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Churches and Temples Open Their Doors This Weekend

Temple Emanu-El at 1 East 65th St. is one of several New York temples and churches that will be open to the public as part of New York Landmarks Conservancy's Sacred Sites weekend.
Temple Emanu-El at 1 East 65th St. is one of several New York temples and churches that will be open to the public as part of New York Landmarks Conservancy's Sacred Sites weekend.
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NEW YORK CITY — Churches and temples will throw open their doors this weekend to showcase the stone carvings, stained glass and mosaics that make them spiritual and historic landmarks.

Houses of worship throughout the city will be open for the public to explore during the New York Landmarks Conservancy's annual Sacred Sites Open House Weekend on May 19 and 20.

The Landmarks Conservancy hosts the annual event to give New Yorkers a chance to see examples of beautiful architecture while also letting churches and temples show off their history, cultural programming and social services.

"Religious art and architecture is perhaps our greatest creative achievement," said Peg Breen, President of the Landmarks Conservancy, in a statement.

"Nowhere in the United States is this better demonstrated than right here in New York with its rich diversity of religions and ecclesiastical buildings. The Open House Weekend is a wonderful opportunity to truly be a tourist in your own town.”

The houses of worship that will open their doors include the Church of the Incarnation at 209 Madison Ave., which was built in 1864. It features stained-glass windows designed by William Morris, Edward Burne-Jones, Louis Comfort Tiffany, and John LaFarge. The church will be open on May 20 from 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

On May 19 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation at 302 W. 91st St. will be open for viewing. It was designed by the architectural firm of Heins & LaFarge, the first architects of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, and constructed in 1893-1894 as the Fourth Presbyterian Church.

Also on the list: St. Bartholomew's at 325 Park Ave., St. Michael’s Episcopal Church at 225 W. 99th St., and Temple Emanu-El and One East 65th Street.