Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, District of Columbia, United States
5.0 (1.906 reviews) Thursday: 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM Spent Ranking #9 in Washington DC Religious Sites • Churches & Cathedrals
Well worth your time
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is the largest Roman Catholic church in the United States and North America, and is one of the ten largest churches in the world. The Basilica is the nation's preeminent Marian shrine, dedicated to the patroness of the United States; the Blessed Virgin Mary under her title of the Immaculate Conception. It is oftentimes affectionately referred to as America's Catholic Church. Visited by Pope Francis, Pope Benedict XVI, Saint John Paul II, and Saint Teresa of Calcutta, among others, the Basilica, though distinctly American, rivals the great sanctuaries of Europe and the world. Byzantine-Romanesque in style, its massive, one-of-a-kind superstructure is home to over 80 chapels and oratories that relate to the peoples, cultures and traditions that are the fabric of the Catholic faith and the mosaic of our great nation. The Basilica also houses the largest collection of contemporary ecclesiastical art on earth.
Address
400 Michigan Ave NE, Washington DC, DC 20017-1566
Mobile
Website
http://www.nationalshrine.org
Working hours
Monday : 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday : 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday : 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday : 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday : 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday : 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday : 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Current local date and time now
Thursday, May 09, 2024, 13:31
User Ratings
5.0 based on (1.906 reviews)
Reviews
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5Tamara C 5:00 PM Jun 12, 2022
Well worth your time
Very very large. Outstanding art works. Most of the artwork is made from small pieces of colored tiles. Absolutely magnificant display of artwork. Spend several hours wondering around this beautiful basilica. Outstanding tour guide. He was fun and exciting with an endless knowlegde of all the wonderful teasures there.
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5Raymond T 5:00 PM Dec 29, 2020
Amazing art in this grand House of Worship
Thanks to the Columbia magazine of the Knights of Columbus, I was inspired to visit this most magnificent complex. I attended Sunday Mass at noon and I heard the most beautiful singing from a Quintet throughout the service especially during the Lamb of God which I have never heard before as this in their soft melody chant to our Lord. Also, the Readings of the Gospel were done in a voice so emphatic that one would want to emulate. The Basilica was finished approximately 60 years ago and has around a hundred shrines in all areas which include the large Upper church, lower Crypt church and different foyers and enclosed Chapels for prayer and meditation. Pope St John Paul II visited here as it is the National Shrine in the USA dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, the Mother of our Lord who we celebrate on December 8 each year to signify the beginning of the Virgin Mary's important role, then and now in the life of Jesus, our Lord and Redeemer. I want to return when restrictions are lifted to fully realize the Spiritual rewards entrusted to all the pilgrims visiting
