Took the tour and it was informative. Beautiful church with many paintings and sculptures

I was in for a conference and wanted to take in some sights. I took a tour at the State Capitol and from the dome (of the capitol) you can see the church. I came back to the cathedral another day to attend its Sunday mass. I am glad I did. It was a peaceful mass with very friendly people inside. When you enter the Cathedral it is amazing how you get hit by all the beautiful stain glass around the Church. The color and craftsman of the of glass is very impressive. Pictures in the glass around the Cathedral are stories from the bible. Some scenes displayed are the Virgin Mary in the Temple of Jerusalem, the Last Super, feeding of the multitudes and the rose window above the choir portrays 7 angels. The church is 195 feet by 116 feet in length and width. The 2 bell spheres were capped at 210 feet in 1911. The Church was completed in 1911 and dedicated in 1912. When it opened some people called the church The magnificent Gothic cathedral. The architects for the Cathedral were inspired by French Gothic architecture. The Gothic style is noticed right away from the outside. The brass doors in the front of the cathedral are a feature not found in many US churches. When you enter, the floor plan is in a cruciform (latin cross) layout. Main aisle to the Altar and a cross aisle that leads to the arms of the church. The stain glass on those walls (of the arms) are memorable. In total there are 75 stained glass windows. When you are finished circling the stain glass you will notice the beautiful white altar and marble it is made of. The marble used for the altar, pulpit, bishops throne, statues and side altars area from the world's most famous quarry, Carrara Italy. If this wasn't enough to dazzle you, take a look at the 3,000 pipe Kimball organ under the Rose bud window. When circling around go visit the Tomb of Servant of God. A beautiful person entombed there. A former slave, Julia Greeley, who has a story of self sacrifice and christian charity.Being a history person, I came home to learn a little more about the Cathedral. In 1860 a group of catholics erected a chapel called St Mary's. St Mary's was sold in 1900. Wealthy miners bought a lot of land where the Cathedral stands today. Proceeds from the sale were used for the ground breaking ceremony and completed its foundation. Fundraising efforts began to complete the new church. Margaret Brown (The unsinkable Molly Brown) donated and also helped with fund raising efforts.Today some say the Immaculate conception is Denver's most beautiful Church. It sure is the most noted. Pope John Paul II visited the Cathedral on August 13th and 14th, 1993 during his trip for World Youth Day. This visit drew over 750,000 people to the region. In 1979, before his visit Pope John Paul II made the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception the first Minor Basilica approved during his pontificate. The name of this Cathedral is Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. If you are visiting Denver see the Cathedral!

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is only a block away from the Colorado Capitol we toured before.The Cathedral dates back to 19 cent, built in neo Gothic style with two bell towers. Interior is richly decorated with beautiful stained glass.

This cathedral reminds me of those that we've seen in Europe, so it was neat to see one in a US city. We were touring the capitol building, and this cathedral is only a block or so away, so we walked over to see it. The exterior is imposing, and the interior is pretty. Its main color is white, so the colors of the stained glass windows really stand out by contrast. This building isn't a must-see, but it was a fun opportunity to appreciate its architecture and decoration while we were in the area.

Nice cathedral but smaller than I thought. The service was very traditional and slow but filled with music. Nice glass windows!