Although you are welcome to explore Holy Name Cathedral on your own, we invite you to discover Holy Name Cathedral and its history with a guided tour by one of our trained docents.

Free tours are available year-round, schedule permitting.

• Note: No tours on Sundays, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday.

Tours of Holy Name Cathedral are available to any size group, tailored to their requested date, time and length.

We ask that you arrive about 15 minutes prior to your tour as we cannot guarantee tours for late arrivals because of Cathedral masses, events and activities. WE NEED A MINIMUM OF FIVE (5) DAYS ADVANCE NOTICE IN ORDER TO SCHEDULE A DOCENT FOR YOUR TOUR.

A free-will offering is greatly appreciated and can be made to the Cathedral or given to the docent on the day of the tour.

To schedule your tour, please CLICK HERE.

If you should have any questions, please send an email to mycathedral@holynamecathedral.org

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Docent-Led Tours

1. Who can schedule tours?  We welcome groups from schools, organizations, families, friends, couples or even individuals.   If a group is over 40 people, we will try to schedule two Docents so that everyone has the best experience. 
2. How long are the tours? A typical tour is 40 – 45 minutes but can be shortened to fit a groups schedule. Please just note that when scheduling.
3. What are the best days and/or times for tours? While all scheduling of tours depends on other activities already scheduled in the church, mornings 8:30 AM – 11:00 AM, M-F are ideal. Saturday mornings 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM or M, T, Th or F afternoons from 12:30 PM – 5:00 PM are often available.  No scheduled tours on Wednesday afternoons or Sundays.
4. What if I’m running late for my tour? We encourage you to plan to arrive for your tour 10-15 minutes before your scheduled time. Please account for Chicago traffic and parking when planning your arrival time.  If you are detained, please be aware that your tour may be shortened due to other scheduled activities in the church.
5. Is there parking available? Car parking is available across the street from the Cathedral in our lot – https://holynamecathedral.org/contact-us/directionsandparking/ . 
6. Should I tip my Docent? Our Docents are part of a volunteer ministry and do not accept tips.  A free-will donation to Holy Name is always appreciated. 
7. Are there other opportunities for tours? Every Sunday after the 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM Masses, our Docents offer Express Tours – 15 minutes in length. Gather in the center aisle after Mass.  Also, on most 1^st and 3^rdSundays of the month we offer a Full Tour, 35 – 40 minutes after the 12:30 AM Mass.  Again, gather in the front center aisle.  No advance reservation required.