The most stunning cathedrals and churches across the U.S.

The American church has come a long way in the more than 400 years since the first, San Miguel Mission, was molded from adobe in the heart of Santa Fe.

Today, the United States is home to a Christian population that’s not only the world’s largest but among its most diverse, with dozens of ethnic groups, hundreds of denominations, and more than 350,000 churches. This diversity results in a stunning mosaic of spaces—from treehouse temples in the Ozarks to the smooth wooden pews of Philadelphia’s Mother Bethel to the buttresses and gargoyles of Washington’s National Cathedral.

Though relatively young compared with Europe’s millennium-old cathedrals and Ethiopia’s ancient rock-hewn chapels, American churches are just as bright and resounding. Like their international counterparts, these sacred spaces provide not just common ground for local congregations and communities, but also serve as sanctuaries for travelers. Here are a few architectural wonders, where travelers can spend a moment of quiet reflection while visiting.

Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Sacramento, California

Built by a California gold miner turned Catholic priest, the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament was originally the largest cathedrals west of the Mississippi River. Aircraft cables above the church’s central altar support a 2,000-pound crucifix and crown. Tours are offered after Sunday morning Masses, and in Spanish after the noon Spanish Mass.

Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri

Over 41 million tiles in over 7,000 different colors gleam throughout the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis—one of the world’s largest mosaic collections. Built between 1907 and 1914, the Romanesque and Byzantine basilica hosts live performances ranging from Senegalese gospel choirs to the Polish Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York City, New York

Welcoming over five million people every year, St. Patrick’s Cathedral features two organs, an enormous rose window, thousands of stained glass panels, and 20 altars (including two designed by Tiffany & Co.). After your visit, get a bird’s eye view of the cathedral’s 330-foot-tall, marble-clad spires from “The Beam,” a rotating platform lifted 12 feet above the Top of the Rock’s 69th-floor observation deck at Rockefeller Center.

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Basilica of the National Shrine of Immaculate Conception, Washington, District of Columbia

Domes, mosaics, stained glass, sculptures, and 80-plus chapels and oratories fill Washington’s Basilica of the National Shrine of Immaculate Conception, the largest Roman Catholic church in North America and one of the 10 largest churches in the world. Stay to hear the basilica’s 56 carillon bells, cast in France and the Netherlands, which are played multiple times throughout the day.

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Chapel of the Holy Cross, Sedona, Arizona

Rancher and sculptor Marguerite Brunswig Staude originally intended her 1950s-era Chapel of the Holy Cross to be built in Hungary, her home country. Constructed with glass and 12-inch-thick sandblasted concrete between majestic ochre buttes, the sanctuary faces the 4,967-foot-high landmark Cathedral Rock. Visit on a Monday evening for the chapel’s candle-lit taizé prayer service, which follows the teachings of a monastic order established in France in the 1940s.

St. Louis Cathedral, New Orleans, Louisiana

First built in 1727, New Orleans’ famous Jackson Square landmark claims to be the oldest continuously active Catholic cathedral in the U.S. Ten stained glass windows illustrate key moments from the life of the sanctuary’s namesake, St. Louis IX, King of France.

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Savannah, Georgia

Famous Southern Gothic writer Flannery O’Connor grew up across the square from Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, the 18th-century French Gothic church her family attended. Inside, five Italian marble altars are surrounded by starry blue ceilings, coral walls, and 81 Austrian stained glass windows. Every March, Savannah natives, local authors, and live bands gather on the cathedral steps to celebrate Flannery O’Connor’s annual birthday parade following Sunday morning Mass.

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Basilica of Saint Josaphat, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

After an unfortunate electrical fire, Roman painter Gonippo Raggi returned to Milwaukee to repaint the dome of the Basilica of Saint Josaphat, transforming his smoke-damaged frescoes from daytime scenes into dark blue, star-tangled skies. Built from the salvaged materials of Chicago’s Post Office and Customs House, the 19th-century basilica serves Wisconsin’s largest Polish parish. Tours are offered after Mass every Sunday.

Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine, New York City, New York

Saint John the Divine is not only the world’s largest Protestant cathedral, it also has some of the world’s most powerful organ stops, a 26,000-meal-per-year soup kitchen, a renowned textile conservation lab, and a resident beekeeper. The cathedral has hosted His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Duke Ellington, Aretha Franklin, and famous high wire artist Philippe Petit. Visit in November for public readings held during the annual Poet’s Corner induction.

Cathedral of Christ the Light, Oakland, California

Built of steel and polished Douglas fir beams with over a thousand windows, Oakland’s Cathedral of Christ the Light offers Mass in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Above the altar, 94,000 sunlit holes form a 58-foot-high replica of “Christ in Majesty,” an 11th-century sculpture outside of Chartres Cathedral.

St. Joseph the Betrothed, Chicago, Illinois

St. Joseph the Betrothed Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church boasts a traditional Byzantine design with thirteen golden domes and hand-painted iconography. Artifacts are sealed inside the Chicago church’s granite walls. Visit in August for the annual Uketober Fest, a celebration of Ukrainian culture complete with dance ensembles, music, saber clubs, and comedians.

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St. John the Baptist, Ammannsville, Texas

Central Texas’s famous painted churches make an easy, one-day driving tour from Austin. Don’t miss Ammannsville’s St. John the Baptist Cathedral Church, whose sanctuary features hand-painted scrolls and palm fronds as well as stained glass windows illustrating the parish’s Czech heritage.