St. Adalbert Basilica Interior Tour

In 1886 a group of Polish immigrants applied to then-Bishop Rt. Rev. Stephen Ryan and received his approval to build a church on Stanislaus Street, becoming the first congregation to break away from the area’s only Polish church at the time, St. Stanislaus. Work began on the current brick Romanesque church building on March 12, 1890. At the time, St. Adalbert was the largest church in Western New York, and was dedicated on July 12, 1891.

The year 1907 marked a momentous occasion for St. Adalbert when it became the first Basilica in the United States. 

At St. Adalbert Basilica, guests will see a portrait of Our Lady of Czestochowa (the Black Madonna) featuring the rare and detailed needlework for which the Felician Order of Nuns is known in Poland, brought back to America by the first pastor, and shown at the 1891 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo. You’ll also find multiple paintings by Joseph Mazur, as well as rare wood and paper mâché Stations of the Cross and stained-glass windows imported from Munich Germany. 

St. Adalbert Basilica is located at 212 Stanislaus Street, Buffalo NY 14212. This tour meets at the main doors on Stanislaus Street. The tour is handicapped accessible, with the front entrance accessible via a ramp (please note the ramp is a little steep). Street parking is available.  Guests may also park in the lot off of Rother Street and will need to walk around the building to the front of the Basilica. This tour is one hour in length. In the winter, the tour is fully indoors; in pleasant weather, the tour may include a short exterior visit to the outdoor grotto. 

This is a partnership tour – tours are led by docents from St. Adalbert Basilica. 

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 15 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 [email protected] 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: The tour is handicapped accessible, with the front entrance accessible via a ramp (please note the ramp is a little steep). Please contact us at [email protected] 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.