We’re bringing you a little throwback for your Thursday. If you’ve never heard of Heritage USA, buckle up – because this story is a wild ride.
Heritage USA was a huge theme park open from 1978-1989 in Fort Mill, S.C. The park was founded by Jim + Tammy Faye Bakker – televangelists, mostly known for their show, “The P.T.L. (Praise the Lord) Club.”
After the huge success of their television program, they wanted to build a “Christian Disneyland” – enter Heritage USA. Heritage USA was not just the giant theme park, it also had a water park, large hotel, indoor shopping complex + much more. It eventually grew to be the third most visited theme park in the world during that time – only Disneyland + Walt Disney World outnumbered Heritage USA in visitors.
So, if it was so successful, what happened? The short answer is – a heck of a lot of scandal.
Let’s start with the fraud.
Trouble in paradise began when the Bakkers started asking their followers for “lifetime partnerships” to the theme park. Basically, followers gave $1,000 in exchange for the ability to spend three free nights per year at the park’s Heritage Grand hotel. Tens of thousands of people purchased lifetime partnerships. The money was rushing in – too much of it. There weren’t enough rooms at the hotel to support all of the people who bought partnerships, so guests were not able to book the promised stays. Oops.
Then there was the alleged assault of Jessica Hahn – we’ll spare you the details of this one, but you can read more about it here.
In 1989, Jim Bakker was found guilty on 24 accounts of mail + wire fraud and conspiracy. His sentence? Forty-five years in prison + a fine of $500,000. He only served five of those years (during that time, his wife Tammy, filed for divorce) and was paroled in 1994.
Where is Jim Bakker now? He has a new television program with his second wife based out of Missouri where he preaches about the end of the world + sells apocalypse prep products. Need a bucket full of 60 meals worth of freeze-dried food with a 30-year shelf-life? Jim Bakker has you covered.
The majority of Heritage USA now sits abandoned + falling apart, with certain buildings having been repurposed. If you want to see what it looks like after a few decades, check out these photos here. Disclaimer: not all of these photos at the link are up to date, as parts of the park have been torn down or renovated – but still eerie + cool to look at.
