Drive through the city of Garden Grove and you cannot fail to spot this imposing structure glistening in the sun. The building’s roof and walls are constructed from over 10,000 rectangular panes of reflective glass, glued to a steel frame.
Garden Grove Community Church founder, Robert H. Schuller, changed the name of the church to Crystal Cathedral Ministries upon its completion in the 1980s. His congregation continued to expand and the church became one of America’s first mega-churches with a following from all four corners of the globe. Schuller was also one of the world’s best-known televangelists. His weekly Hour of Power sermons, recorded at the cathedral, were watched by around 20 million people worldwide when the programme reached its peak in the 1990s. However, dogged by financial problems, the Church’s board filed for bankruptcy in 2010 and Schuller no longer has any involvement.
Visitors are welcome to enter the church grounds, which include an outdoor courtyard and gardens adorned with religious statues and water features. This 40-acre site has a 72-metre high bell tower and a 300-seat auditorium as well as a café, dubbed The Welcoming Center.
The cathedral is home to one of the world’s largest pipe organs. It incorporates the Aeolian Skinner pipe organ, built in 1962 for New York’s philharmonic hall and the Ruffatti organ, which had been installed at the church’s previous sanctuary.
You can usually take a guided tour of the Church on Sundays following the regular morning service. Otherwise, collect a self-guided tour map available in the foyer of the Welcoming Center and while away an hour looking around the grounds.
There are quite a few changes taking place at the Church at the moment, so it’s best to check with the local tourist office before planning a visit. The Crystal Cathedral Ministry sold the cathedral and its adjacent campus to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange County in 2012. The new owners plan to completely renovate the interior of the cathedral and when they take possession in around 2015, its name will be changed to Christ Cathedral.
The Crystal Cathedral is located in Garden Grove, just a few kilometres south of Disneyland®. There’s plenty of free parking on-site.
