Grace Cathedral, Episcopal cathedral in Nob Hill, San Francisco, US
Grace Cathedral is an Episcopal cathedral in the Nob Hill neighborhood of San Francisco, built in Gothic Revival style with reinforced concrete. The building reaches a height of 51 meters (167 feet) and measures 96 meters (315 feet) in length, with stained glass windows, multiple organs, and a carillon of 44 bells inside.
Construction started in 1927 on land donated by the Crocker family after the 1906 earthquake destroyed the original Grace Church. The work continued over several decades and was only completed in the 1960s.
The two labyrinths at the entrance and inside the church serve today as places for meditation and quiet practice. Visitors walk the winding paths on foot, often barefoot, while others sit in the pews and look up at the vaulted ceiling.
Access is possible most days, but the church remains closed on Sunday mornings until the afternoon. The doors at the front are heavy, so visitors with limited mobility should ask for help or look for a side entrance.
The bronze doors at the entrance are replicas of the Gates of Paradise from the Florence Baptistery, cast in the 1960s. They show ten scenes from the Old Testament in raised relief work, which visitors often touch before entering.
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