St Paul's with its world-famous Dome is an iconic feature of the London skyline, but there is much more to Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece than its impressive facade.

A spiritual focus for the nation since its first service in 1697, many important events have taken place within its walls, from the state funerals of Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and Sir Winston Churchill to the wedding of the Prince of Wales to Lady Diana Spencer and the Thanksgiving services for Her Majesty The Queen's Golden Jubilee and 80th birthday.

The Cathedral is currently in the process of being restored and the results so far are breathtaking.

The West Front, once blackened and damaged, now rises majestically at the top of Ludgate Hill and details previously hidden stand out crisp and proud. The interior has been transformed by state of the art restoration techniques and the light that now floods the space highlights the luminescent Portland stone and brings mosaics, carvings and sculpture to life. In the Dome, exquisite 18th century paintings by Sir James Thornhill showing scenes from the life of St Paul have been returned to their original beauty.

But of course, the pinnacle of any trip to St Paul's has to be the winding journey up the spiral staircase to the Whispering Gallery to sample its unique audio effects before travelling up and out to the Stone and Golden Galleries, which afford a panoramic view of London that is second to none.

Self service café and Refectory

A wide range of merchandise from postcards and pens to children's activity books, posters and china.

Toilets are located in the Crypt. Baby changing facilities are available

The nearest Underground station is St Paul's on the Central Line (within Zone 1) which is a five minute walk from the Cathedral. Mansion House, Cannon Street and Blackfriars stations on the District and Circle Line are a slightly longer walk. Central Line trains run every 4 minutes during weekdays and every 6 minutes at weekends. * Please note that all these stations cannot be accessed by people using wheelchairs. Please contact London Transport for information about the closest station to the Cathedral for wheelchair users.

Workbooks and 'family trails' on a wide range of topics related to the Cathedral are available to download from the St Paul's website

If you've had fun on your family day out to St Paul's Cathedral, tell us about it your visit, so other people will know it's a great place to go as well.

http://www.stpauls.co.uk/