I’m a diehard Francophile, so I’m always game to see anything inspired by French Gothic architecture à la Notre Dame here in the USA. And that’s just how I ended up at San Francisco’s iconic Grace Cathedral one afternoon, where I booked a Behind-the-Scenes tour.
Located on top of San Francisco’s Nob Hill, Grace Cathedral is across the park from the beautiful Fairmont Hotel, where I took another amazing tour.
Grace is known for its Gothic architecture, dozens of stained glass windows, two labyrinths, and a diverse arts and cultural program.
On this tour, I was with eight other curious Bay Area visitors, all keen to discover the “secrets” of the cathedral.
If you’re visiting San Francisco on a budget, you can also check out the cathedral on your own, for free, though you won’t have access to all the ‘secret’ rooms.
Grace Cathedral Private Tour
Anyone can walk around Grace Cathedral, but the private tour was a treat. Led by trained docents, the tour gives visitors a little something extra.
Founded in 1849 during the California Gold Rush as the first Episcopal chapel in San Francisco, Grace Cathedral isn’t nearly as old as its French inspirations. It was first called Little Grace Chapel, which was destroyed in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.
The present-day building was begun in 1927, and fully completed in 1964, with a sermon attended by nearly 5,000 people, including Martin Luther King Jr.
The Behind-the-Scenes tour lived up to its name and had us dipping into a hidden passageway of the ambulatory (a word I had to look up) and into the vestry, where the Bishop and other members of the clergy dress in their clerical clothing.
I felt a little like I was starring in a Dan Brown novel, but I never did discover an ancient relic or missing treasure.
There are 68 stained-glass windows around Grace Cathedral, including those honoring 20th-century Americans noted for their major contributions to human progress, such as the Albert Einstein window.
We wandered into the Chapel of Grace, which showcases several historic furnishings from the 1400s and 1500s.
The climax of the tour was the hefty climb (about 100 steps) up to the South Tower’s Observation Level for a view of the city from Nob Hill and to listen to the tolling of the 44-bell Carillon in the adjacent North Tower.
Grace Cathedral is also home to an Aeolian-Skinner organ with over 7400 pipes. Also worth noting are the Ghiberti Doors, also known as the “Gates of Paradise,” located at the main entrance.
More Than Just Mass
There’s always something going on at Grace Cathedral, so check out their robust calendar of events, which includes Christmas concerts, organ recitals, and partnerships with SFJAZZ, among other events.
Yoga on the Labyrinth has been a practice at Grace Cathedral since 1998 and has expanded into a popular bi-weekly practice for hundreds of yogis, featuring expert instruction and live music.
They also offer several worship experiences, including online if you can’t make it in person
There are plenty more amazing things to do in San Francisco, including ride the cable cars, which stop just outside Grace Cathedral (on the California line).
