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St. Paul's Chapel, New York City

Religious Site · Hidden Gem · Church
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The oldest surviving public church building in Manhattan, St. Paul's Chapel features a simple but comfortable interior, designed to encourage attendance. Built in the 1760s on land granted by the queen of England, the chapel is a classic example of Georgian churches characteristic for its time. The building survived the fire of 1776, when the British captured the city and devastated the neighborhood. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, the chapel became a place of refuge for recovery workers from the nearby site of the collapsed twin towers. To see where George Washington worshiped when he visited the chapel, look for the oil painting of the national coat of arms, which hangs right over his pew. Use our New York City holiday builder to arrange your visit to St. Paul's Chapel and other attractions in New York City.
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St. Paul's Chapel reviews

TripAdvisor traveler rating
TripAdvisor traveler rating 4.5
3,446 reviews
Google
4.6
TripAdvisor
  • This church was my favorite of the trip. It's way less grandiose than nearby Trinity Church yet has an even more amazing story behind it. Definitely worth a stop. 
    This church was my favorite of the trip. It's way less grandiose than nearby Trinity Church yet has an even more amazing story behind it. Definitely worth a stop.  more »
  • This is supposed to be the oldest church in New York - dates back to 1766, and it is definitely worth the visit, knowing that it was visited by George Washington 
    This is supposed to be the oldest church in New York - dates back to 1766, and it is definitely worth the visit, knowing that it was visited by George Washington  more »
  • Very different from the place I visited in April 2002. Then it was a quiet peaceful building with architectural integrity within the hand of God. Protected from WTC debris with a fence covered in... 
    Very different from the place I visited in April 2002. Then it was a quiet peaceful building with architectural integrity within the hand of God. Protected from WTC debris with a fence covered in...  more »
Google
  • This church is very special in recent American history. It is immediately next to the site where the World Trade Center collapsed into a massive pile of rubble, yet the church did not suffer even a single pane of glass being lost while most glass in in lower Manhattan was blown out. I was invited there for a catered dinner with live music and later for a Ceremony of Carols by candlelight with a first rate youth choir. Both experiences were grand.
  • Make time to visit St. Pauls Chapel when visiting the World Trade Centre area. I suspect many people miss it and yet it is steeped in history and its survival over all these years is remarkable. It has its own exhibition in memory of 9/11 but also a history that includes George Washington
  • Located right by the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, St. Paul’s Chapel is a really lovely place with so much incredible history. The architecture is beautiful and the cemetery in itself reveals the richness of the American history present here. There are opportunities for tours when you visit, but I believe you can enter the chapel without tickets or reservations if you want to visit without staff guidance. When the cemetery gates are open, you can walk through independently as well! A favorite exhibit of mine is the Bell of Hope, which is present in the cemetery, posterior to entrance of St. Paul’s Chapel. This bell was gifted to the people of New York by city officials out of London after September 11th, 2001. The bell is symbolically rung on each anniversary of September 11th.
  • An amazing church with an amazing history to match. You can go with a tour group but I like visiting on my own, it’s pretty amazing. I keep using that word because it is. Just take your time and wonder the grounds and take it all in.
  • Historic place . Ideal location on Broadway . Overlooks the Fulton Centre and overshadowed by One World Trade Center . Please have a look at the Bell of Hope near the rear entrance

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