Aura Vista

The Labyrinth at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine

New York, New York, United States

The Chartres-tradition labyrinth walked in the nave of the worlds largest Gothic cathedral, part of a long-running urban contemplative program.

The Cathedral of St. John the Divine, the largest Gothic cathedral in the world and still unfinished, has run a labyrinth program for decades: a Chartres-tradition path laid in the nave for scheduled public walks, quiet days, and the cathedral's great processional arts events. The practice belongs to the same lineage as Grace Cathedral's revival, and New York's walks made the labyrinth a permanent part of the city's contemplative infrastructure rather than a visiting exhibit.

The cathedral itself is a singular building: a living construction site of gothic craft, with its own peacocks and stone carving yard. Walking a medieval path beneath its vaults is among the most fully architectural of the urban labyrinth experiences.

Visiting

Amsterdam Ave at 112th St, NYC; labyrinth walks are scheduled events on the cathedral calendar; check dates, walks are not daily. Companion entry to the cathedral's own page.

Photo: [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cathedral_of_St_John_The_Divine_001.jpg), CC BY-SA.

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