The Christ of the Ozarks statue, which resembles the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil, is a large statue of Jesus Christ located on top of Magnetic Mountain in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.
It was built in 1966 by far-right minister Gerald L.K. Smith as the first attraction for The Great Passion Play religious theme park. The statue is 67 feet tall, with arms 65 feet wide and stands at an altitude of 1,500 feet. According to rumors, the statue originally had feet but they had to be removed to lower the statue to its current height. Emmet A. Sullivan, who claimed to have been part of the team that sculpted Mount Rushmore, was hired to build the statue, but his work drew mixed reviews.
Critics have described the statue as lacking warmth, and visitors have reported that the Messiah’s eyes seem to follow them as they move, but this is explained as a trick of sunlight and shadow. The Christ of the Ozarks is open and available 365 days a year as a free attraction.
Address:
935 Passion Play Road
Eureka Springs, Arkansas, 72632
United States
Photos by Charlie Plebanek/Flickr, lawrance & Amanda wu/Flickr.
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