St. Nicholas Orthodox Church

Built a year before the first Apollo moon landing, St. Nicholas Orthodox Church’s peculiar architecture reflects society’s obsession with all things space travel at the beginning of the Space Age.

One of the only features of the futuristic-looking church’s exterior that bears any resemblance to a church is the building’s blue onion dome and Orthodox cross. The church doesn’t have many right angles on the outside; instead its lines curve and arch in exaggerated fashion, lending the church a whimsical, futuristic feel. Completing the futuristic motif is the structure’s roof, which is composed of metallic silver tiles.

The church is the second built on the site. The original building was erected in 1919 and lasted for nearly fifty years until it was replaced in 1968. 

In contrast to its fascinating facade, the interior looks more like a traditional Orthodox Church with wooden pews, an ornate chandelier, and Orthodox iconography.