Random Things That Holy Land USA (14 items)

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  (#1) Holy Land USA Was Built By Hand With Donated Scrap Material

  In 1953, John Baptist Greco purchased Pine Hill, a 17.7 acre plot of land in Waterbury, CT, with plans to build a religious theme park.

  Three years later, Greco erected a 32-foot-tall crucifix on the site in front of a crowd of 1,000 onlookers. After that, Catholic Campaigners for Christ (Greco's organization) used the Bible as reference to create a miniature town they named Bethlehem Village.

  To construct the attraction, the group relied on donated and salvaged cement, wire, plywood, statues, mannequins, and real soil from Jerusalem. Old appliances and bathtubs also appeared in Biblical scenes.

  This project eventually spiraled out to become Holy Land USA. Since Greco was actively employed as a lawyer during construction, work on Holy Land was relegated to weekends and afternoons.
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  (#2) After The Park Closed, Renovation Plans Stalled When Someone Stole The Funding

  Owner John Greco closed Holy Land USA in 1984 so he could make improvements to the park's infrastructure. Unfortunately, Greco passed away before the park could reopen.

  In his will, Greco left control of Holy Land USA to the Religious Teachers Filippini nuns along with millions of dollars for repairs and expansions. The estimated construction costs totaled about $13 million, so the nuns hired someone to help manage their finances.

  Although the person the nuns selected had previously helped them build a church, he turned out to be untrustworthy. When he suddenly disappeared, he took all the money for the park with him. Faced with a lack of funding, Holy Land USA continued to rot. 
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  (#3) For Decades, The Nuns Refused To Accept Help Repairing Holy Land

  After the park closed in 1984, various groups attempted to work on Holy Land USA.

  In 1988, the Catholic Campaigners for Christ wanted to tear down the park's catacombs and chapel attractions for safety reasons. The group requested a bulldozer, but a local petition with 1,000 signatures stopped the destruction. One protester threatened to chain themself to a fence and others created a quilt to "Save Holy Land." 

  After the Boy Scouts helped repair the Holy Land sign in 1997, volunteers came together to pick up trash, clear brush, and cut trees. However, the nuns who owned the land were turned off by all the vandalism that took place while the park was closed, and refused to participate in the restoration project.

  In 2003, Waterbury city offical Frank Davino offered the nuns $1 million in financing so that the park could be reopened within five years. However, the nuns stood their ground, and rejected all aid. 
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  (#4) A Murder Occurred In The Abandoned Park In 2010

  Sixteen-year-old Chloe Ottman grew up in Waterbury and enjoyed exploring the area, including the abandoned Holy Land park. On July 15, 2010, she agreed to meet her friend Francisco Cruz, Jr.  at the base of Holy Land's crucifix.

  When the pair met up, Cruz sexually assaulted and murdered Ottman, then left her body in one of the park's wooded areas. Ottman's parents filed a missing persons report after their daughter failed to return home, and Cruz confessed to the crime a few days later.

  Although he originally pled guilty, Cruz later changed his mind, and said he'd only agree to plead guilty if they dropped the rape charges. Despite being unhappy with the offer, Ottman's father agreed, and Cruz was sentenced to 55 years in prison.

  The murder shook Waterbury residents and gave the already creepy abandoned park an even more sinister vibe. Citizens knew the area couldn't remain in disrepair, and the nuns who owned the park finally decided to sell it.
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  (#5) At Its Peak, Holy Land USA Received Around 40,000 Annual Visitors

  On December 1, 1958, Bethlehem Village, a precursor to Holy Land USA, officially opened to the public. Thanks to owner John Greco's idea to advertise on the radio and in travel brochures, news of the park spread quickly. Local school groups visited for tours and newspaper reviews helped drum up interest.

  As the park added more attractions, Bethlehem Village changed its name to Bible Park. Eventually, Greco created a model for Holy Land USA's giant, Hollywood-inspired hillside sign, ushering in the theme park's definitive name. 

  Holy Land USA peaked in the 1960s and '70s, at which time it drew in around 40,000 visitors every year. Although Greco encouraged $0.50 donations for parking, admission was free of charge, as local churches hosted collections that made enough money to keep Holy Land running.
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  (#6) Vandals Destroyed Statues And Walls Inside Holy Land USA

  After a series of fires ravaged Holy Land USA in 1974, the park remained open, but became a breeding ground for vandals. Exhibits were destroyed, and the library and gift shop were severely damaged.

  Once the park officially closed in 1984, vandals returned and destroyed even more of the site. In addition to graffiti, they tore apart dioramas, cut the heads off statues, and blocked off the catacombs with debris.

  As of 2018, the area is still considered dangerous, and it's allegedly a bad idea to visit the abandoned park at night. Although Holy Land remains officially closed, photographs and stories from people who've visited prove the attractions are still entertaining (if not in the way their creator intended). 
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  (#7) Holy Land USA Celebrated Bible Stories With Dioramas And Plaques

  In addition to the 32-foot-tall neon cross that sat atop the hill above Holy Land, the park featured numerous other Biblical attractions. Visitors could walk around the Garden of Eden, tour replicas of the catacombs measuring about 200 feet in length, view Christ on the cross, and learn about the Holy Shroud of Turin in a special exhibit.

