The Bizarre World of Religious Theme Parks
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- čas přidán 27. 08. 2024
- Previously, I've discussed the strange phenomenon of Jesus theme parks, commercializing Christianity into a form of cultural kitsch. However, I thought it would be interesting to take a wider look at the bizarre world of religious theme parks covering a number of different beliefs and practices.
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I love the how the Jewish theme park has a big ole tower for "linking God and man, heaven and earth". That didn't work out so well for the last people who tried that
we built the tower of babel from the bible story "don't build the tower of babel"
They're very good at making the same mistakes, over, and over, and over...
@@higgsbonbon "they" being... humans in general? Or just all the Abrahamic religions?
@@orionterron99 yes
Im sorry I lost it at the Thorhacoster
The hell walkthroughs actually look like something my kid self would have enjoyed, albeit probably not in the way my parents would have intended.
These places definitely exist to scare manners into children, but it's a place I probably would have liked when I was younger too.
It'd be rad if someone made a walkthrough-diorama type thing of Dante's Inferno.
Ah yes! We are moodkindered!
@@MonadoGirl Or all of the Divine Comedy! Would love to see a walkthrough diorama of Paradiso and all of the stars and planets
That's because you've been over-socialized and exposed to too much disturbing content at a young age. Not blaming you, it's the way things are now. It was built when people were still much more sheltered.
I'm Jewish, and that Jewish Disnelyand is atrocious, but hilarious. It's what a lot of our more traditional people would call idolatry, while people in my generation think it looks like a joke from The Simpsons lmfao
Apparently their goal was to appeal mostly to Americans and Europeans. I'm not sure if there's cross-over appeal between people traveling to Jerusalem and also including a trip to this park though.
It reminded me of the pitch video for Cryptoland.
This reminds me a little too much of the moon theme park from Futurama lol
As an Israeli Jew, that was... painful to watch. At least it never got beyond just a proposal.
If you are looking a similar attraction that did manage to get built, there is the "Time Elevator" in Jerusalem.
It was a joke in the movie For Richer or Poorer
If I won the lottery, I would 100% make a Theravadin Buddhist theme park in Florida. I'd give it a really pretentious name too, like Central Florida Sadhu and Recreational Gardens, and its nickname would be Buddhaland, and the Sleeping Beauty's Castle centerpiece would be a stupa based on Lumbini. And there'd be a dark ride about Buddhist Hell and a ferris wheel to represent the Wheel of Dhamma. And Buddhist monks would live in an actual temple on the grounds with a wooded area for their rains retreats, and stores where you can buy food and toiletries to donate to them for good kamma.
And then I'd go all Howard Hughes in the last decade.
Mahayana buddhist here. Why not cater to Buddhism in general and not one specific sect?
@@brialapoint2608 Do you know what the differences are?
@@brialapoint2608 as an atheist (pointing this out in case people want to poke holes into my comments as out of place or etc…)
It’d be better to distinguish the sects because both have different beliefs. Just like how all Abrahamic religions shouldn’t be corralled into one term “Christianity.”
Like DeSantis would allow that
@@lochnessamonster1912 He'd probably introduce something called the "Personal Religious Freedom of Choice" bill that banned non-Christian parks, given his track record.
I went to the park/temple in India in December 2017! My mom and I had no idea what we were getting into. We thought we were just going to a temple and religious site much like many others that we had visited on that trip. Not at all! it was the middle of the week and there were tons of people there all ages and we kept looking at each other in complete disbelief that we ended up at some sort of theme park while we thought we were going to, ostensibly, a church. After riding the boat ride, we got off and met up with my grandmother at a different side of the park. She asked how it was and we had to explain that it was kind of like going on “It’s a small world” at Disneyland, but, instead, it was all about India. “It’s an India world!” is what we nicknamed it! There was a whole section about all of the religions that have come out of India all of the technological advancements over the past 10,000 years or so that have come out of India. It was really interesting, honestly!
However, the way that the English language sections read gave a propagandistic vibe.
As a trip to a temple: not at all what I was expecting and felt like I had entered a bit of a brainwashing attraction. As a park: super cool.
I'm really interested in what the ride has to offer. The most I could find online was about a 20 second clip, but I would be quite interested in experiencing it myself.
What religion's & technological advancements came from India.
@@thefockn3831 they have maybe the most recognized religions of any country! each has hella gods and thousands of years of history each
@@lilithium3940 that is not what I asked?
@The Fockn you asked a question that has so many answers it would take decades to list them all off. Even citizens of India cannot list off every religion and God. Go ahead and look it up since you're so interested in the topic 😊
When I was in college in the 80s, my parents who were otherwise intelligent and discerning people gave several thousand dollars to Jim and Tammy Bakker. I'm talking about low-to-mid five figures. Granted they were both in their late sixties and were more religious the older they got, I was still just astonished. Anyone who was alive then and an adult could easily see that the Bakkers were shameless charlatans and ingratiating clowns. In the words of Neil Peart of Rush, "That fool on television, getting paid to play the fool". (from The Big Money).
