66°F
weather icon Clear

Jillette’s home is now United Church of Bacon headquarters — VIDEO

Last Sunday, the valley's most colorful residence, "The Slammer," played host to a fundraiser for the United Church of Bacon. The church, a satirical religion marshaled toward an atheist flock, now has a permanent home at Penn Jillette's custom-made abode. 

United Church of Bacon's website says it is a "real, legal church." The group raises money for charities. Attentive commuters may have seen the group's billboards giving quotes from notable historical figures or quippy notes like "Bacon is our God because bacon is real." Now, their central home, aptly named "the Nevatican," will become a meeting place, a lecture hall and a library, all dedicated to the belief of nonbelieving.

The Slammer is certainly one of the more popularly documented residences in the Las Vegas Valley, with appearances on MTV's "Cribs" and in just about every local news outlet and even some national news publications. Originally an A-frame in the middle of the desert, it quickly became a testament to a magician's wild imagination and also contemporary modern design from the early 1990s to the mid-2000s.

The sprawling 7,932-square-foot home includes a lap pool, podcast studio, home theater, firepole, various cameras and locks, gym, secret door, pink mantis-headed Buddha, several human and animal skeletons (which had been used for medical education), likely a few curses and hexes and, of course, a full whirlpool bath.

The home at 7601 W. Wigwam Ave. sits on 10 acres. This spring, Jillette traded his funky bachelor pad for a family home in Summerlin's upscale gated community The Ridges. The plan was to place the estate on the market for $2.1 million. But Jillette's friend, founder and "prophet" of the Church of Bacon, John Whiteside, proposed a different idea. Why not have the famous magician donate the place to the Church of Bacon as a gift? Yes, The Slammer will be donated, but exactly how much of the 10-acre plot, if any, has yet to be worked out.

"A lot of people are saying 'Why the hell are they trying to raise money? Why doesn't Penn just give The Slammer to the Church of Bacon,' and that's a very good question, and the answer is, I did! So shut up, just shut up!" Jillette quipped on his podcast.

There is an Indiegogo campaign to draw from atheists worldwide to completely repair and retrofit The Slammer to become a full-fledged Nevadican community center.

"We need to raise about $500,000," Whiteside said, "and that's for total repairs and operating costs for the next few years."

No small feat for the church, but they remain optimistic. With the turnout at this event, it is easy to imagine the slow drip of "tithe-paying" atheists bringing this dream to fruition, as Whiteside puts it.

The spot is not without signs of over two decades of wear. Three of the five air-conditioning units are in need of replacing, a large project to reinforce a good portion of the roof is necessary, and there's the normal damage that a family of four (plus pets) can dish out. For this, a large funds drive is in order, with the first leg of it being the mass gathering last Sunday.

More than 1,000 people came out to tour the grounds of The Slammer, feasting on the church's "sacred sacrament" of bacon donated by Whole Foods as well as barbecue from Pot Liquor CAS, and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. There was everything from a kid's scavenger hunt, live podcast and musical performances by Jillette's own aptly named No God Band, The Negative Nancys, DJ Lenny Alfonzo and The Sunday Assembly Band, a band that plays in the Church of Bacon's "mass," which is held alongside the United Coalition of Reason meetings at UNLV.

The Matt Donnelly and Paul Mattingly improv duo, who were co-hosts of Jillette's Sunday School, also did a half-hour of improv comedy to warm up the crowd for the musical acts. Their pay-what-you-like "Bucket Show" takes place every Sunday at the Arts Square Theater on Charleston Boulevard and First Street behind The Artifice.

Jillette's weekly podcast is Sunday School. In the live episode broadcast to the partygoers, he and the team went over topics like Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump, Communism, and of course, atheism. In his own words, the gathering was "a fun day of peace, love and no god."

Unexpected guests were the cast members of "The Real World Season 31," along with their crew, filming for an upcoming episode. One member, Christopher Hall, even spoke on the podcast about his experiences of being an "ex-Mormon."

So far, the colorful life of The Slammer has died on the end of a rented Bobcat compact track loader. It seems to be divinely destined to continue on as a funky, art-filled and naturally self-satirical community center hosted by The United Church of Bacon.

MOST READ
Check out the latest issue of New Homes Guide. Click below!
flipbook
Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Elegant Chenin masterpiece graces The Summit Club

Every inch of the home is carefully considered and designed using different textures, colors, light, ceiling treatments and sound. Even the transitions between rooms/spaces are designed and methodically considered.

Luxury market slows in August; experts predict uptick in fall

The ultra high-end luxury residential market slowed in August with a $7.6 million sale topping the market as higher-priced transactions are expected to pick up in the fall.

Vegas high-rise prices continue to increase

The high-rise condo market recorded its second highest average sales price in history during the second quarter and is off to a strong start in the third quarter with an $8.8 million sale at the Waldorf Astoria, the estate of Elaine Wynn selling her unit in Park Towers for $8.25 million and a condo in the Summit Club selling for $7 million. All three sales were in August.

Luxury builders open new developments

Led by an emerging luxury custom-home community in Summerlin called Ascension, Las Vegas homebuilders have sold 47 percent more homes during the first half of 2025 priced at $1 million and higher.

Pets play role in shaping luxury home design

Integrating pet-friendly amenities into luxury residences has become increasingly popular, reflecting a shift in the perception of our beloved animals — as cherished family members who deserve special attention and pampering.

Vegas luxury home market bucks housing slump

The Las Vegas luxury resale market remains on a record pace through July led by a $25.25 million sale in MacDonald Highlands. It was one of 171 sales of $1 million and higher in July, matching the same number in July 2024. The average price paid for a luxury home in July was $1.96 million, according to Forrest Barbee, corporate broker of Berkshire Hathaway Home Service. Barbee reported there were 195 pending sales of $1 million and higher, showing that the luxury market isn’t slowing down while sales are down in the market overall.

Mount Charleston property includes EV charger, snow-melting roof

A modern mountain retreat built to thrive in all four seasons in Mount Charleston has just hit the market for $1 million, blending luxury, livability and thoughtful engineering at an accessible price point.

MORE STORIES