During a trip to Paris, my sons and I took a tour through the city’s underground catacombs, and have since been on the lookout for similar experiences. So, I was happy — and a bit surprised — to discover the Catacombs by Candlelight tour at the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral in New York City’s Greenwich Village (not to be confused with the famous church on 5th Avenue).
Unlike the skull-filled tunnels in Paris, which may not appeal to the faint of heart, there’s not a skeleton to be found on the 90-minute tour led by Tommy Wilkinson. Instead, the experience focuses on history, architecture and the stories of notable New Yorkers buried beneath the church.
Church History
According to Wilkinson, the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral was the second church in the U.S. named for St. Patrick, but also the first cathedral for the Archdiocese of New York (from 1815 to 1879) — and it's the older sibling of the more well-known cathedral in midtown, which opened in 1879.
The church’s two walled graveyards date back to 1801.
Credit: 2026 Joshua FriedmanBefore entering the catacombs, we visited the church’s two outdoor walled graveyards, which date back to 1801. Wilkinson explained that the grounds conceal a collection of large underground burial vaults, complete with stone stairways hidden beneath the grass — though these are separate from the catacombs themselves.
The Catacombs
Beneath the church sanctuary are the only Catholic catacombs in New York City, and the largest in the United States. Wilkinson explained that the word catacomb, first coined in ancient Rome, refers to an underground gallery of tombs. Since the chambers are hermetically sealed, they're also time capsules, most of which have remained undisturbed for more than a century.
Resting inside the catacombs at the Basilica of St. Patrick’s is a who’s who of prominent New Yorkers, including Lorenzo Da Ponte, the librettist for two of Mozart’s most famous operas, “Don Giovanni” and “The Marriage of Figaro.” Six members of the Delmonico family are also buried here; the family is attributed with opening America’s first fine-dining restaurant and credited with popularizing dishes such as their namesake Delmonico steak, the wedge salad, eggs Benedict and baked Alaska.
Another notable figure is Thomas T. Eckert, a Civil War brigadier general and friend of Abraham Lincoln (who drafted the Emancipation Proclamation in the general's office). The door to Eckert’s vault remains open, revealing ceramic tile created by the notable Spanish architect Rafael Guastavino and an original Thomas Edison & Company light fixture. A mirror on the floor helps visitors spot the 124-year-old fixture overhead. Eckert spent $83,000 on his vault in 1902, which is about $2.8 million today. Though the space was built to hold 12 people, only Eckert, his wife and her parents are resting inside.
General Thomas T. Eckert’s expensive vault features an original Thomas Edison & Company light fixture.
Credit: 2026 Samantha Davis-FriedmanNormally, the tour visits the church sanctuary, but during our visit, a television crew was filming a scene for an upcoming Apple TV series. The church has also appeared in numerous productions over the years, including episodes of “Law & Order,” the series finale of “Blue Bloods,” the baptism scene in “The Godfather” (featuring Oscar-winning director Sofia Coppola as the baby) and three Martin Scorsese movies: “Mean Streets," "Goodfellas" and "Gangs of New York." St. Patrick’s was Scorsese’s childhood parish.
One final fascinating fact: Comedian Jim Gaffigan was a Eucharistic minister at the church. It's also where he and his wife got married and where their five children were baptized.
The Catacombs by Candlelight tour is commissionable when booked through the Viator travel advisor portal. Tours are offered six days per week (none on Tuesdays) at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Private tours are also available.
