Stream now with KPBS Passport on KPBS+ / Watch Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026 at 11 p.m. on KPBS TV
Many sacred buildings represent great feats of innovative engineering. For a time, America’s tallest structure and its largest-capacity building were churches, and a church organ stood as the most-complex machine ever built. The greatest architects, engineers and artists used these places of worship to express humanity’s connection to something larger. In “Secrets of Sacred Architecture,” these structures are explored to uncover the meaning embedded in their walls and form.
From hidden messages in stained glass windows, to the influence of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein on the Gothic style, and a gargoyle that looks like Darth Vader, we see how humans connected to something larger in the places where they gathered as a community.
Hosted by acclaimed actor LeVar Burton, this fascinating documentary unveils the meaning embedded in religious architecture — from the most magnificent cathedral to the simplest country chapel, and from synagogues to mosques.
Watch On Your Schedule: "Secrets of Sacred Architecture" is available to stream with KPBS Passport, a member benefit that unlocks exclusive shows and extra content on KPBS+, a new free streaming video app designed for ease and enjoyment everywhere you watch including Roku, smart TVs and mobile devices. It’s locally curated for San Diego by the KPBS programming team. With a clean and intuitive design, discovering and enjoying KPBS and PBS content on-demand has never been easier.
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Credits: Produced by Boettcher Trinklein TV, 2022. Distributed by American Public Television.
