Weird California - By Joe Parzanese

Desert Christ Park

56200 Sunnyslope Drive, Yucca Valley, California 92284

Desert Christ Park in Yucca Valley

Not far from Palm Springs or Joshua Tree, in the town of Yucca Valley, you'll find a small hill overlooking the town, a hill covered with over forty giant white concrete sculptures of Jesus and other New Testament characters. Welcome to Desert Christ Park. Where you can literally pose with Jesus during the Last Supper.

Desert Christ Park

Desert Christ Park is located on about 3.5 acres and consists of ten biblical scenes from the New Testament plus a Rock Chapel. The scenes include Jesus Christ's Sermon on the Mount, the Last Supper, the Blessing of the Children, plus several others.

The sculptures were all created by Frank Antone Martin from 1951 until his death in 1961. Martin was born in 1887, and eventually ended up working in Los Angeles for Douglas Aircraft during World War II, finally retiring in 1951. Martin used his retirement to construct a giant ten foot tall, four ton statue of Jesus Christ preaching at the Sermon of the Mount, putting the statue together literally in his Inglewood driveway. His goal was to install the statue on the rim of the Grand Canyon, but, not surprisingly, the National Park Service refused to let him do this, and in the end the statue was the first of many to be put up in Yucca Valley.

Desert Christ Park

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Desert Christ Park

Thus, on Easter Sunday in 1951, the statue was first dedicated in Yucca Valley, eventually leading to over forty more. The sculptures are made out of concrete, with armatures of steel rebar supporting the statue. A mixture of plaster and white paint then coats the sculpture.

Antone Martin died at the age of 74, two days before Christmas in 1961. He left the entire site and all the sculptures to San Bernardino County, with the provision that it be kept open as a public park. The location has definitely had its issues over the years, as in 1987, the ACLU sued the county for using tax payer money to support a religious installation. At the time the county has been spending a measly $4,000 a year to take care of the location. Even worse, an earthquake hit the location in 1992 causing additional damage to the already deteriorating sculptures. This led to the creation of the nonprofit Desert Christ Park Foundation, which now through donations and grants, uses its money to take care of the park.

Desert Christ Park

At one time sculptures were missing hands and even parts of heads, but restoration has been progressing under the direction of the Desert Christ Park Foundation, and the site looks a lot better now. Additional plants and trees have also been added with the intention of adding even more in the future, in order to hopefully add more much needed shade to the location.

The ten scenes depicted in sculpture form at the park include the Sermon on the Mount, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Last Supper, the Blessing of the Children, the Samaritan Woman at the Well, Jesus Visits with Mary and Martha, Christ's Blessing of Mankind, Christ's Ascension, the Tomb of Christ, and one called Let the Children Come to Me. Additionally there is an ornate Rock Chapel located on the site.

Desert Christ Park

The Tomb of Christ

The Rock Chapel

The Last Supper is perhaps the most noticeable of all the scenes, as it consists of a 125 ton wall depicting the Last Supper. For some reason, a window is carved in the wall around Jesus, allowing visitors to walk up behind the wall and pose as part of the Last Supper next to Jesus. It's a cool photo op if you brought a friend along with you.