Basilica of Saint Mary

Why go

The basilica shows how Minneapolis’s growing Catholic community moved from a smaller downtown church to a prominent site by Loring Park. Emmanuel Louis Masqueray, also architect of Saint Paul’s cathedral, designed it; the building became the first U.S. church designated a basilica.

What to look for

• The monumental Beaux-Arts exterior faces Hennepin Avenue near Loring Park.
• Masqueray designed both this church and the Cathedral of Saint Paul.
• Its basilica designation dates to 1926.

The full story

The congregation’s earlier Church of the Immaculate Conception stood closer to the growing downtown warehouse area. As that setting changed, Archbishop John Ireland planned a larger church at a new site. Land near Loring Park was donated in 1905, and construction began in 1907 to Emmanuel Louis Masqueray’s design. Masqueray also designed the Cathedral of Saint Paul, making the two buildings a useful Twin Cities architectural comparison. The Minneapolis church later received the title of basilica in 1926, the first such designation in the United States. Its scale and position on Hennepin Avenue convey the public presence the congregation sought in the early twentieth century. It remains a place of worship, so an interior visit should fit around current services; the exterior and its relationship to Loring Park can still be appreciated as part of a short walk.

Useful to know

• Pair an exterior look with a walk through nearby Loring Park.
• Check church visitor access and service times before planning to enter.

Your next visit

Estimated · Declared scenario and planning estimates; no live opening, weather, queue or booking service.