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Washington National Cathedral Review
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Washington National Cathedral 
- Address: Wisconsin and Massachusetts Aves. NW, Upper Connecticut, Washington, DC | Map It
- Phone: 202/537-6200; 202/537-6207 tour information
- www.cathedral.org/cathedral
- Category: Religious Sites
- Location: Upper Northwest
Fodor's Review:
Construction of Washington National Cathedral -- the sixth-largest cathedral in the world -- started in 1907; it was finished and consecrated in 1990. Like its 14th-century Gothic counterparts, the stunning National Cathedral (officially the Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul) has a nave, flying buttresses, transepts, and vaults that were built stone by stone. State funerals for presidents Eisenhower, Reagan, and Ford were held here, and the tomb of Woodrow Wilson, the only president buried in Washington, is on the nave's south side. The expansive view of the city from the Pilgrim Gallery is exceptional. The cathedral is Episcopalian, but it's the site of frequent ecumenical and interfaith services, as well as state events such as the funerals of presidents.
On the grounds of the cathedral is the compact, English-style Bishop's Garden. Boxwoods, ivy, tea roses, yew trees, and an assortment of arches, bas-reliefs, and stonework from European ruins provide a counterpoint to the cathedral's towers.
- Cost: Suggested tour donation $3
- Open: Weekdays 10-5, Sat. 10-4, Sun. 8-6:30 (8-2:45 for worship only). Tours Mon.-Sat. 10-4, every 30 min. Gardens open dawn-dusk
- Metro: Cleveland Park or Tenleytown. Take any 30 bus series
Get Advice From Other Travelers
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