Washington, D.C. · National Basilica
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
The largest Catholic church in North America. The eighth largest church in the world. The patronal church of the United States, dedicated to Our Lady under her title of the Immaculate Conception.
Visitor Information
- Address
- 400 Michigan Ave NE, Washington, DC 20017
- Hours
- Mon–Sat 7:00 AM–7:00 PM · Sun 7:00 AM–7:00 PM
- Mass
- Multiple daily — see nationalshrine.com for current schedule
- Confession
- Daily — hours posted on website
- Admission
- Free (donations welcome)
- Parking
- On-site parking available (fee charged)
- Metro
- Brookland-CUA station (Red Line) — 5-minute walk
- Nearest airport
- Reagan National (DCA) — ~30 min by Metro
History
The idea of a national shrine dedicated to the Immaculate Conception had been proposed since 1846, when the American bishops gathered in Baltimore and formally adopted Mary Immaculate as the patroness of the United States.
The concept took shape in the early 20th century under Bishop Thomas Shahan, rector of the Catholic University of America, which sits adjacent to the shrine. Shahan received Pope Pius X's blessing for the project in 1913. He spent years raising funds — much of it in small donations from ordinary American Catholics, a dime or a dollar at a time.
Ground was broken in 1920. The crypt church opened in 1926. The upper church — the soaring Byzantine-Romanesque structure that defines the skyline of northeast Washington — was completed in 1959 and designated a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1990.
The Architecture
The architects chose Byzantine-Romanesque instead of the Gothic revival style common in American Catholic churches of the era — evoking the great churches of the Eastern Christian tradition and the ancient basilicas of Rome.
The great dome rises 237 feet. The massive mosaic of Christ in Majesty over the entrance is one of the largest mosaic artworks in the world. Inside, the nave stretches 459 feet.
The Chapels — A Portrait of American Catholicism
What makes the National Shrine truly extraordinary is its more than eighty chapels and oratories. Each one was donated by a specific ethnic, national, or religious community of American Catholics — Polish, Irish, Filipino, Vietnamese, Lithuanian, Mexican, Korean, Cuban, Haitian.
Walking through these chapels is a living history of American Catholicism — a record of every community that came to this country and found, in their devotion to Mary, a bridge between the faith they carried across the ocean and the faith they were building in a new land.
Notable chapels
Mary, Queen of Ireland
Donated by Irish American Catholics.
Our Lady of Guadalupe
Central to Mexican and Mexican American Catholic life.
Our Lady of Częstochowa
The Black Madonna; built by Polish Americans.
Our Lady of La Vang
Honoring the Marian apparition in Vietnam; donated by Vietnamese American Catholics.
Our Lady of Antipolo
Patroness of the Philippines.
Our Lady of Charity
Patroness of Cuba; beloved by Cuban exiles across the US.
What to Do
Mass
The main altar Mass is typically at 12:10 PM on weekdays. Sunday Masses run throughout the morning. The Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8) — a holy day of obligation — draws enormous crowds and a pontifical Mass celebrated by the Archbishop of Washington.
Confession
Available daily. Priests are available most of the day.
The Crypt Church
Don't skip the lower church, completed first in 1926 — more intimate, with a low barrel-vaulted ceiling and glowing mosaics. The Blessed Sacrament Chapel in the crypt is ideal for extended prayer.
The Lourdes Grotto
An outdoor replica of the grotto at Massabielle, France, on the eastern grounds. A popular place for quiet prayer.
The Gift Shop
One of the best Catholic bookshops in the Washington area — books, Bibles, rosaries, medals, icons, and Marian devotional materials.
Getting There
By Metro (recommended)
Brookland-CUA station, Red Line — 5-minute walk. From Reagan National (DCA), take the Yellow Line to Gallery Place, transfer to Red Line, ride two stops to Brookland-CUA. Total: ~30 minutes.
By car
On Michigan Avenue NE, adjacent to Catholic University of America. On-site parking available.
From Union Station
15-minute taxi/rideshare, or Red Line (two stops).
Practical Tips
- Allow 2–3 hours minimum; many pilgrims spend half a day
- Visit in spring or fall to avoid summer heat on the Metro walk
- The week of December 8 (Feast of the Immaculate Conception) is the most spiritually charged time to visit
- Nearby: The Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land (~1 mile away) has reproductions of major Holy Land shrines and is worth a separate visit
- Pairs well with a day trip to the Seton Shrine in Emmitsburg, MD (~90 minutes north)
Feast Days
December 8 — Feast of the Immaculate Conception
The patronal feast of the United States and the most important day at the shrine. Pontifical Mass, large crowds, pilgrimages from across the country.
August 15 — Assumption
Solemn Mass. A traditional day for Washington-area Catholics to make a shrine visit.
May and October
As months dedicated to Mary, the shrine hosts special rosaries, processions, and devotional events throughout.