Grace Cathedral and Outdoor Labyrinth: The French Gothic Crown

Why is it significant?

Gaze up at the soaring twin bell towers and ornate central rose window of Grace Cathedral, crowning the high summit of Nob Hill like a medieval French basilica.

Key Facts

Open the walk

Gaze up at the soaring twin bell towers and ornate central rose window of Grace Cathedral, crowning the high summit of Nob Hill like a medieval French basilica. Built upon the site of railroad baron Charles Crocker's palatial Gilded Age mansion which burned to the ground in the 1906 earthquake, this magnificent Episcopal cathedral was designed by architect Lewis Hobart in the French Gothic style, modeled after Notre-Dame de Paris. Construction began in 1928, persevering through the Great Depression, and the soaring reinforced concrete structure was formally consecrated in 1964.

Step toward the ceremonial western entrance to inspect the magnificent gilded bronze Ghiberti Doors, exact casts of Lorenzo Ghiberti's fifteenth-century 'Gates of Paradise' on the Florence Baptistery. During World War II, original molds were buried to protect them from Nazi bombing, allowing San Francisco philanthropist Richard K. Gump to purchase these stunning casts in 1949 and install them here. The ten sculpted panels depict Old Testament narratives with breathtaking renaissance perspective and anatomical grace.

Look down at the terrazzo pavement of the outdoor plaza to see the famous Grace Cathedral Labyrinth, an exact reproduction of the medieval stone labyrinth laid into the floor of Chartres Cathedral in France around the year 1200. Thousands of visitors from all faiths walk its winding single circuit in walking meditation, seeking mental clarity and inner peace high above the city traffic. The intricate architectural craftsmanship and preserved streetscapes remind every visitor of the city's remarkable ability to reinvent itself after catastrophic disasters while safeguarding its authentic bohemian soul. The intricate architectural craftsmanship and preserved streetscapes remind every visitor of the city's remarkable ability to reinvent itself after catastrophic disasters while safeguarding its authentic bohemian soul.

In 1965, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a historic sermon from the cathedral's carved stone pulpit before thousands of listeners during the height of the civil rights movement.

Cross Taylor Street eastward toward Mason Street to the grand columned entrance of the historic Fairmont Hotel.