New York Catacombs By Candlelight

Be sure to be 15 minutes early. The tour starts right on time. It is very informative. The tour guide was super and it’s very interesting to see the catacombs which are still active and I had no idea that we have such a beautiful church in Soho.

Mr. Boyle was such an engaging and great tour guide. He kept the energy high and provided a lot of historical detail on the catacombs. Definitely 10/10!

very knowledgeable tour guide, funny and interesting stories, nice church with lots of history and goats

This was a great tour about old New York. Our guide (Mr. Boyle) was delightful and very entertaining. I learned much more than just about the catacombs, but a lot about an area of NYC that I thought I knew. This was an hour and a half VERY well spent!

Very great history lesson and I even learned something unexpected about my Haitian heritage in regards to Pierre Toussaint, and that made me very happy.

Tommy was a great guide. He should consider extended tours to share his vast knowledge. We especially enjoyed the stories of the families and their history with the cathedral

This is by a 3rd party company who basically recites a script and cannot answer questions very well. He repeatedly told us he was not Catholic. In the catacombs they turn off the lights, give you a tiny battery powered light shaped like the end of the candle with their name and logo. If there wasn't light at both ends, you'd not be able to see anything. As it stands, the "candle" does not put out enough light to even read names on the crypts. It was peppered with historical information but again, it was like a script and he tried very hard to not give you time to ask questions. I assume because he wasn't "Catholic" as he kept saying and couldn't answer them.

Guide put the building of the Church, development of catacombs and cemetery in historical perspective. Really interesting. Already encouraged others to go. Guide personable, engaging and very knowledgeable, plus respectfully shared the Church’s parameters for tourists.

We watched a video on a loop, followed by a short intro by the guide. Then, the guide walked out to lead, but six in our group went the opposite way as we exited the building. We had gone to the next block when we decided to return to their office, where we were greeted by what seemed to be the owner/operator. At this point, we were fuming. We are six energetic senior world travelers who have been on 33 cruises and many land-based tours. The owner walked us to a gate and up steps to an elevated grassed lawn, though it wouldn't have been visible from the gate even if we had turned the right way from their office. It was raining, so the group and the guide were standing under a tree. Then, there was a quick walk through the church because a mass was going on. Finally, the catacombs: names on the walls, nothing much to see, and a short tour prolonged by a guide who loves to talk. If you have been to the catacombs of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, this NYC attraction is mediocre by comparison. As for the Candlelight event, if you have been to any such event by Fever here in California, this is another mediocre comparison; this NYC attraction just has battery candles lined one foot apart, enough only to light the walkway. The highlight was the attitude of the owner, who dismissed us as we aired our complaints. The guide really should have stopped at the gate before moving on. There were only 14 of us; that isn't hard to count to realize that he was missing six out of 14 people.

Learned a lot of interesting facts about the church and area. It was raining hard core and our guide took the time to bring the sheep out for a minute so we could see them (4 stars for the sheep too). Really interesting experience. Perfect day with the rain and close to Halloween.

The tour guide Jimmy was extraordinary! I loved all of the history he shared. I’d go again!

Very interesting history of the church (Basilica) with an extremely knowledgeable guide(Tommy). I recommend it highly

Fantastic experience & learned a lot of history that we did not expect! Our tour guide was so knowledgeable!

Ronnie, our tour guide was super knowledgeable and entertaining! We learned so much. We are not Catholic but the tour was amazing!

This was a very informative tour. A lot of background on the church and its history in NYC! Our guide was very thorough and welcoming! Glad we chose this tour as part of our overall New York experience!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ **Absolutely Fabulous Experience!** Tommy’s New York Catacombs by Candlelight tour was absolutely fantastic! Tommy was fabulous—extremely knowledgeable, engaging, and such a wonderful storyteller. He brought the history to life with so many fascinating facts and stories throughout the tour. Exploring the catacombs by candlelight was unique and incredibly well done. The candles were such a beautiful touch and made seeing the crypts feel even more intimate, historic, and special. I also loved the modern touches incorporated into the experience. The slides highlighting the individuals and families buried in the various crypts, along with their contributions to the history of St. Patrick’s Cathedral and New York City, added so much depth and context. Interesting, educational, beautifully presented, and unlike anything else we’ve done in New York. Tommy truly made the experience exceptional. **Highly recommend!**

Tommy was very informative. Very interesting tour.

Very inteteresting. Especially if you’re catholic. Great tour guide. Never felt rushed. It was really good.

The tour guide was friendly and did a good job explaining the history of the grounds. It was a fascinating experience

Jimmy the Guide was excellent, very witty, informative & engaged with all the group. The only minus was the sheep who graze in the graveyard weren’t yet back from pastures outside the city!

Jimmy was a great tour guide! It’s been about 7 years since I’ve toured old St Patrick’s. Jimmy was a wealth of knowledge of the Cathedral, catacombs, and the history of the neighborhood. He was incredibly friendly and takes great interest in passing along important historical facts that have shaped the nation. I recommend this tour for anyone who wants to know more about history of NY.

