Written by Jessica Diaz, MOAH Collections
The Antelope Valley is home to many hidden gems. One of these is the Sanctuary Adventist church, a Spanish-style chapel that can be found on Avenue G and 200th street east. This site has been a popular filming location for multiple Hollywood movies, one of the most notable being “Kill Bill” volumes I and II. After its long history with Hollywood the chapel was later restored to a place of worship. It is important to note the chapel is still functional and holds mass every Saturday.
In the 1920s the building was actually built to serve as a community hall. It also served as a school, community center, dance hall, etc. It was not until 1981 that the building got its first makeover to make way for filming, which included installing a bell tower and front porch. Once filming concluded the building returned to its original function as a community center. Finally, in 2003 the interior of the building was transformed with wood paneled walls, wooden floors, and wooden beam arches that remain inside today. This transformation was due to the filming of the movie Kill Bill Vol. I and II that would later make the location famous.
In a strange twist of fate, once filming concluded in 1981 the building remained a church and began offering spiritual services. At this point, the building itself would no longer serve as a community center. According to the most recent picture taken by google maps the church is open for filming and has multiple phone numbers outside of its windows to book for filming. The church is a 21-mile drive from Lancaster and is worth the drive. So why not visit on a free day and explore all the area has to offer.
Image Source: The Sanctuary Adventist Church. Jeremy Michael Brown.
Glimpse of actors Uma Thurman and David Carradine standing outside of the Sanctuary Adventist church while filming for Kill Bill Vol I Image Source: IMDB
References
“Kill Bill: Vol. 2.”.N.D. IMDb, m.imdb.com/title/tt0378194/mediaviewer/rm4021654017/. Accessed 24 June 2023.