Starting at the 110th Street subway stop, you can begin your tour by walking east along 110th Street to Amsterdam Ave and going north to West 111th Street. You'll hit the Peace Fountain at St. John the Divine first, and by walking further east you will find yourself in front of the Cathedral itself.

The cathedral, designed in 1888 and begun in 1892, has undergone radical stylistic changes and the interruption of the two World Wars. Originally designed in the Byzantine Revival-Romanesque Revival styles, the plan was changed after 1909 to a Gothic Revival design. After a large fire on December 18, 2001, it was closed for repairs and reopened in November 2008. It remains unfinished, with construction and restoration a continuing process. Among the largest churches in the world, the Gothic and Romanesque-style architecture also features an immense Guastavino tile dome. The Cathedral is home to the American Poets Corner, an altarpiece by Keith Haring, stained glass with images of inventors and artists, as well as wandering peacocks. The cathedral is additionally a major center for concert musical performances and its expansive exhibits shape contemporary discourse around art, social justice, and environmental themes.