Immanuel Presbyterian Church
The historic Immanuel Presbyterian Church is a striking silhouette in Koreatown with Gothic architecture and stained windows from which an ethereal glow seems to emanate. And, there are plenty of reasons why it looks familiar.
Maybe you know its soaring interior from John Wick. Maybe the first thing you see is Gerard Way singing beneath those arches in My Chemical Romance’s ‘Helena’ music video. Or perhaps you’ve simply passed its 205-foot tower looming over Wilshire Boulevard in Koreatown and wondered what exactly is hiding behind those heavy doors.
But one of the church’s most remarkable stories has nothing to do with Hollywood.
In July 2001, this Presbyterian church welcomed a life-size replica of El Salvador’s Divino Salvador del Mundo — the Divine Savior of the World — into its sanctuary.
But there was one fairly major theological wrinkle: Presbyterians come from the Reformed Protestant tradition, which has historically viewed devotional religious images with deep suspicion.
Immanuel let the statue in anyway.
This October, it’s also welcoming the spooky season with Halloween concerts. With elegant odes to ‘Thriller’ by Michael Jackson, ‘Night on Bald Mountain’ by Modest Mussorgsky, themes from Beetlejuice, Stranger Things and more, strings will wail, and thousands of candles will make the space even more hauntingly beautiful.
Candlelight Koreatown: Halloween Classics
The day a Salvadoran statue found shelter inside a Presbyterian church in Los Angeles
When Salvadoran members of Immanuel asked the congregation to shelter the replica during its pilgrimage through Los Angeles, the church agreed.
Around 100 mostly Salvadoran immigrants gathered at Immanuel in the summer of 2001 to welcome the statue, which had travelled north from El Salvador through Guatemala and Mexico before arriving in Southern California.
Its journey deliberately echoed a familiar one. At the time, more than 700,000 Salvadorans were estimated to live in Southern California, many with migration stories stretching along similar routes.
The decision to welcome the Catholic devotional practice was framed as an act of solidarity with the church’s Salvadoran members and other immigrants.
The welcome itself carried an extra layer of meaning. Participants staged a ceremony recalling a posada, symbolically asking the church to offer their Savior shelter. They brought shoes, water, sand and earth associated with migration and locations connected to killings during El Salvador’s civil war.
The statue didn’t just sit inside the sanctuary looking unusual. Its presence said something about how dramatically this congregation — and Los Angeles around it — had changed.
From The “Fifth Avenue Of The West” To A Changing Koreatown
Completed in 1929 by the legendary architect Chauncey Fitch Skilling, Immanuel Presbyterian Church stands as a breathtaking masterpiece of French Gothic Revival architecture.
Your eyes will naturally travel upward, tracing the soaring 205-foot corner tower before settling on the intricate stained glass. The sheer scale of the interior is staggering, boasting a colossal 2,000 seats with dramatic beam trusses, towering stone columns, and sweeping arches.
While it officially earned the well-deserved title of a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 2003, its true magic lies in the heavy, mysterious atmosphere. The entire space feels rich with history, casting long, cinematic shadows across the dimly lit alcoves and grand hallways.
But while the building has remained largely unchanged, the city around it hasn’t.
By the late 1990s, a church once associated with an affluent, predominantly Anglo congregation was sharing its huge complex with Latino, Korean, Ethiopian and other Christian communities. Today, Immanuel continues to describe its services as bilingual in English and Spanish.
For a short time, a Salvadoran devotional icon stood inside one of old Wilshire’s monumental Protestant churches — a physical sign of the immigrant city reshaping the institution from within.
And somehow, that isn’t even the building’s only unexpected second life.
A Legendary Hollywood Backdrop: From Emo Anthems to Blockbuster Action
It holds a legendary, almost mythical status in the alternative music and goth communities as the iconic filming location for My Chemical Romance’s ‘Helena‘ music video. Devoted fans actually gather here annually for “Ghouls’ Day Out,” celebrating the venue’s rich emo history with outfits as dramatic as the architecture itself (and taking endless photos!).
The cinematic footprint of this stunning property extends further than famous music videos like Eminem’s dramatic 2002 hit ‘‘Cleanin’ Out My Closet‘. The sprawling, shadowy interiors have made it a go-to filming location for major Hollywood blockbusters and beloved television shows.
You might recognize its moody vaulted ceilings from the high-stakes underworld of John Wick, or the supernatural action sequences in the Arnold Schwarzenegger thriller End of Days. It even served as a sweeping backdrop for the heroic swings of The Amazing Spider-Man and the joyful choir scenes in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit.
It’s a stark juxtaposition: a peaceful, multicultural place of worship doubling as a gritty cinematic underworld and this is exactly what makes the church so incredibly mesmerizing for film buffs and architecture lovers alike.
What truly sets this venue apart for the fall season is its organically eerie aesthetic. There are no cheap jump-scares or plastic skeletons here. Instead, the church leans into a mysterious, spiritual ambiance that is purely intoxicating.
The dark wood accents contrast sharply with the towering stone walls, creating a naturally gothic vibe that feels equal parts romantic and chilling. When the sun sets over Wilshire Boulevard, the massive sanctuary fills with a heavy, atmospheric twilight.
A Hauntingly Perfect Venue for Candlelight: Halloween Classics
This magnificent, haunting backdrop creates the absolute perfect setting for Candlelight Koreatown: Halloween Classics. You will find the massive sanctuary bathed in the amber glow of thousands of flickering LED candles, casting dancing shadows against the ancient stone pillars.
Deep, melancholic cello melodies vibrate straight through the floorboards, while the frantic, stabbing staccato of a violin bow bounces off the dramatic French Gothic archways. You will hear chilling, classical arrangements of iconic scores like ‘Tubular Bells’ (theme from The Exorcist), alongside sweeping renditions of classical nightmares like ‘Night on Bald Mountain’ by Modest Mussorgsky.
Another, equally enchanting concert will take place in Burbank the day before Halloween at Los Angeles Equestrian Center, so if you’ve missed the first one, or simply want a double serving, make sure to grab tickets. After all, space is limited, and so is the season, so secure yours before they slink into the shadows!