The Church of Scientology has a huge footprint in Los Angeles.
The religion, which made headlines in recent weeks via HBO's "Going Clear" documentary, owned a "real-estate empire of 26 properties" worth as much as $400 million in the city as of 2011, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
While some critics say Scientology maintains a large real-estate portfolio to create the impressions that it is a larger organization than it really is, there is no question the church has an impressive physical presence in the LA area.
Business Insider visited many of Scientology's properties in the city, including the church's famous "Celebrity Centre" and a museum dedicated to Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.
The hub of Scientology's presence in Los Angeles is the former Cedars of Lebanon hospital complex. This building, the Pacific Area Command Base (PAC Base) is topped by a massive sign with 16-foot-tall letters. It was purchased by the church in 1977. At the time, Scientology leaders said it would be their "central facility for the United States." Today, Scientology has its spiritual headquarters in Clearwater, Florida, but PAC base still houses dormitories and offices for the church.
Uniformed Scientologists can often be seen coming in and out of the PAC base and working to maintain the building. They have shuttle buses that take them from the complex to the church's other facilities in the LA area.
There are also security guards who constantly patrol the complex. In our experience, they occasionally question and discourage people who attempt to photograph the facility.
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