Look closely and you'll see the slab of concrete still in place - and just how close that row of townhouses was built to the castle. Imagine having a view of a castle out your window for a while, at least! Some remains are an eerie reminder of the family-centered activities found at Heritage USA, like this decaying Heritage USA gazebo, now located right behind a row of houses. Google Maps [streetview May ].
The old cabana in the main entry to Heritage Island was still standing as of May when Google captured this image with their streetview technology.
There used to be a bridge leading from this main building. Visitors would walk across it to get to the Heritage Island. An urbex explorer captured the same building last January. You can see the sad decay taking place in this park that once brought so much joy to families from all over the world. You can also see part of the bridge that's still standing. The owners of Heritage USA had high hopes of turning this skyscraper into condos owned by frequent guests. But that's one of the elements that fell apart in the end, causing this park to close.
According to the Heritage USA Wikipedia entry, the building was completely restored and now functions as a hotel, conference center and private condominiums. The property was purchased by Heritage International Ministries and the hotel's atrium serves as a church for a local congregation.
Google Maps [streetview March ]. Heritage USA also sits abandoned and unused. A few of its buildings have been restructured for other purposes but the theme park has remained dead for decades.
The Debate. Breaking News. Written By. They wanted to create a safe place where Christians could vacation, bring their children, and benefit from a wide array of perks. The theme park, which opened in , included several attractions, a hotel, a complete shopping center, and a water park all portraying themes of Christianity.
It became the third most popular park in the world, attracting nearly six million visitors a year. These numbers kept the park in top ranks next to Disney Land and Disney World. Not only did he participate in fraudulent activity, but he was also accused of sexual assault almost a decade before Bill Clinton was impeached for sexual harassment claims , proving that power often leads to abuse. These factors led to the downfall of the park and in , Heritage USA closed its doors for good.
The ministry had also sold so many lifetime partnerships that if every eligible person claimed his or her three free nights at Heritage USA, the park would not have been able to accommodate them all. In , the new executives at PTL hoped that Charlotte Hornets owner George Shinn would buy the land to build a new professional sports complex.
Other potential buyers emerged during that year, but each of them also failed to meet the conditions of sale. A secular iteration of the resort run by Radisson Hotels was ultimately unsuccessful.
To see what remains of the park today, interested explorers can take exit 90 off I in South Carolina. It is now the U. You will eventually come to a crumbling parking lot, with the still-unfinished Heritage Grand Towers ahead of you and the remains of Heritage USA on your left, bordered by a chain-link fence and overgrown with weeds.
If you peer through the fence, you can see the lake that sat at the center of the park and you can make out the island on which the Heritage USA waterpark stood. Across the parking lot and behind the Towers, in the building that was once the Heritage Grand Hotel, you will find a burgeoning evangelical ministry that in some ways resembles the vision of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker.
What was once the Heritage Grand Hotel is now the headquarters of their sizeable ministry, which includes regular church services as well as conferences and retreats, a K school and a university, an online television broadcast, and targeted ministries for men, women, youth, and children as well as those interested in particular spiritual gifts including healing and prophesy.
The Joyners are currently involved in a legal battle over the right to finish and restore the Heritage Grand Towers.
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