Photo: Jesus_Mountain.jpg : Joseph V derivative work: Rabanus Flavus, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

SightseeingIconicHistory Buff

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

Walk through the largest Roman Catholic church in North America, with its mosaic domes, Crypt Church and dozens of chapels.

400 Michigan Ave NE · Washington, DC

About Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

The National Shrine is the largest Catholic church building in North America, built in Byzantine Revival and Romanesque Revival styles. You can explore the Crypt Church, the Great Upper Church and the 82 chapels dedicated to Mary that line them. Look up at the Trinity Dome, whose mosaic of 24 tons of Venetian glass was dedicated in 2017. Guided tours run about an hour, and a gift shop and bookstore are on site.

#basilica
#catholic church
#mosaics
#architecture
#guided tours

Printable maps

What's around here?

The closest stops to Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

Museums
Local Gem
Saint John Paul II National Shrine
No admission fee
A Washington DC shrine and museum dedicated to Pope John Paul II, with exhibits on his life and papacy.
Transit: reachable by public transit
0.4 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums
Nightlife
Iconic
9:30 Club
$25–$50
Catch touring bands at a 1,200-capacity standing-room concert hall with four bars, a balcony and a stage that moves.
Transit: reachable by public transit
1.6 mi awaySwitch it up: Nightlife
Eat & Drink
Foodie Favorite
Union Market
No admission fee
DC's buzziest food hall: dozens of vendors slinging oysters, arepas, pasta, and ice cream in a revived 1930s market.
Transit: reachable by public transit
1.7 mi awaySwitch it up: Eat & Drink
Sightseeing
African American Civil War Memorial
No admission fee
A National Park Service memorial in D.C. that honors Black men who fought for the Union during the Civil War.
Transit: reachable by public transit
1.8 mi awayMore like this
Sightseeing
Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site
Check prices
National Park Service site preserving the home and office of historian Carter G. Woodson, who started Negro History Week.
2.0 mi awayMore like this
Sightseeing
House of the Temple
Check prices
Masonic temple in Washington, D.C., that houses the headquarters of the Scottish Rite's Southern Jurisdiction in the U.S.
Transit: reachable by public transit
2.3 mi awayMore like this