You don’t have to book a flight across the ocean to stand beneath a soaring Gothic spire or gaze up at a dome that echoes old Rome. Right here in Illinois, from busy Chicago streets to quiet cornfield towns, there are churches so grand they could pass for European landmarks.
Many of them cost nothing to step inside, making them a wonderful and affordable outing for families who love history and beautiful details. Here are twelve stone-and-stained-glass treasures worth a road trip.
1. Holy Name Cathedral, Chicago
Right in the heart of Chicago’s Gold Coast, this 1800s cathedral rises with the kind of pointed grandeur you’d expect from a European city center. Classic Gothic Revival lines give it soaring height and a sense of quiet awe the moment you walk through the doors.
Inside, a vaulted ceiling stretches overhead while colorful stained glass throws soft light across the nave. Every arch and pinnacle draws your eye upward, a design trick borrowed straight from the great cathedrals of Europe…