St. Louis Roman Catholic Church Interior Tour

Explore the history and architecture of St. Louis Church, the Mother Church of the Diocese of Buffalo, founded in 1829 by French nobleman and first resident Catholic, Louis Stephen LeCouteulx. The tour will begin with an introductory video detailing the renowned history of the parish from its humble beginnings in a log church to the present magnificent Gothic style edifice completed in 1889 by architects Schickel and Ditmar.

Your visit then proceeds to the church museum to view original artifacts, vestments, and photos including a visit to the tomb of Rev. Joseph M. Sorg, pastor at the time of the present church’s erection. After the museum, the tour will move upstairs for an extensive tour of the present church, with special emphasis on statuary, stained glass, and woodcarvings.

St. Louis Roman Catholic Church is located at the corner of Main and Edward Streets, at 35 Edward Street, Buffalo NY 14202. Guests can park in the parking lot at the rear of the church, which is accessible from Franklin Street. The docent will meet you at the entrance from the parking lot, which has an elevator (the front doors facing Main Street will not be open). This tour is 2 hours long.

This is a partnership tour – tours are led by docents from St. Louis Church. 

Check in 9:45am

Tour Procedures & Policies: 

• Reservations are required for all tours, including for Explorer Pass members. Walk-ups without reservations cannot be accommodated. Tours are generally limited to a maximum of 18 people per group. 
  • Reservations close two hours before the tour’s scheduled start time (for example, reservations close at 8am for a 10am tour). 
  • To redeem an orange Explore Buffalo walking tour pass, please email explore@explorebuffalo.org at least 24 hours in advance to reserve your tour. 
  • The Explore Buffalo docent for your tour will have a list of tour reservations for their tour; you do not need to print or bring any tour confirmation. 
• Accessibility: This tour is fully handicapped accessible – there is an elevator to access the museum in the lower level of the church. Please contact us at explore@explorebuffalo.org or (716) 245-3032 if you plan to attend this tour and will require accommodations or if you have questions about accessibility. 
• Please wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for the weather. In the event of weather that requires a tour cancellation, we will contact registered tour guests in advance of the tour. 
• See our FAQs page for our refund policy and answers to other questions.
• By confirming your reservation for any Explore Buffalo tour, you acknowledge and accept Explore Buffalo’s tour policies.