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Christ of the Ozarks - Eureka Springs, Arkansas
ExploreSouthernHistory.com
The Christ of the Ozarks in Eureka Springs
| The Christ of the Ozarks One of the largest free-standing monuments in the United States, the Christ of the Ozarks is a popular site for visitors to Eureka Springs, Arkansas. |
For more than forty years, an astounding statue of Jesus Christ has
looked out over Eureka Springs, Arkansas, from a beautifully
landscaped site on the grounds of the Great Passion Play.
The statue was conceived and initiated by Gerald L.K. Smith, a
religious and political leader active during the Great Depression and
World War II. An opponent of President Franklin Roosevelt, he was a
one-time leader in Senator Huey Long's "Share Our Wealth"
campaign and ran for president on independent tickets during the
1940s and 1950s. He was a major opponent of the Alaska Mental
Health Bill in 1955, a Congressional measure that many anti-
Communists believed could lead to the creation of an American
concentration camp in Alaska.
Later in his life, Smith moved to Eureka Springs, where he visualized
the building of a religious amusement park atop Magnetic Mountain.
He conceived the Christ of the Ozarks as a centerpiece for his
planned park. Smith died in 1976 and his amusement park dream
was never fully realized, but his astounding statue of Jesus on the
mountaintop has become one of the most visited attractions in
Eureka Springs.
Completed in 1966 by the Elna M. Smith Foundation, the statue was
sculpted by Emmet Sullivan, who was also noted as one of the
sculptors of the massive Presidential artwork at Mount Rushmore.
The top of the statue soars some 1,500 feet above sea level (67 feet
above the top of Magnetic Mountain) and its width, from fingertip to
fingertip is 65 feet. It is one of the tallest statues in both the United
States and the world.
Smith and his wife are buried at the foot of the Christ of the Ozarks,
overlooking the valley and city of Eureka Springs. He was a major
figure in bringing the economically depressed city back to life as a
tourist destination during the 1960s. The statue and grounds are
open to the public 24 hours a day.
The Christ of the Ozarks is located on the grounds of the Great
Passion Play, one of the most popular live performances in the
South. Other points of interest on the grounds include a section of
the Berlin Wall, the Bible Museum, the Holy Land Tour, the Museum
of History and, of course, the Great Passion Play itself. For more
information on the various attractions, please click here.
looked out over Eureka Springs, Arkansas, from a beautifully
landscaped site on the grounds of the Great Passion Play.
The statue was conceived and initiated by Gerald L.K. Smith, a
religious and political leader active during the Great Depression and
World War II. An opponent of President Franklin Roosevelt, he was a
one-time leader in Senator Huey Long's "Share Our Wealth"
campaign and ran for president on independent tickets during the
1940s and 1950s. He was a major opponent of the Alaska Mental
Health Bill in 1955, a Congressional measure that many anti-
Communists believed could lead to the creation of an American
concentration camp in Alaska.
Later in his life, Smith moved to Eureka Springs, where he visualized
the building of a religious amusement park atop Magnetic Mountain.
He conceived the Christ of the Ozarks as a centerpiece for his
planned park. Smith died in 1976 and his amusement park dream
was never fully realized, but his astounding statue of Jesus on the
mountaintop has become one of the most visited attractions in
Eureka Springs.
Completed in 1966 by the Elna M. Smith Foundation, the statue was
sculpted by Emmet Sullivan, who was also noted as one of the
sculptors of the massive Presidential artwork at Mount Rushmore.
The top of the statue soars some 1,500 feet above sea level (67 feet
above the top of Magnetic Mountain) and its width, from fingertip to
fingertip is 65 feet. It is one of the tallest statues in both the United
States and the world.
Smith and his wife are buried at the foot of the Christ of the Ozarks,
overlooking the valley and city of Eureka Springs. He was a major
figure in bringing the economically depressed city back to life as a
tourist destination during the 1960s. The statue and grounds are
open to the public 24 hours a day.
The Christ of the Ozarks is located on the grounds of the Great
Passion Play, one of the most popular live performances in the
South. Other points of interest on the grounds include a section of
the Berlin Wall, the Bible Museum, the Holy Land Tour, the Museum
of History and, of course, the Great Passion Play itself. For more
information on the various attractions, please click here.
| One of the Largest Statues in the World The Christ of the Ozarks stretches 65 feet from fingertip to fingertip and is one of the tallest statues in the United States and the world. |
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