Cathedral of Saint Paul

The Cathedral of Saint Paul stands as the crowning jewel of the neighborhood that bears its name. Completed in 1915 after nine years of construction, this Beaux-Arts masterpiece was designed by Emmanuel Louis Masqueray, a French-born architect who studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris.

The cathedral's granite exterior rises 306 feet from ground to cross, making it visible for miles across the Twin Cities. The massive dome, inspired by St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, spans 96 feet in diameter. Inside, the sanctuary can accommodate over 3,000 worshippers beneath soaring vaults decorated with marble, bronze, and stained glass.

Archbishop John Ireland, a towering figure in Minnesota history, championed the construction of the cathedral to serve as the mother church of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Ireland envisioned a building that would rival the great cathedrals of Europe and serve as a beacon of faith on the Minnesota prairie.

The cathedral features six chapels, each dedicated to a different national group that settled in the area — representing the diverse immigrant communities that built Saint Paul. The Shrine of the Nations includes chapels honoring the French, German, Irish, Italian, Slavic, and Scandinavian heritage of the region's early settlers.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Cathedral of Saint Paul remains an active parish church and a beloved landmark that defines the skyline of Minnesota's capital city.