Creepy Images From An Abandoned Bible Theme Park

The park’s been closed and neglected for 29 years.

1. In Waterbury, Conn., there’s an abandoned park called Holy Land U.S.A.

Source: laurmarshall

2. It’s a Bible theme park that was built in 1940.

Source: laurmarshall

3. But it’s been closed since 1984.

Source: hectic

4. It was once the largest tourist attraction in Connecticut.

Source: iamtheh

5. This is what it used to look like.

Source: roadtripmemories

Source: roadtripmemories

Source: roadtripmemories

Source: roadtripmemories

Source: roadtripmemories

Source: roadtripmemories

Source: roadtripmemories

12. Today, Holy Land U.S.A. is closed to visitors and is super creepy.

Source: laurmarshall

13. It was built by a Catholic lawyer named John Baptist Greco who wanted the community to be able to better understand the Bible.

Source: laurmarshall

14. He built the park with the help of a group of volunteers known as Companions of Christ.

Source: laurmarshall

15. It featured Jerusalem.

Source: laurmarshall

16. Bethlehem.

Source: hectic

17. Herod’s Palace.

Source: laurmarshall

18. A sepulchre.

Source: laurmarshall

19. Bible verses.

Source: laurmarshall

20. Statues.

Source: laurmarshall

21. A 50-foot cross that can be seen from the highway.

Source: laurmarshall

22. And various depictions of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

Source: laurmarshall

Source: laurmarshall

Source: hectic

Source: laurmarshall

26. The park closed in 1984 because Greco planned on updating and improving it.

Source: laurmarshall

27. But he died two years later and it never reopened.

Source: laurmarshall

28. A group of nuns were given responsibility over the property.

Source: laurmarshall

29. But little has been done to maintain the park.

Source: laurmarshall

30. And both time and vandals have taken their toll.

Source: laurmarshall

31. Various attempts to restore or reopen the park have been made.

Source: laurmarshall

32. But none of them have gotten very far.

Source: hectic

33. In 2000, Archbishop Daniel A. Cronin of the Hartford Archdiocese said there were plans to rebuild the park.

Source: laurmarshall

34. It was estimated to cost $10 million and take several years.

Source: laurmarshall

35. But nothing has happened.

Source: laurmarshall

36. And Holy Land U.S.A. is still closed.

Source: laurmarshall

Photos by Laura Marshall, Alex Bajuniemi, Paul Maiorana, Heather Viola, roadtripmemories.com and Jenene Chesbrough.