My siblings and I spoke with my father at length about this, and he broke down and admitted how ashamed he was of this, because the Jim & Tammy money-making enterprise were now hounding my parents night and day with phone calls and registered letters trying to milk them for more money. They actually had a man show up at their house on two different occasions trying to get inside and talk about their "seeds of faith".
We had to file for a restraining order against PTL to stop them contacting our parents. But it didn't stop other people from doing the same. PTL had sold my parents' contact information along with a huge list of other suckers to other fundraising organizations, so we had to have their phone number changed twice, and pay a service to cull their mail of solicitations for donations.
WOW. That sucks. Did you grandparents come around after that?
Honestly, I’m more confused why they wouldn’t have given it to their own local church, unless that was their church?
That sucks. There are churches and Christian non profits that are actually doing good things (which, of course, never make any headlines).
It’s one thing to have a museum to educate people about religious beliefs, it’s another to have a whole theme park that requires admission. That just sits wrong with me…
I think it depends on the context. A lot of the parks in south-east Asia don't seem to have any issue with these portrayals as being insensitive, so the admission price makes sense to me. I definitely do think of Heritage USA as exploitative in the same way that mega churches are though.
I don't find it so strange after all you do pay admission to enter museum don't you? Don't those Parks have employees that need to be paid? And why should people who are very invested in their religion be limited to only enjoying and paying for "secular parks?" I don't think it's my place to judge where a family goes on holiday. To each thier own. It's not like it's harming anyone.
@@Starsphire Yeah, it's definitely not a way to groom children
@@Starsphireits not OBVIOUSLY hurting anyone.
@@Starsphire ya cause showing kids hell & telling them this could happen to them if they don’t obey their parents religion is totally not causing psychological harm😅😂
Thank you for straight-up calling Falwell what he is, and not pulling a punch that he so richly deserves.
Love to see someone talking about religious oddities while making it clear that "religion" and "Christianity" are not synonymous, and there are plenty of other belief systems out there, even when the focus leans towards the church.
edit: THE SHABBAT RIDE _I AM WEEPING_ lmao
It seems the Evangelical Movement has desired to literally have their own Disneyland/Disney World experience. Heritage USA was probably the closest in side to the original Disneyland and the Holy Land Experience was the most modern attempt.
This is part of a more general trend: The "Christian version" of all sorts of thing. The really devout believers tend to be a bit suspicious of 'worldly' media, and eager to consume alternatives that promise to be aligned with their faith. So often if a particular idea becomes really popular in mainstream culture - a movie, a book, or just an idea - then someone will make a Christianised version. Some of these are real efforts to make something good that is also according to the religion, while others are just very transparent cash grabs made to drain the wallets of believers.
@@vylbird8014 very well said 👍
@@vylbird8014 😮 fix
sorry, my cat commented this
Too bad Jim Bakker and every other televangalist is a scam artist
The "Rollercoaster" actually looks really relaxing. I kinda wish more theme parks would have a slow rollercoaster with good views. Seems great for little kids and elderly as well, since it's not so extreme.
Which one?
I went to Akshardham in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, expecting to get bored out of my mind inside a giant temple. But there was literally a full-fledged amusement park inside, with a roller coaster, a water slide and so much more.
As a thoosie / theme park enthusiast, it easily became my favorite temple.
I thought about including that as well, but I couldn't find much information. I was really only just working with scraps for many of these lol.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Wish you'd have asked me lol
But it's still an interesting video regardless
Fascinating stuff! That Chinese Hell walk-through is amazing and I have a new travel goal. It's interesting how religion themes have gone hand-in-hand with "amusement" since the beginning. Most of the early theme parks in 1900s Coney Island had some form of religious walk-through or cyclorama, with several focusing on the Book of Revelation, which I'm sure made for a spectacle. It also allowed the owners to claim that their parks were actually spiritually uplifting, an important consideration given Coney Island's seedy reputation at the time.
I thought about making that connection and speaking briefly on those. Wasn't there also a ride or walk-through that took place in hell? I figured it was probably best left for a different video though.
The inclusion of religious themes might have been a way to bypass blue laws that prohibited commercial operations on Sunday in the United States (I don't think many of them have actually been repealed, I think they have just stopped being enforced.) Or maybe it just looks cool, idk.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Yes! The hell walk throughs were pretty popular and used a lot of Dore inspired art to make them really grisly. Kind of a haunted house, but theoretically good for the soul.
@@nemoxeno8112 That's a really interesting idea. I haven't seen it specifically mentioned as a way to get around blue laws, but it certainly could have been.
@@dr.winstonsmith These are good points, although I'd be willing to bet that the religious themes could serve as a sort of moral fig leaf for a family outing to, say, Coney Island, or one of the expositions.
