The Christ of the Ozarks, a 7-story roughly 67-foot tall monument of Jesus Christ, planted on the ground seemingly overlooking Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Since its construction in 1966, it has been and continues to be one of the major attractions in the Ozarks. The divine statue is the third tallest Jesus monument in the world. It attracts both religious and nonreligious locals equally.
Religion has been deeply rooted in the essence of early settlers in the Ozarks. It has played a major role and had a great influence on the culture of the people. Historians identified that the largest religious denominations in the Ozarks consist of Baptists and Methodists, with a significant population of Catholic ancestors. The divine monumental structure, essentially made of twenty-four heaps of white mortar on a steel framework, was the sacred project of artist Gerald L. K. Smith. Originally, the statue was intended to be the center of a religious theme park, supposedly a replica of Jerusalem. However, due to some unfortunate circumstances, they didn’t push through with this plan.
The monument’s foundation is sturdy and used roughly 340 tons of concrete. Steel was interlaced then welded atop its Magnetic Mountain foundation, located at an altitude of 1,500-feet above sea level. Jesus’s face itself is massive, roughly fifteen-feet high. The monument’s limbs from fingertip to wrist spans for approximately seven-feet. The distance from one arm to another, fingertip to fingertip is sixty-five feet away from each other.
The management features a “Holy land” tour which showcases the divine statue, a Passion play, and chosen imitations of biblical scenes. They also allow visitors to honor someone they love by donating any appreciation gift. In return, the divine statue will be lit for one night in honor of your chosen person. It will be shared via a post on their Facebook page to inform the people including yourself the schedule of the statue lighting. There is also a detailed miniature version of the gigantic statue approximately 5 inches tall available for purchase and delivery.
Annually, the management welcomes roughly half a million visitors from around the country coming to view the enormous Christ of the Ozarks statue. It is open all day every week for visiting. This is a great place especially for families with little kids to revisit and learn about the religious history of the early people of the Ozarks.
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