Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Catholic cathedral in downtown Albany, United States.
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is a Gothic Revival cathedral in downtown Albany, New York, built from local brownstone. It has two towers on its facade, and the interior receives light through a large set of stained glass windows that run along both sides of the nave.
Construction began in 1848 under Bishop John McCloskey, and when it opened it was only the second cathedral built in New York State. The building took several decades to reach its finished form, with the bells first ringing in 1862.
The cathedral serves as the seat of the Bishop of Albany, making it the mother church of the entire diocese. Sunday Masses and special ceremonies draw regular worshippers as well as visitors who come simply to look at the windows and the stonework.
The cathedral sits in the heart of downtown Albany and is easy to reach on foot from most central hotels and offices. Drivers can use nearby public lots or the state parking garage directly across the street.
The bells were cast by the Meneely Bell Foundry, located just a short distance away in Troy, New York, making them a local product in the fullest sense. The same foundry supplied bells to many other churches across the northeastern United States during the 19th century.
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