Guided Tours of the Basilica Cathedral of St. John the Baptist National Historic Site of Canada
The Basilica Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is a working cathedral and home to the central City of St. John’s Roman Catholic parish. You are welcome to visit and there is no charge to come and pray, visit quietly, or to worship here.
The Basilica is a National Historic Site of Canada, and its builder, Bishop Michael Anthony Fleming (1792-1850) is a Person of National Historic Significance of Canada. The Basilica was the largest and earliest neoclassical (Lombard Romanesque style) Roman Catholic cathedral built by the Irish diaspora anywhere in the world in the first half of the 19th century. It is an integral part of the Ecclesiastical District of St. John’s, and part of an aspiring World Heritage Site. It is a profound statement of faith and culture. It is one of the greatest architectural treasures of Newfoundland and Labrador and Canada. It is the largest cathedral church in Canada. It is the 85th largest church in the world according to Wikipedia. Its magnificent stained glass windows, its largest handcrafted plaster ceiling in Canada, its impressive iconography of saints and Gospel stories in statuary and artworks, its very large (one of Canada’s largest) pipe organ with 4050 pipes, and its exceptionally impressive neoclassical architectural setting. Our expert guides lead groups through the Basilica and tell the stories of its builders and explain its architecture and symbols, and the heritage of faith it represents.
The Basilica Heritage Foundation (BHF) was founded in 1998 as a Registered Canadian Charity with the mandate to preserve, restore, and interpret the Basilica and its associated buildings and their heritage contents as a National Historic Site of Canada, and as a sacred and magnificent place of faith.
INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP TOURS OF THE BASILICA
Between mid-June and 1 September, SUMMER SEASON TOURS begin daily (Mon-Sat) at 10 am until 3pm and are subject to the scheduling of funerals, weddings, baptisms, and extraordinary liturgies. On Sundays they begin about 12:30 and run until 3:30pm. Tours begin at the Visitors’ Desk at the main entrance to the Basilica. The tour fee for individuals is $10/person. Simply present yourself at the BHF Visitors’ Desk.
Between 1 September and mid June, OUTSIDE THE SUMMER SEASON, individual and group tours are available at rates reflecting our costs of providing tours in the off-season, and must be booked in advance. For rates and booking contact us at bhf.inquiries@thebasilica.net.
The BHF welcomes commercial tour operators (tour buses, coach tours, tour guides, and tourism operators who charge visiting guests for tours) who bring guest to the Basilica. We also have available (by advance reservation only) group tours of the Ecclesiastical District Churches, with options such as Afternoon Tea in the Basilica, special group visits to the Presentation Convent to see Giovanni Strazza’s Veiled Virgin statue, visits to the magnificent Episcopal Library, and other attractions. Kindly note that commercial operators are not permitted to lead individual or group tours through the Basilica. Only the BHF’s guides can lead tours through the Basilica. Reservations are mandatory and visits must be pre-booked and prepaid in advance. To do so please contact us at bhf.inquiries@thebasilica.net. Email confirmation will be provided once pre-payment clears. Commercial tour operators who bring groups to the Basilica without a prepaid reservation will not be admitted or may be asked to leave.
THE FINE PRINT
The Basilica Cathedral is the busiest church in the province and over 520 Masses, liturgies, and unscheduled church services take place there over the course of a year. If a funeral must be scheduled in the Basilica at a time which conflicts with a booked tour, we will work to reschedule the tour at a mutually convenient time, or provide a refund. We regret that tours can not take place in the Basilica during church services.
Video recording is not permitted in the Basilica (because of the terms of our license for broadcasting audio and copyrighted music). Flash photography is not permitted in the Basilica (because of conservation measures in place in this National Historic Site to protect its sensitive painted heritage surfaces). Photography using tripods is not permitted in in the Basilica (insurance policies identify tripods as a trip-hazard). Individual private non-commercial photography, using cameras and cellphones without flashes, is permitted. Commercial photographers wishing to photograph in the Basilica may only do so after agreeing in writing to terms, and after obtaining a specific timeframe license from the BHF. For particulars please contact us at bhf.inquiries@thebasilica.net
If you cancel a booked tour 24 hours or more in advance, there is no charge. Otherwise a cancellation fee of $60 per pre-booked group tour reserved will be charged.