{"id":943486,"date":"2026-07-18T14:26:24","date_gmt":"2026-07-18T14:26:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/943486\/"},"modified":"2026-07-18T14:26:24","modified_gmt":"2026-07-18T14:26:24","slug":"roadside-attractions-the-ufo-landmark-hiding-in-el-cajon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/943486\/","title":{"rendered":"Roadside attractions: The UFO landmark hiding in El Cajon"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Once inside the academy, you will be in this area and greeted with letters spelling out the acronym UNARIUS that are painted on the wall seen on the upper left. (Photo courtesy of the Unarius Academy of Science)<\/p>\n

Part three of our series: San Diego\u2019s roadside relics \u2014\u00a0dinosaurs,<\/a>\u00a0doll heads, and other highway oddities<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bright murals, flying saucers<\/a> and cosmic artwork aren\u2019t what most drivers expect to see along a busy El Cajon street. But for more than 50 years, one of San Diego County\u2019s most unusual landmarks has quietly welcomed curious visitors through its doors.<\/p>\n

Located at 145 South Magnolia Avenue in El Cajon, the Unarius Academy of Science<\/a> is impossible to miss. Brilliantly painted murals inside and outside, colorful sculptures and futuristic artwork transform the building into something that looks more like the set of a vintage science-fiction movie than the headquarters of a nonprofit educational organization.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Future model city on display at the academy. (Photo courtesy Unarius Academy of Science)<\/p>\n

Founded in 1954 by Ernest and Ruth Norman, Unarius \u2014 short for Universal Articulate Interdimensional Understanding of Science \u2014 describes itself as a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to teaching what it calls an \u201cinterdimensional science of life.\u201d Its teachings focus on spiritual evolution, reincarnation, higher consciousness and communication with advanced extraterrestrial civilizations.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nLeft ,the queen herself, \u2018Uriel,\u2019 Ruth Norman. (Photo courtesy and with permission of Jake Hasapopoulos\/Jake Hasapopoulos, jakehasapopoulos.com, @jakehasap). Right, co-founder Ruth Norman \u2014 known to followers as \u2018Uriel.\u2019 (Photo courtesy of Unarius Academy of Science)<\/p>\n

Whether visitors embrace those ideas or simply stop out of curiosity, the academy has become one of Southern California\u2019s most unusual roadside attractions.<\/p>\n

After Ernest Norman\u2019s death in 1971, co-founder Ruth Norman \u2014 known to followers as \u201cUriel\u201d \u2014 became the public face of the organization, often appearing in elaborate space-inspired costumes during lectures, public events and television appearances. The organization opened its headquarters in 1975, and it has remained there ever since.<\/p>\n

Despite the futuristic imagery, Ruth Norman frequently said the organization\u2019s central message was one of compassion, once declaring, \u201cThere is no greater power in this or any other world than Love!\u201d<\/p>\n

During the 1980s and 1990s, Unarius attracted international attention for its colorful ceremonies and its belief that highly evolved beings from distant planets would someday make peaceful contact with humanity. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> Star Map of the Interplanetary Confederation. (Photo courtesy of and with permission of Jake Hasapopoulos\/Jake Hasapopoulos, jakehasapopoulos.com, @jakehasap)<\/p>\n

The purpose of the Normans in establishing Unarius was to provide a higher spiritual understanding of life for the betterment of humankind.<\/p>\n

This was accomplished through the channeled teachings of the Unarius Science of Life and classes that the academy offers. Unarius pioneered the self-healing science of past-life therapy that is taught in the classes.<\/p>\n

For many locals, however, the biggest attraction is the building itself. Its vivid colors, eye-catching murals and cosmic artwork inside and outside have turned heads for decades, making it one of those places people can\u2019t help but point out to first-time visitors.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Mural of Ancient Atlantis outside the Academy (Photo courtesy of the Unarius Academy of Science)<\/p>\n

Unlike many roadside oddities<\/a> created solely for entertainment, the Unarius Academy wasn\u2019t built as a tourist attraction. It remains an active organization with members around the world. Yet its colorful architecture, unusual artwork and fascinating history have earned it a place among San Diego County\u2019s quirkiest roadside landmarks.<\/p>\n

So the next time you\u2019re driving through El Cajon and spot a brightly painted building that looks ready to welcome visitors from another galaxy, don\u2019t be surprised. You might not meet Uriel, as she passed away in 1993, but know you\u2019ve just discovered one of San Diego County\u2019s most unforgettable roadside attractions.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nLeft entrance to The Star Center Room. (Photo courtesy of and with permission of Jake Hasapopoulos\/Jake Hasapopoulos, jakehasapopoulos.com, @jakehasap) Right The Star Center Room at the Unarius Academy of Science. (Photo courtesy of Unarius Academy of Science).<\/p>\n

Where to go<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> Outside marquee of the Unarius Academy of Science. (Photo courtesy of and with permission of Jake Hasapopoulos\/Jake Hasapopoulos, jakehasapopoulos.com, @jakehasap)<\/p>\n

The Unarius Academy of Science, 145 S. Magnolia Ave., El Cajon.<\/p>\n

The academy is open for drop-in visitors and guided tours on Saturdays, 12 to 4 p.m. and by appointment only Tuesday-Friday, 10:30 to 4 p.m.\u00a0 Call (800) 475-7062 or (619) 444-7062, or email uriel@unarius.org<\/a> to make an appointment.<\/p>\n

Readers who want to learn more about Unarius and its teachings can visit the Unarius website<\/a> and its Vimeo channel<\/a> where there are more than 50 videos uploaded to watch for free.<\/p>\n

Read more history stories\u00a0here<\/a>. Do you have a story to tell? Send an email to DebbieSklar@cox.net<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sources:<\/p>\n

Unarius Academy of Science
Unarius Visitor Information
Unarius Classes and Events
Jake Hasapopoulos\/Jake Hasapopoulos, jakehasapopoulos.com, @jakehasap<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Once inside the academy, you will be in this area and greeted with letters spelling out the acronym…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":943487,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5134],"tags":[5229,1582,276,21030,365,379976,3549,7264,379977,26898,379978,67,586,132,5230,68,2969,14763],"class_list":["post-943486","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-diego","tag-america","tag-ca","tag-california","tag-el-cajon","tag-religion","tag-ruth-norman","tag-san-diego","tag-sandiego","tag-spaceships","tag-ufos","tag-unarius-academy-of-science","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa","tag-weird"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116941448719252419","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/943486","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=943486"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/943486\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/943487"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=943486"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=943486"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=943486"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}