Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph
Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph
4.5
About
Built in 1876, this church serves the oldest parish in San Jose.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
314 reviews
Excellent
214
Very good
87
Average
11
Poor
2
Terrible
0
ItchyFeet
Camarillo, CA11,639 contributions
Sept 2022 • Couples
We saw the cathedral as we were walking around downtown San Jose. I always like to see churches and cathedrals in different cities that I travel to. This one has very nice unique architecture but unfortunately all the doors were closed when we were there which was late Sunday afternoon.
Written 5 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
williamNola
nola294 contributions
Jan 2020
the church's exterior is special and unique. the inside, however, is no better than a hundred other churches I've been in. I really wanted ( and expected ) it to be better having seen so many good reviews. maybe the reviewers just haven't seen that many churches. the windows are nice but not special. the assorted statuary are nice but not special. and it's actually kind of small. the Spanish 5:30 mass was quite spiritual. I appreciated it very much. but unless you're going to mass, the outside of the church is all you need to see.
Written 1 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
vivaeldori
3 contributions
Aug 2019
I forgot the name of the priest but he was very friendly. My family likes to go to churches like Basilicas and Missions. The thing I love most in this church is the dome inside when you look up. It is absolutely beautiful. The priest asked us, you dont seemed like a regular here, is this your first time here? Incredible how a priest can remember faces out of thousands of churchgoers. After the mass, street vendors are so cool, you will find food carts and just walking distance is fabulous places and landmarks at downtown San Jose.
Written 11 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maddie S.
Rancho Murieta, CA7 contributions
Aug 2022
Didn't expect the cathedral to be as breathtaking as it was. The altar had unique marble steps around it. The Sacraments lined the walls from left to right starting from the back of the property. They had the biggest and most beautiful holy water font I have ever seen. We saw large statues around the property. Beautifully lit with large stained glass windows.
Written 10 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BigMerk
Glasgow, UK2,709 contributions
Sept 2024 • Friends
We were visiting on a road trip and, being Sunday, we were going to mass. I had misread the website and we ended up at a mass in Spanish (neither of us speak a word). However it was great to be inside this stunning building. Of course we could follow the mass which was very lively throughout. We enjoyed our visit here and would recommend it as a good place to see.
Written 20 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pablo
San Jose, CA5 contributions
Dec 2019 • Family
Gorgeous building with lots of stained glass. Great location in the down town area near the park and lots of restaurants. Don’t miss the opportunity to visit this historical site!
Written 11 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sue R
Orlando, FL130 contributions
Aug 2019 • Couples
Phil’s the man! Architectural history delightfully presented by delightful man.
Stunning stained glass windows.
Stunning stained glass windows.
Written 7 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Heather T
Raleigh, NC177 contributions
Aug 2018 • Solo
I stopped in here on my way to the San Jose Art Museum and I'm really glad I did. It's a beautiful cathedral with a lot of history. I won't spoil that by mentioning any of it here. My guide was very friendly and knowledgeable, though I cannot remember her name. Anyway, their tours are usually between 1pm-3pm during the week and it's definitely worth a stop.
Written 24 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CarrieLyz
Hong Kong, China24 contributions
Sept 2017 • Solo
Must go in to visit as it is really a nice beautiful church at the city centre! During my visitation so happened there is a wedding going on.. Its such a beautiful moment! I would come back here again in future..
Written 10 March 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
C A
Denver, CO30 contributions
Mar 2014 • Business
This Basilica is located in a remarkable location in downtown San Jose, CA. I was moved by it's stunning architecture and service on an Ash Wednesday. I was in San Jose on business and when enterd St. Joseph's Cathedral - I thought I was in europe.
This is a must see - the architecture is simply amazing!
This is a must see - the architecture is simply amazing!
Written 10 February 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Damilola E
Lagos State, Nigeria
Hello. I'll be visiting San Jose pretty soon and this Church is certainly a MUST. Is it open all day for the public? I'll love to take photos of the interiors and exterior during the day and at night. Any ideas on permits or what I need to do without having any issues.
Many thanks,
Dami
Written 27 March 2015
I visited the church in the morning around 8 am during the weekdays and they have no services so was able to walk about freely. It is wise to check the church website for mass schedule to avoid the crowd. FYI there is another nice church, Mission Santa Clara De Asis, in Santa Clara university.
Written 29 March 2015
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