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St Paul's Cathedral
Good-for-Kids Rating
Babies
Toddlers & Pre-KSchool-Age Kids
Pre-Teens & Teens
Special Collection
Historical Landmark
Live Music Venue
St Paul's Cathedral Description
On ground that has been occupied by a place of worship since 604 A.D., St Paul's Cathedral is a magnificient church built by Christopher Wren in 1710. The religious paintings, breathtaking views, whispering gallery, and carved stone statues, as well as the aura of calm and serenity in the cathedral, will have your children talking about a visit here for years to come. Start with a free introductory tour, explore the illustrious dead in the crypt, and then brave the 257 steep steps to the galleries and outside vistas.
Kid Tips
Toddlers & Pre-K: From the Whispering Gallery children can see the paintings up close. Have yours look for the baby angels with the blue feathery wings.
School-Age Kids: Kids will delight in discovering the acoustic quirks of the famous Whispering Gallery, which gets its name from a charming quirk in its construction, which makes a whisper against its walls audible on the opposite side of the gallery.
Pre-Teens & Teens: Teenagers won't roll their eyes because you're going to a cathedral after they experience the dimly lit crypt with its nooks and crannies that house the bodies of the likes of writer Samuel Johnson, architect Christopher Wren, and Alexander Fleming who discovered penicillin.
Planning Notes
- Leave your stroller below. The narrow steps to the galleries are too steep for a stroller, but that won't stop your toddler from bounding up them faster than you can.
- Consider going for Evensong. There's never a charge for attending religious services at St Paul's Cathedral and hearing the choral evensong is a magical way to experience the beauty of the place. Daily Mattins services are at 7.30 a.m. Holy Communion is celebrated daily at 8 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. and the Choral Evensong is sung at 5 p.m. daily, except on Sunday when it is at 6 p.m.
- Skip the galleries if you're afraid of heights. The railing is only waist high.
- The steps of St. Pauls. If your kids are fans of the film Mary Poppins, make sure to take a seat on the steps of the catherdral and get their picture taken where the bird woman would "feed the birds."
- Wear sensible shoes. You'll be climbing a lot of steps and wandering in the cavernous crypt.
Just the Facts
Hours: The Cathedral is open to visitors from Monday to Saturday, 8:30 a.m.- 4 p.m. (last ticket sold). Galleries open from 9:30 a.m. and last admission is at 4:15 p.m.
Fees: $10-$20
Recommended Time: 2 - 4 hours
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