Whatever happened to Heritage USA, the gigantic theme park once own & operated by Jim & Tammy Bakker?

Question

I've seen some pictures of different parts of it on the internet,and,many of the buildings appear to be abandoned and in a serious state of disrepair.

For those of you who don't know, Heritage USA was based in South Carolina.

Will most of those buildings be torn down,and the whole area used for something else? Or, just left alone?

To anyone from South Carolina,or even North Carolina,please try to answer this question.Thanks.

Answer 1

The buzz on the decades abandoned theme park is that at one time, Opryland corporate owners tried to buy the park post-Bakker---and.....well.....look what happened to them.

I just looked at some pictures of Heritage USA, as it was and how today it is. Today, it's a sad shell of it's former glory days.

But bear in mind: Heritage USA's glory days were from a time when Jim and Tammy Faye both were nothing more than hood-winking con artists---using God's name to scam $$$$ millions from beliving fans!! There is a real sense of irony today, seeing Heritage USA today looks.

Frankly, I'm shocked that the (Jerry) Falwell folks (savvier and more clever con artists) didn't keep the Heritage USA torch burning bright; after all, Falwell was waiting to be handed it when Jim Bakker fell from grace.

Can the park be fully restored? Absolutely. However, the cost of clean up, restoration and construction completion WILL surmount into multi-millions of $$$$. Take note that NO ONE--not even Smoky Mountain darling Dolly Parton---has made a claim to purchase this property.....probably for good reason(s).

Couple of years ago, a purportedly affluent religious company, MorningStar, was looking into purchase of Heritage USA.

It's buzzed they have since backed off property acquistion purchase. And Heritage USA still sits.....abandoned.

Answer 2

Yeah, I saw her for the first time as a kid on some TV channel when I was visiting Canada. I was just laughing my azz off. The 11 year old version of me saw what a joke it was. I don't have much negative to say in the end though, because the chick really did die a slow agonizing death. I'm not into the whole "God taught a lesson" or "karma" thing, but I would honestly say that if she did owe for what she did those years taking money in her ministry, she paid the debt in the end.

Answer 3

Greetings! The current fate of Heritage USA sharply reminds me of one of Paul Newman's last lines in "The Towering Inferno", looking up at the burned up building:

"I don't know.....maybe they should just leave it the way it is.....kind of a shrine to all the bull#@$ in the world."

Maybe it should be demolished and be replaced with affordable housing or a hospice for people that the Bakker's persecuted from their pulpit.

Just a few rambling thoughts. Take care.