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True Blood Filming Locations


Southern California Locations - Louisiana Locations - Clickable Map of All Locations





Q
. What is it supposed to be on the show?

    A. The Sawmill Road Baptist Church, and the pastor's home, next door.

Q.Where is it supposed to be on the show?

    A. In Bon Temps, Louisiana.

Q. When did we see it on the show?

    A. In the first three episodes of the final Season 7.

    This Baptist church first turns up in Episode 1, during the Hep-Vampire crisis, when Bon Temps is under siege from rampaging bands of dying vamps.

    In the first scene, we see Tara's mother, Lettie Mae, and Willa (a young vampire) in the pastor's home, with Lettie Mae high on vampire blood,  ranting about seeing the dead Tara, and the pastor trying to calm her down.

    When Willa tells him she has no where to go, the Reverend Daniels leads her outside and across to the church next door, and lets her sleep in the basement.

    Later, the town's survivors gather in the church, and while the Reverend Daniels is trying to comfort them, Sookie enters, only to have Lettie Mae tell her she's not welcome.  Sookie reads the hostile thoughts of the rest of the congregation, and leaves.

    In Episode 2, outside the church, Sookie tells the others about the dead girl she found in the woods.  Lettie Mae meets with Willa in the church basement and cons the young vampire into giving her more of her blood to drink.

    The church shows up again in Episode 3, where Sam talks to the Reverend Daniels, inside the church.  Lettie Mae rushes in, crazy on vamp blood, and the Reverend restrains her.  The pastor lets Willa feed on him one last time, then tells her she'll have to leave.



The location:
The Sawmill Road Baptist Church





Q. What is it actually, in real life?
    A. A church  (but not a Baptist one, and not in  Louisiana).


Q. Where can I find it in real life?
    A. This small church, and the home next door, is actually located in a small town some 65 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

    It is really the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and you'll find it at 829 Railroad Avenue
    , in Santa Paula, California, at the northwest corner of Railroad Avenue and 9th Street.

    The church was built in 1899.


    Here is a Google StreetView of the church:




       Here is an aerial photo of the church.  And here is a map link.


    Here are some great photos from True Blood fan Jay B.:







       (Thanks, Jay!)


Q. How the heck did you figure out where it was?

    A.  I had heard that True Blood had been filming up in Santa Paula, so I used Google StreetView to look at all of the churches in that small town, trying to match it.  It took a little while, but I found it at the corner of Railroad & 9th.







True Blood Filming Locations

Southern California Locations - Louisiana Locations - Clickable Map of All Locations

The True Blood screenshots from the show & all related characters & elements are trademarks of and © HBO.
All other photos & text are Copyright © 1999-2024-Gary Wayne and may not be used without written permission.



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