One of my favorite places in the DC area is the National Cathedral. Despite my irreligiousness, I have always found places of worship (of any religion) to be compelling. In boarding school I used to sneak into the chapel and sit on a pew to read. At Oberlin I enjoyed Finney Chapel in the same way. Overseas, I’ve spent a fair amount of time at Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, and Jewish shrines, mosques, and temples. Most such places create a sense of awe and peace, calming my thoughts and providing space for contemplation.

The National Cathedral certainly has heaping portions of awe. I discovered it in late high school when the west towers were still under construction. I think my friend and D&D buddy, Dan Williamson, (“Toby,” back then) was the first to introduce me to it. It was free to visit, so I used to swing by fairly regularly to wander around or find a comfortable nook to read in (or to scribble notes for my next D&D adventure).

Ever since being damaged by an unusual earthquake in 2011, it has an entrance fee to help cover repair expenses. (Repairs are ongoing, hopefully to be completed in 2025.) Between that and getting out to DC infrequently, I have only visited a handful of times in the past few decades. It remains as magnificent as ever.

One thing that I appreciate about the cathedral is the history and culture that is woven into its art. There’s a grotesque (like a gargoyle) of Darth Vader. There are busts and statues of presidents and historic civil rights leaders. There are stained glass windows commemorating Native Americans and the moon landing. On our latest visit, we learned that the cathedral recently decided to replace two windows portraying Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson with designs by Kerry James Marshall.

We visited as a family on the Tuesday after Christmas. Here’s a haphazard selection of photos from our visit.