French Quarter (a good thing), the Saint Louis Cathedral has to be the most beautiful structure in the area. Located in Jackson Square and across the street from the original Café Du Monde on Decatur street, the Saint Louis Cathedral is truly a building to behold.
During times of mass, the cathedral doesn’t allow tours for obvious reasons. Yet any other time, you are welcome to enter the building. The artists and performers within Jackson Square are usually pretty nice and laid back, so they won’t bother you if you just want to take pictures. Just be mindful of your surroundings by respecting their space, as well as those that are taking pictures of the cathedral.
With possible exception to the Superdome, this may be the most iconic structure in all of New Orleans.

You need to walk in this place especially if you’re Catholic! It’s very beautiful & feels overwhelmingly spiritual when you walk in. I’m not Catholic and I felt this way. There were people praying, taking pictures, just standing looking up at the ceilings, but everyone was quiet. Except for my two year old son which I should have named Forrest, because every time I put him down he takes off running. So I could not stay and enjoy the place since he was clearly disturbing the peace.
Please look at the Jesus statue (far left door next to exit sign). I swear there is so much energy coming from that statue. I have never felt that before looking at any statue. It was almost creepy.
My husband is very Catholic and loved the cathedral and the gifts shop inside. There are no public bathrooms. You must go down the street to Jax shopping center.

Even in the city known for its parties, the beautiful St. Louis Cathedral is perhaps New Orleans’s most iconic structure. Towering over the French Quarter with its signature triple steeples, this Catholic minor basilica is one of America’s longest standing churches. Paired with the photogenic Jackson Square, this is definitely a sight that you must at least photograph if you are traveling in NOLA!
As beautiful as its exterior, the interior is equally marvelous, so take a moment to cool down from the decadent (and hot) world outside and take refuge in this beautiful sanctuary! Despite of its long history, the cathedral is well-​maintained and the ceiling murals of biblical tales remains so vibrantly colorful. Be sure to admire the lively statues of King Louis and Joan of Arc by the front door and Saints Peter and Paul at the altar.
However, make sure your phone is on silent and use caution when setting your backpacks down! No matter how loud it is outside, the church is serenely quiet and anything echoes loudly within!
Anyway, if you are visiting the French Quarter, you may as well take a look into this cathedral. It would be a shame to simply walk by without seeing its magnificent beauty and long-​standing history,

CLOSED
THE 7:30AM DAILY MASS HAS BEEN DROPPED
Today was the saddest after the storm «ain’t dere no mores» for me: the decades-​old (perhaps centuries’) daily mass at St Louis Cathedral was discontinued July 1^st.
THE ANGELUS RANG BUT THE GATE WAS LOCKED
I’ve attended the quiet but well attended service here for half of my life. So it was quite unsettling that without warning the daily morning liturgy was cut. There is no mention of this change at the official website (see pic) but the posted hours outside the church have the 7:30AM slot whited out. To be fair, they have replaced it with a noon service but those are offered at most other locations unlike the morning. It now seems that only the Jesuit church will continue this cultural tradition in the nearby area.
Sad day, sad day…

I have to be honest, I enjoyed the outside of this cathedral more so than the inside. The inside was pretty but not the nicest church I’ve been in (I appreciate religious buildings purely on an architectural and aesthetic level).
The church photographs beautifully from the outside. Jackson Square is a busy spot with lots of artists and such so that’s a must see. Then there’s a little park with a statue of Andrew Jackson that is also very photogenic. And on the other side, if you walk by at night, you will see the shadow of Jesus projected on the wall in a very eerie/​awesome way.
Definitely check this out as you’re walking by and exploring or en route to another destination. I wouldn’t say it’s a destination per se. And go inside if you want a change of pace.

She’ll becon you to come inside and you should listen.
St. Louis Cathedral is one of our loveliest buildings here in New Orleans, but if you never venture inside and only admire her from the outside then shame on you. No matter your faith, please come see the beauty that awaits you here.
It’s steps away from the Quarter but feels like a world away. Just minutes ago you were in the crazy mix of drunk people, loud music, overpriced liquor, hot weather and people throwing beads from balconies.
It’s calm, serene and cool in here. It’s stunningly beautiful and you can feel your pulse slow and your breath return to a normal pace just walking in. I suggest walking around and noticing the people buried here when mass isn’t in session and definitely light a candle for your loved ones.
You’ll never be the same once you’ve experienced St. Louis Cathedral.

Great architect building that tower the skyline of the French Quarter. This church is still holding the mass every Sunday. During the mass session, the tourists are not allowed to take picture.
The cathedral is burn down 1788 and rebuild in 1794. There are 12 people buried under this church after they died. They are reverent, military, trustee. Two of them are couple. The windows are staining glass display the Bible teaching. The building has two stories allow the believer to gather. The altar is magnificent when you take the first step in the building. The back of the cathedral is a giant display of organ pipe tube. The ceiling is painted with many picture and nicely done. It really creates a house of God for all people. The outside show the tower of three tier story and three towers.
We were in the cathedral at the morning with the temperature of 47 degree is an escape to the cold weather. A sanctuary that keep us warm and press on to the next destination. It is free and good to visit place.