  Miniature versions of Jerusalem and Bethlehem resided on the hillside, reconstructed from maps and photos. Dioramas and informational plaques appeared all over the park and celebrated Bible stories such as the one about Daniel in the lion's den.

  Later additions to the park included a convent, gift shop, library, and chapel. In 1968, a 56-foot-tall stainless steel cross replaced the original, and could be seen for miles thanks to illumination from interior neon lights. The park held over 200 structures by 1969. 
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  (#8) The Park Closed For Remodeling In 1984 But Never Reopened

  As the years crept on, Holy Land USA fell upon hard times. A new interstate expanded in size, forcing owner John Greco to move Holy Land USA's catacombs attraction out of the path of the new road. Fires also destroyed parts of the park in 1974, and vandals often snuck in overnight to damage structures.

  As Greco aged, it became harder for him to maintain the buildings and grounds. Additionally, demographics in the surrounding area were changing, leading many to consider Holy Land a bad part of town, and attendance declined dramatically.

  In 1984, Greco decided to temporarily close down the park in order to make improvements and expand. He even hired an architect who drew up plans for a new and improved park. Unfortunately, Greco passed away in 1986, and Holy Land USA has remained closed ever since.
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  (#9) Nuns Took Control Of The Park After The Owner Passed Away

  In the 1970s, the Archdiocese of Hartford sent two nuns from the Religious Teachers of Filippi to help John Baptist Greco maintain the park's operations. The sisters lived in a convent just outside the grounds and assisted with running the gift shop and leading tours.

  After the park closed and Greco passed away, Holy Land USA was officially given to the nuns, as per Greco's will. They decided not to reopen the park, possibly fearing potential lawsuits from injured visitors.

  The nuns attempted to maintain the park by clearing brush and painting rocks, but this required money they didn't have, and the remains of Holy Land fell further into disrepair.
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  (#10) Before Holy Land, John Greco Spent His Time Building Nativity Scenes

  Before he opened Holy Land USA, John Baptist Greco founded the Catholic Campaigners for Christ in 1934 to help spread the good word. The group held street sermons and created nativity scenes from scratch using materials they found around town. These construction skills eventually allowed the organization to create Holy Land USA.

  During the late '30s, the group collaborated with the Civilian Conservation Corps, bringing Greco into contact with government-issued filmstrips made to educate workers. Greco noticed how they used entertainment to educate, and decided to expand his nativity project's scale. 
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  (#11) Holy Land Founder John Greco Was Once Rejected From A Seminary

  Born in 1895, Holy Land founder John Baptist Greco spent his early life in Waterbury, CT, before his family moved back to their native home in Italy. Greco later returned to the US as an adult, and attempted to enter a Roman Catholic seminary. However, when they rejected his application due to his poor health, he shifted focus and began studying law at Yale on a full scholarship. 

  After he became a lawyer, Greco continued to indulge his religious interests by founding Catholic Campaigners for Christ, a group that eventually helped him bring his theme park to life.

  Greco spent his adulthood in Connecticut, and to this day, his photograph hangs in the abandoned Holy Land chapel.
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  (#12) Holy Land Embodied An Inclusive Space For The Community

  After allegedly finding inspiration in a message from God, John Baptist Greco decided to build a religious theme park. A spiritual man, Greco wanted to create a space where everyone in his community felt welcome. "He wanted a place for all people to sit and be peaceful," Holy Land's grounds chairman Bob Chinn once noted. According to Greco, people of all races, genders, and creeds could come enjoy themselves free of charge. 
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  (#13) Aspiring Eagle Scouts Fixed The Holy Land Sign In 1997

  In 1997, a group of aspiring Eagle Scouts helped care for the abandoned park as part of their community service requirement. After being closed for over a decade, Holy Land had fallen into disrepair, so they decided to restore the park's famous Hollywood-style hillside sign.

  Fifteen-year-olds Mark and Matt Tortora asked local businesses to donate supplies and rallied volunteers to aid the effort. The nuns who owned the land agreed to let the team straighten, paint and rewire the letters, restoring them to their former, neon glory. 

  Lit up at night, the Holy Land USA sign could be seen from miles away
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  (#14) After The Park Was Sold In 2013, The New Owners Began Restoring It

  When Chloe Ottman was murdered on Holy Land grounds in 2010, the nuns who owned the park decided to sell the land and be rid of it. After several years of unsuccessful sales, Waterbury Mayor Neil O'Leary and local car dealer Fred Blasius purchased Holy Land for $350,000 in 2013.

  The men formed Friends of Holy Land Waterbury, USA and promised the site would remain dedicated to Christianity. People all across the country donated to the the organization, as they wanted to see the park come back to life.

  O'Leary and Blasius replaced the cross with a 56-foot-tall version that included interior LED lights. In 2014, the park reopened for a day so visitors could see the work being done. As of 2018, the park is still under construction, with regular updates posted to the Holy Land website. 

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