We are so fortunate to have this gem in Pittsburgh! The chapel itself is beautiful. Gorgeous stations of the cross and beautiful architecture. But the real star is the relics. It is purported to be the largest collection of relics outside of the Vatican and I believe it! You can just visit the chapel on your own, or you can take one of the guided tours. The guided tours give you a great overview of the history of the church, some information about the collector of the relics and then a quick "highlights" tour of some of the more notable relics. Being that there are SOOOOO many relics, I highly recommend getting the tour. If you don't partake in the tour (or if you are spending time there after the tour) there are binders that list the saints and where their relics are located. Some are tiny (things like bone fragments) but some are larger (and even creepy like a skull). If you are Catholic, this is a must see. Even if you aren't Catholic, you could still enjoy a visit to appreciate the history of the church and the "miracle worker" that founded it. read more

Father Suitbert Mollinger collected more than 5,000 relics in the late 19th Century, then built a large chapel to house them. It's an impressive number of relics. St Anthony's is very unique and is definitely worth visiting. There are splinters from the Holy Cross, a scrap of the Blessed Mother's veil, and bones from all 12 disciples. read more

I came Easter Day this Monday and there's parking at noon so quiet and so much to look at , friendly people explaining the statues wood is imported from the German black wood forest. The relics are bone shards and textiles and pieces from actual saints, I love it I love history and the gift shop idea is great. I'm always shy and nervous to go near churches because it's members only but Saint Anthonys is welcoming to the public and sharing knowledge of real peoples biographical information. I would come back. Thank you for your kindness. read more

A very holy experience! So many beautiful relics. The tour was very informative. We received a special blessing from the Father on our anniversary. read more

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A sacred place. Listen to the audio tour with headphones. Docents are friendly, available to answer your questions. Chapel gift store has a wide variety of gifts with reasonable prices. read more

I love going on vacation and visiting unique churches. There is a lot of love that goes into building churches with dedication, time and details. Pittsburgh is rich with tradition and history. This is one of those places that is hard to believe exist in the United States. It really reminds me of several churches I have visited in Northern Europe. I was in awe when I stepped inside and there is a gentleman at the church who gives the history of why it was built and the incredible artwork that is located in the church. This is the second largest collection of relics of Saints. The first being the Vatican. We were pressed for time, so we walked around the chapel and then went across the street so that I could purchase the book that explained all the relics and history of the church. This is truly a historic place that has contributed so much to the community within Pittsburgh. read more

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Quick disclaimer: I'm not religious. But I'm interested in beautiful architecture and the macabre. The chapel has extremely limited hours (at time of review 12p-3p daily). I'll start by saying: the exterior does not do it justice. Someone greeted us as we walked in. He was very nice and available for any questions. It was a self guided walk through. Really beautiful objects. Tons of saints' bones. We weren't allowed to take photos though. There's also a little shop across the street that has a 2 room history museum of the man that gathered all the artifacts. It was interesting, but skippable if you're pressed for time. read more

This is a 5-star place because it is unique and can be found in Atlas Obscura or Off-the-beaten path kind of guides. It means so much more to people with the Catholic faith. I do not know if other faiths adore pieces of people-saints bones but for Catholic faith in Europe that is a BIG deal. Now go back to 19th century. Imagine a priest from Europe tending (mostly German) immigrant flock and building a shrine where all relics will be visible along life-size Stations of the Cross made by German woodworking masters. It is a beautiful place to see. Today Anthony's Chapel is home to 5,000 relics, the largest collection of Catholic relics outside of the Vatican itself. These include thousands of bone fragments from hundreds of Catholic saints. Each of these relics are housed in reliquaries, some of which are quite elaborate. Some reliquaries contain one large relic, such as the skull of a saint, while others contain hundreds of tiny relics from a variety of different saints. It is very comforting to see that even the saints have same sculls and bones like we do. You will enter a special place in St. Anthony's and you may feel more strange when you get out and enter reality of the Earthly life. read more

This is a really interesting place to visit in Pittsburgh. Whether you're into the historical or the religious aspect of it, this is definitely a place to see. The chapel is open from 1-4 pm Saturday through Thursday. There is a parking lot across from the church that you can use. While the outside of the chapel is beautiful, it is nothing compared to the inside. You will be wowed as soon as you enter the church. The inside is spectacularly designed and the chapel houses the largest collection of Christian relics outside of the Vatican. There is even a skull! On the last Saturday of every month, a group prays the rosary here and has mass at 12. It was a very cool experience. Tours and candles are available for a suggested donation of $3. Along the walls there were some books that listed every single relic that the chapel has. Across the street, there is a chapel store. The store sells a variety of things from books to holy water canisters. We were actually able to meet one of the authors of the books at the store and had a very interesting talk. I would highly suggest visiting Saint Anthony's Chapel read more

