Why pilgrims come
Discover what makes Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception a place of pilgrimage
The largest Roman Catholic church in North America, Washington’s national Marian shrine combines Romanesque-Byzantine architecture with the world’s largest collection of contemporary ecclesiastical art and more than 80 chapels and oratories honoring Mary and Catholic communities from around the world.
Treat the basilica as a walk through the worldwide Church under Mary’s patronage: begin with the Great Upper Church, descend to the Crypt Church, and choose several national or cultural chapels for slower prayer rather than trying to see every space.
What to notice
Look closely at the place and its story
Seven domes and monumental mosaics
Look upward through the Great Upper Church to read the basilica’s Romanesque-Byzantine visual theology.
More than 80 chapels and oratories
Choose a few Marian titles or communities and pray with the global Church they represent.
The Crypt Church
Descend into the earlier devotional heart of the national shrine and its intimate chapels.
Contemporary ecclesiastical art
Encounter what the basilica identifies as the world’s largest collection of contemporary sacred art.
Feasts, anniversaries & celebrations
How to read this page
Sources, tradition, and what is verified
The destination record was last checked on 9/14/2026.
This page records the site’s tradition as “Catholic.” That wording describes the nature of the claim and keeps devotional tradition distinct from independently verified history.
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