The predecessor to the Basilica of Saint Mary was the Church of the Immaculate Conception. It was dedicated in 1871 on 3rd Street and 3rd Avenue North in Minneapolis. At that time, Minneapolis was part of the Diocese of Saint Paul and the cathedral for the diocese was the third Cathedral of Saint Paul in St. Paul.^[5]

By the beginning of the 20th century, the Church of Immaculate Conception was surrounded by warehouses. Given the increasing population of Minneapolis, Archbishop John Ireland of what is now the Archdiocese of Saint Paul, announced plans in 1903 for the Pro-Cathedral of Saint Mary. It would replace the Immaculate Conception Church in a different location in the city. Technically, the official name of the new structure was Immaculate Conception Church, but the archdiocese called it the Pro-Cathedral of Saint Mary from the beginning. The next year, Ireland also announced plans to replace the Cathedral of Saint Paul with a larger building.

In 1905, the department store owner Lawrence S. Donaldson donated a one-block land parcel on Hennepin Avenue near Loring Park in Minneapolis to the archdiocese for the new pro-cathedral.^[5] Ireland awarded the design contract for St. Mary's to the Franco-American architect Emmanuel Louis Masqueray, who was also designing the new Cathedral of Saint Paul. Masqueray used a Beaux-Arts style for the pro-cathedral.^[6]

The groundbreaking for the Pro-Cathedral of Saint Mary was held on August 7, 1907, with foundation construction continuing through May 1908. The cornerstone for the new pro-cathedral was laid on May 31, 1908; the ceremony included 30,000 participants, 20 bishops, 300 priests and seminarians from the Saint Paul Seminary, and 500 cadets from the College of Saint Thomas in St. Paul.^[7]

As construction on St. Mary's and the Cathedral of Saint Paul progressed, American Architect magazine commented on the two projects:

"The two Catholic Cathedrals will be -- when completed, noteworthy achievements in church building for any period; in extent and splendor they promise to surpass anything yet attempted in ecclesiastical work in the United States."^[7]

The Pro-Cathedral of Saint Mary held its first mass on May 31, 1914. However, the interior decoration, windows, and plaster work were delayed due to the American entry into World War I in 1917.^[3] The structure was dedicated in 1921. After the interior was finally completed in 1925, it was formally named the Pro-cathedral of Saint Mary..^[7]

The Pro-Cathedral of Saint Mary was established as a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1926, making it the first basilica in the United States.^[8]In 1941, the basilica was formally consecrated by Archbishop Dennis Dougherty of Philadelphia as part of the Ninth National Eucharistic Congress in Minneapolis and St Paul.^[9]

Pope Paul VI changed the Archdiocese of Saint Paul to the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis in 1966.^[10] At this point, the Basilica of Saint Mary officially became the Basilica Co-Cathedral of Saint Mary.

The basilica was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.^[1] Its significance was due to three reasons: its excellent architecture and engineering design, as an expression of Baroque influence in church architecture; an example of the history of religious movements in Minnesota; and its place as the first basilica in the United States.^[7]

In 1991, the archdiocese replaced the copper roof on St Mary's, fixing the water leaks that had been damaging the building due to deferred maintenance.^[3] In 2011, the basilica was the recipient of a $100,000 preservation grant from Partners in Preservation, chosen through a public vote. The archdiocese used the funds to repair the narthex and sacristy of the basilica, and help restore the paint and gold leaf found throughout the structure.^[11]

In 2020, the basilica received minor fire damage during the protests over the murder in Minneapolis of George Floyd that year. Two pews were splashed with flammable liquid and set on fire.^[12][13][14]The archdiocese in April 2026 began a $45 million restoration of the main worship area of the basilica that would limit its use for the next 12 months. The plan included the replastering of walls, the restoration of all the pews and the cleaning of bricks and stained glass windows.^[15]

The nave of the basilica is lighted by five large arched stained glass windows. It has a barrel vault that is 82 feet (25 m) high, exceeding St. Peter's Basilica in Rome by 2 feet (0.61 m). The marble altar is located underneath a 50-foot-high (15 m) marble-columned baldacchino.^[7] The seating capacity is 1,600 in the pews.^[5]

The sanctuary, at the north end of the nave, is topped with a grand dome measuring 40 square feet (3.7 m²) at the base and rising 138 feet (42 m) above the floor. On the exterior, the dome has a flèche, or lantern, topped with a bronze cross. The cross is 62 feet (19 m) in height. The flèche and cross give the dome a total height 200 feet (61 m).^[7]

The Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel honors the visions received in 1531 by Juan Diego of the Virgin Mary on Tepeyac Hill in Mexico. On three occasions, Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to him. The mosaic of the Blessed Virgin in the chapel replicates a mosaic at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.^[17]

The Our Lady of Lavang Shrine honors the vision of the Virgin Mary in 1798 to a group of Catholics one night in the Kingdom of Nguyễn Quang Toản (present-day Vietnam). The group was in hiding after facing persecution from the king. The shrine contains a marble statue of Our Lady of Lavang that was carved by a sculptor in Vietnam.^[18]

This shrine contains a statue of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception that was created in 1879 for the church of the same name. The diocese moved it to the basilica in 1913.^[19]

This shrine contains a statue of Anne with her seated daughter, the Virgin Mary.^[20]

The Shrine of Saint Anthony contains a statue of Anthony of Padua, a Portuguese sainted priest of the 13th century who is a doctor of the church.^[21]

This shrine contains a statue of Joseph, the husband of the Virgin Mary. He holds a flowering staff, in recognition of the story of his turning a dead branch into a flowering live one.^[22]

This shrine displays a statue of Thérèse of Lisieux, a 19th century French nun who is a doctor of the church.^[23]

The Basilica Cathedral Choir, a 90-voice auditioned, volunteer choir, provides choral music on Sunday mass and on the Holy Days of Obligation. The choir repertoire spans multiple genres and time periods.^[24] The Schola Cantorum, a 12-voice professional choir, sings for vespers, confirmations, and special services.^[25]

The basilica pipe organ, Wicks Opus No. 3047, was installed in 1949 and dedicated in 1950. It was constructed by the Wicks Organ Company of Highland, Illinois. The instrument includes several stops that were scaled and designed by Henry Vincent Willis IV of England. The pipe organ underwent a complete renovation in 2008, including the addition of a new relay and console. The pipe now consists of 82 ranks on four manuals and pedal. The en-chamade herald trumpet is actually tuba-scale; it is modeled after the English town hall Willis tubas. Voiced on 25" wind, it is the most commanding such stop in the Upper Midwest.^[26][27]

Since 1996, the basilica has hosted a variety of artists and musical ensembles through its artist-in-residence program. As of 2015^[update], the following musical entities were in residence:

• Director of Music Teri Larson
• Composer Donald Krusback
• The Basilica Brass Ensemble
• The Minnesota Sinfonia
• The Rose Ensemble
• The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra

From 1995 to 2020, the basilica served as the venue for the annual Basilica Block Party music festival. The event raises money toward the ongoing restoration of the basilica.The party was paused in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, then came back in 2021. After another hiatus of two years, the party was moved in 2024 to Boom Island Park in Minneapolis. It was paused again in 2025.^[28][29]