When my family moved to Arizona in 1980, the Capstone Cathedral immediately caught my eye.
Well, more accurately, the awesome glowing green pyramid captivated me. I didn’t know what it was called or what went on inside of it — I was 6 years old at the time. I remember being vaguely aware that it might be a church. One of my brothers told me the church believed that, when Jesus returned to Earth, he would take a seat at the top of the pyramid (being as literal-minded as I was, I asked why the church didn’t put a seat up at the tip of the pyramid to make the savior a bit more comfortable). If you want the real scoop behind Capstone Cathedral, check out this great story on the Phoenix New Times website.
My Capstone Cathedral Curiosity
But the real point: I always wanted to go inside. I had visions of weird cultists crawling around. That was enough to keep me away. Every time I drove by, I stared at the pyramid. Especially at night.
Up Close with an Icon
One day, I drove past the Capstone Cathedral. And I didn’t have much to do. Even more importantly, I had a decent camera in my car. Just a Fuji superzoom, not an SLR. But I figured, why wait” I started with some outside photos.
As you can see, the Capstone Cathedral is worse for wear these days – the paint is fading and some of the green glass in the upper pyramid is fractured. It saddens me to see the neglect. I’m not a religious guy, but the boldness of the architecture fascinates me and makes me believe the ol’ pyramid deserves better.
Anyway, I got my exterior shots — and then crept up on a door. Maybe someone was around, and would let me take a few photos inside.
Inside the Capstone Cathedral
I pushed on the first door, and it opened. I couldn’t hear anything, and I decided it was time for a little bit of urban exploration. In I went, camera ISO cranked up to adjust for the low light. The outer ring reminded me of a bad high school gym lobby.
When I pushed my way into the main arena, though, things got truly cool. First, I noticed a fairly new sound system that was all powered up. Everything looked like it was working, as if waiting for the congregation to show up.
The light shining through the green dome was everything I expected. I definitely got that “at long last” rush that comes from finally seeing something I’ve always wanted to see. I took my photos and bolted; even though it was open, I knew someone would get bent out of shape by a camera-wielding buffoon wandering the halls unescorted.
What’s Next for the Capstone Cathedral”
I don’t know what’s happening with Capstone Cathedral now. But if I had my way, I’d love to see an enterprising soul turn it into an events and music venue. The potential is definitely there. Unfortunately, the land is just too valuable and I have a sneaking suspicion that it’s going to get bulldozed in the near future.
(It still hasn’t happened yet as of Spring 2019)
UPDATE: October 2021
Well, it looks like Capstone Cathedral has been re-named The Pyramid and is now home to the Arizona Kings volleyball club. This is a truly awesome re-use, and I’d love to know more details about how the club arranged for this.
It’s not quite as exciting as turning it into a music venue, but it’s still a solid way to protect the building. It would be an absolute shame for it to be torn down. And it beats being recycled by another cult, right”
I’d also love to hear from any of the volleyball club players or parents about what they think of The Pyramid!
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thanks for the photos on this! I’ve lived in the area awhile now and always wondered what it looked like inside. I thought music venue would be cool, but unfortunately the owner has sold off so much of the sorrounding space, I don’t think you would ever have enough parking. I’m also afraid it’s day are numbered…
Yeah. I think the overhead would be just too much for a music venue owner, too. Thanks for dropping by!
what going on with this church? when in AZ id see it –is it closed now or what ?? Dave Jarvis—Denver
Hi here, Dave.
I haven’t dropped in for awhile, so I can’t say for certain. One website has it listed as vacant, but doesn’t cite any evidence that it is. Sorry I can’t give you a better answer. Maybe I’ll have to revisit it. If I do, I’ll update my response to your question.
Thanks for dropping by!
Hi! I’m into urban exploration, and unique religious churches and the like. Do you have any GPS coordinates or locations to help find this? Even just exterior photos would kick something off my bucket list. Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance!
Never looked up coordinates – I used to pass by it every day, so no real need. Just plug it into the Google Maps feature on your phone and you’ll be fine.
We were on our mountain bikes by this church. According to our phone, the roof has a 18 degree slope. It looks like concrete, so it probably ride-able. After the first ledge, the concrete is really metal. It sags when there is weight on it.
So we did not continue up the roof.
Too bad it’s not more sturdy. I’d love to see some mountain bikes riding all over that thing. Get Hans Rey out there!