George Van Tassel's Integratron Draws the Cosmically Curious

Maggie Downs April 3, 2023 Attractions, History

Out in Landers, where roads open wide like arms ready for an embrace, where stars sprinkle the night sky like splatters of paint, it’s easy to imagine mystical forces at work. There’s an energy here. And that’s exactly what lured aeronautical engineer George Van Tassel to the desert.

Leaving the aerospace industry behind, Van Tassel moved his family to a cave-like dwelling beneath a seven-story boulder in Landers called Giant Rock. Then, in 1953, Van Tassel professed aliens from Venus contacted him and provided the plans for a structure capable of restoring youth, enabling time travel, and benefiting humankind.

The remainder of his life became consumed by constructing the dome, and hosting UFO conventions, attended by thousands of fellow ufologists.

Though the Integratron was never the machine Van Tassel envisioned — a high-voltage electrostatic generator that could recharge cells — it remains a feat of architecture. Soaring 38 feet high, the dome is constructed entirely out of wood, with no metal or nails. It’s also acoustically perfect, likely why the Integratron’s hefty guestbook includes Robert Plant, Arcade Fire, Moby, and the Arctic Monkeys.

Now privately owned by three sisters (of no relation to Van Tassel), the Integratron is open to the public for sound baths and occasional events.

So, what’s a sound bath like in the Integratron? You’ll relax on a mat while a practitioner creates resonant sounds that echo through the dome and take you on a sonic trip. We’re not promising an otherworldly encounter, but we’re not saying it won’t happen either.