It's a nice visit, not very spooky if you are looking for a scare, but the history and context is certainly good.

Educational and informative tour with many stories. The tour guide had an answer to every question asked and was a great storyteller.

Life long New Yorker here and I so enjoyed this experience. Jimmy our guide was very knowledgeable and presented the history of the Church, the Catacombs and lower Manhattan with a compelling flare that left you wanting to know more. It’s like this guy never ran out of information and stories to tell. lol. I would highly recommend this tour to tourists and locals alike. I probably enjoyed it more as a NYer because learned so much about an area I thought I latest knew a great deal about.

It is so amazing to see this piece of history in the middle of Little Italy. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and articulate.

Ronnie the tour group guide was exceptional in his presentation. He gave a very educational and entertaining delivery of the history of basilica, the cemetery, the catacombs and the amazing people associated with the basilica over the centuries. I highly recommend this tour with Ronnie.

The history of NYC from this perspective is awesome. The Catholic school system was born out of this place. The Gangs of NY, the real historic stuff, involved this place. David Bowie lived right across the street.

Informative and historical. Guide was very knowledgeable. Beautiful architecture and states. A most see

Our tour guide was informative but the tour itself felt more religious in nature despite him saying he isn't Catholic several times. It was a 90 minute tour and we spent about 15 minutes in the actual catacombs. We weren't able to walk around the cemeteries at all. The majority of the time was outside, which was fine, but without walking around much. There was a family on the tour with an individual with limited mobility and there wasn't anywhere for her to sit and rest for the first hour; I would encourage folks to be aware of that. I think because I have been to other catacombs that were more impressive, this seemed more of a disappointment but our friends hadn't been on a catacomb experience before and they felt pretty similarly. I didn't see this as a great value for the experience and I probably wouldn't recommend.

As expected, the elision of John Hughes' actions during the draft riots of 1863 was unfortunate. Otherwise, it was a trite tour.

It was a great tour and very informative! Tommy was an excellent guide and very knowledgeable. I would absolutely take this tour again.

It is full of information about old New York and is a complete experience. You walk away with knowledge about how Catholicism and the basilica came to be and affected the formative years of the City.

Small group size . Excellent guide

This was an incredibly informative and interesting tour! The guide (I think he name was Tommy) was beyond knowledgeable about the history of the church and surrounding neighborhood.

FYI, you will see historic vaults in a church basement, no remains. Jimmy Boyle, our guide, was much more interesting than the catacombs. He has a fountain of knowledge and an enjoyable delivery.

I’ve lived in nyc for 30 years and this was my first time visiting the cathedral and touring the cemetery and catacombs. Amazing tour, the guide (I think his name was Kevin) was fabulous and a total showman. Fielded questions throughout, was super informative, and really caring to the group. He kept it interactive instead of a lecture. I will definitely be encouraging friends to go and will bring my parents when they visit. Thank you!!

What a great tour....Tommy was knowledgeable...personable and an excellent guide....answered all questions...what a wonderful afternoon in the city.....definitely recommend

The tour was very informative and the guide knowledgeable. Highly recommend. the church and graveyard were so historical.

Guide was very friendly and did his best to entertain us given he had to change the tour due to extreme weather conditions and flooding so we couldn’t go outside

I went expecting bones and ghost stories. This is more of a historical tour. Jerry has lots of stories and is very personable.

This is basically a tour of the church ground as well as the catacombs. Very different. The guide gave a lot of interesting information about the 2 St Patrick churches as well as history of the people buried there. I enjoyed it. Children might find this spooky. You are basically visiting about and below ground graveyards.

If you want a fulfilling fun glimpse of a part of NY history and want a knowledgeable experienced funny thoughtful informed tour guide like Tommy this is a great way to spend an hour. I learned so much and there is a good balance of walking, stopping and discovery.

It was great ,the guide was very knowledgeable , would highly recommend recommended this tour. And interesting part of nyc history

Nice tour and the catacombs were interesting to see. Great information on the history of the site. Great to see!

Excellent tour guide- very historically interesting

Pleasant, knowledgeable, fun guide, well organized. Lovely all around. Not physically demanding on walking.

This trip was extremely interesting even for a native New York. Our guide, Jimmy, was knowledgeable, entertaining and worked hard to engage the entire group. I definitely recommend this tour....

The NYC Catacombs Tour beneath the Basilica of St. Patrick's Old Cathedral was one of the most unique experiences of our trip. Walking through the underground passageways and historic burial vaults gave us a fascinating glimpse into New York City's past that most visitors never get to see. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable, sharing stories about the church, the prominent families buried there, and the history of Lower Manhattan. The atmosphere was both eerie and beautiful, making it feel like stepping back in time. The tour was well organized, informative, and respectful of the historic site. Whether you're interested in history, architecture, or simply looking for something different from the typical tourist attractions, I highly recommend this tour. It was truly a memorable experience and one of the highlights of our visit to New York City.

Jimmy was so knowledgeable! He gave me a side of Manhattan's history that you don't usually hear about. I could spend hours listening to his stories!