St. Thomas Church

Profile

This Episcopal church's imposing stone sanctuary (which seats 1,700) places its most dramatic component behind the altar. Eighty feet high and 43 feet wide, the elaborately carved wall—or reredos in church parlance—is adorned with dozens of saints, bishops, and missionaries. Yet the symbols and likenesses here and throughout aren't strictly religious either: You'll find George Washington amid the holies; a locomotive on a choir stall; and Gandhi and Eleanor Roosevelt on the stained glass windows. Just as great a source of pride for Saint Thomas is the choir of men and boys. Formed in 1917, just four years after this French High Gothic structure was built, the group has toured the U.S. and Europe, hitting venues like Carnegie Hall and the Vatican along the way. — Danny Freedman

Self guided tour pamphlets are available in the entrance. Free guided tours are given on Sundays around 12:30 p.m.