The 1992 comedy Sister Act was one of the biggest comedies of the 90s. The film starred Whoopi Goldberg as lounge singer Delores Van Cartier. When she witnesses a murder by her mobster boyfriend, she is sent to hide in a convent in San Francisco. Under the Witness Protection Program, she pretends to be a nun and helps turn the convent around.
San Francisco Church
Sister Act was filmed at St. Pauls Catholic Church, located in Noe Valley. This San Francisco area church was used for interior and exterior scenes. As this is a rather nice area, the producers had to dress the street and shops to make it look more seedy.
When I visited, I was unfortunately not able to go inside. The church was closed and locked, I suppose a sign of the times. I was, however, able to get some photos of the outside.
In addition to the front of the church, I also saw the side entrance which was used for a number of scenes in the movie. When Deloris gets an old car for the convent to fix up, it was filmed at this side entrance.
Next door, and on the same grounds, is St. Paul School. Please be careful and respectful when visiting due to this. You can read about my tips and guidelines about visiting schools here.
Reno Arch
The Reno Arch is seen as the nuns arrive in the city to help rescue Sister Mary Clarence. Then run across the street in front and into the casino.
The Reno Police Station
The scenes depicting the Reno Police Station were actually filmed at the old Reno Post Office in the downtown area. The building is now a retail centre.
Vince’s Office
I was told by someone that scenes of Vince’s office were filmed at a conference room in the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Reno. I can’t independently verify this yet, so considering this to be an unconfirmed filming location.