My wife and I have visited St. Anthony's Chapel three time so far and every time the experience is a moving one. I would recommend the guided tour. The amount of relics contained in the chapel is amazing. If you a person of faith this is a wonderful place. read more

St Anthony's Chapel - View from the street - Churches Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Though nondescript on the outside, those that enter will be amazed at the shear amount of miniature bone fragment relics, kitschy displays, and Pittsburgh history present. You probably wont spend more than a half hour here, unless you stop for the quick tour, which will provide the backstory for those truly curious about the life and times of Fr. Mollinger. What a random jewel! read more

I've lived in Pittsburgh for 20 years and JUST discovered St. Anthony's Chapel. A friend of mine was visiting from NYC and, though not at all religious, he's an antiques and history freak. He discovered SAC and urged us to take him there. This is home to the largest collection of relics open to the public in the world and to a life-sized version of statuary of the Stations of the Cross. The experience is breathtaking. The tour guides -- free tours Sat through Thu at 1, 2, and 3pm -- are extremely knowledgeable and open to any and all questions. We were just blown away by the rich history and beauty of the place plunked down in the middle of a rather ordinary corner of the North Side. If you have guests in town looking for something out of the ordinary or if you've never been, it's well worth the schlep. read more

This gorgeous chapel is the home of over 5,000 relics of saints and religious figures from the Catholic church. Only the Vatican housed more relics. It's a treasure for sure. I chaperoned my son's 5th grade class as they had the opportunity to tour the chapel and celebrate mass there. So beautiful and inspiring! No photos are allowed. A small donation is encouraged ($3/person) and candles can be lot for devotion as well ($3/ea). Parking is available on a tree or in the lot across the street. read more

This is a Beautiful chapel with the live station of the cross .will make think how Jesus station of the cross was .Biblical true and now we can see bit of his suffering in statues . read more

This place is a hidden gem. It's completely unassuming on the outside but step inside and you're blown away by a beautiful interior and an incredible array of Christian relics. There's no entry fee but there is a suggested donation of a few dollars or so. Not sure if it's ever busy but we visited on a Wednesday afternoon and we were the only ones there. It's not an especially large church so I wouldn't expect to spend more than 20 minutes or so looking around. There's also a shop across the street that also houses a tiny museum about the history of the church. read more

I was raised Catholic (but no longer practice), and have always been fascinated by relics and the stories of saints--so I was really looking forward to our tour of St Anthony's. BEWARE: I can't speak for their other guides, but the gentleman (a lay person, not a priest) who "led" ours was far more interested in haranguing the crowd on the nature of TRUE believers, the infallibility of the Catholic faith, and whether we'd all found our "charisms" - the gifts we needed to be using if we were going to be saints, too--than showing us any relics. After an hour of his sermon--and nary a single fact about the hundreds of relics that surrounded us--we left. What a disappointment. What a huckster. read more

Wow - we took a bus trip from our church (St. Cecilia Parish in Rochester, PA) to St. Anthony's Chapel to see the Relics. It was amazing and fascinating. Hearing the stories and some of the history of the chapel was interesting and informative. There is so much to see, I'd like to go back & spend some more time there. Jill - the tour guide was very helpful and accommodating. And a highlight was our priest (Fr. Paul Kuppe) having mass for us in the Chapel. It was a lovely day with some wonderful people. Great trip! Some people were asking about buying the book about the chapel, does anyone know where you can purchase the book? Thanks! SISTA SUE read more

This place is unbelievable. I was never really into religious relics but the history involved in these relics is really intimidating. Go on a tour with someone knowledgable and you won't feel the same way about your Catholic faith again. Relics from the apostles and 5000 others saints along with slivers from the cross. Priest that collected these had to be spiritually inspired. Awesome story and a hidden treasure!! read more

If the fin-de-siecle French novelist J.K. Huysmans appeared on my doorstep via a time machine and asked to see the local sights, this chapel would be first on our tour. It contains up to 5000 relics of Catholic saints and religious figures including, purportedly, a thorn from the Crown of Thorns, a splinter from the True Cross, a piece of Moses' staff, a thread from Mary's veil, and many, many more items. Oh, including relics from all 12 apostles. In addition, the perimeter of the chapel expansion contains nearly life size statues illustrating the 14 stops on the Way of the Cross which are striking carvings, almost macabre, as befits a depiction of the torture of Christ. The chapel's reliquaries alone are worth viewing for the intricate metal artwork, as is the woodwork, the design of the chapel, and the stained glass windows - no matter your religious persuasion, or lack thereof. I felt removed in time and place as if I were a character in a Henry James novel, passing an afternoon on a Grand Tour, in a provincial chapel in Alta Italia. Be advised, it will probably take an hour or two afterwards at the Warhol Museum to bring you back to the 21st century. read more