One thing you might have missed is that the grandfather seen in the commercial is actually Yehoram Gaon, who is a former pop star (who wrote and performed some of the most popular songs in Israel’s history), actor (performing in two of Israel’s most popular films (Kazablan and Operation Thunderbolt), and a social activist who fought for economic rights for Sephardic (descendants of Jews who were exiled from Spain) and Mizrahi (descendants of older Jewish communities in the Middle East) Jews
Yeah, I definitely had no idea who he was. That's certainly interesting though.
Okay .. i guess you're a fan. It's a fairly niche musical interest.
Your videos are always top notch, and this has been a pleasure. Growing up along Route 66 and visiting kitschy roadside attractions in the Ozarks in the 70s, I adore your taste for primitive animatronics.
I live in Arkansas and while I've never seen the play, I've seen Christ of the Ozarks a few times. It looks reallllyyy bad, lol, as a Christian I wish theyd tear it down and make a better one. It looks like someone tried to design Christ the Redeemer in Roblox. Also, I'm not sure where you read that it's the second tallest Jesus statue in the world (maybe it was when it was constructed), but that isn't the case any more. There are a lotttt of big Jesus statues
I believe the info came from the promotional clip. I've also seen it described as the "milk carton Jesus" because of how boxy it is lol.
“it looks like someone tried to design Christ the Redeemer in ROBLOX” is so funny i hope you know that 😭😭😭
I've never been there in person, just seen two video tours, but the Ken Ham Ark creeps me the hell out. I've seen videos of torture museums and the slavery museum, I've seen photos from those hell parks, I've seen videos from different religious attractions. The Ken Ham Noah's Ark is the only one that fills me with such utter dread and anxiety. Like the slavery and torture ones make me feel ill and make me sad, but the Ham Ark makes me like... viscerally unnerved, and I don't know why. I feel like I would have a full on panic attack if I was actually there in person. Other religious attractions I've seen videos of, no problem. Some of them are creepy, but that damn Ark is the only one that makes me feel just incredibly creeped out, like if you were riding a horse and the horse got spooked and ran off and you felt there was SOMETHING nearby but you never saw WHAT. That's how I feel about that Ark.
Consider therapy
But what ACTUALLY is causing this? You just repeated that’s it’s creepy in different descriptions.
Is it the wood creaking?
The setting allows youre imagination to go somewhere you typically dont?
Or..is just creepy?
I think that feeling might be due to the fact that a lot of information in the place is blatant lies and they try to hide certain information. The sleaze radiates off of it. It goes beyond presenting “Christian teachings” and straight up manipulates language to “teach” false information and gain support for the man behind it all and whatever message he wants to spread. (Which is very much not spearheaded by, ya know, salvation and love, the way Jesus says) Many of the artifacts were obtained in less than ethical ways, and overall it’s just one more thing that’s exploitative of people’s faith. Fundie Fridays did a whole video on it and the people behind it going into detail and giving a whole tour of the place.
I just think it’s hard not to have the creepy feeling that comes from the people involved being creeps and it permeating through the entire project.
I toured that whole damn thing on a forced family trip and I was so unnerved the whole time. Lots of dim lighting and weird music. They dunk on children’s books about Noah for sugarcoating the tragedy and mass genocide of the flood and they also have a looped video of Bill Nye being pissed. Do not recommend unless you have really good friends with really good senses of humor. Major cult vibes in every cubit.
@capslock4604 Also, don't forget the blatant lies! It wasn't built using historical building techniques like they said.
Honestly, the only good thing there is the little exhibit with doves, and that's only because they make nice, calming sounds.
The rest? Idiotic at best. Dangerous at worst.
I have been to the one in Vietnam and yeah I honestly can't tell you much either. The rides are basically fair rides and the best attraction honestly was the snow area. When I went it was off season on a weekday so not many people were there and some rides and attractions weren't even open. I didn't even know there were gators. The temples were beautiful were my mom spent the majority of the time and some had rocks were you had to go over the water to get to.
sounds boring
As a Vietnamese, I can confirm that quality is not a priority for theme parks. I’ve been to a different park where there’s a hotel, and the ornament plants are fake, and the walls feel “plasticky”, by that I mean the hotel feels more like an attraction than a place to stay, definitely somewhat uncanny
@@eertikrux666 that's awesome lol
As a Vietnamese who went there for a family holiday to Vietnam 4 years ago, I missed my opportunities with most of rides due to my language barrier and I was too pussy for the haunted house attractions so I can’t say much 😅
But I did spend my time there exploring some of the area and swimming at the water theme park area. The whole park seemed to be off season as there weren’t many people so it looked empty
I’ll get a better luck with the rides next time I visit Vietnam
Just here to comment for the algorithm.
I'm a big fan of defunct land but haven't really found another channel that scratches that itch, but this one does it! Excellent video!
Oh lord... PTL. I remember that place!
Leading up to Christmas, PTL (home of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker) would do this huge Christmas lights thing where people from all across North Carolina, and some of the surrounding states would come to see the lights. The entire theme park/camping area/ recording studio was bedecked with lights. Really neat. I do have a rather funny story about that though.
A year or two before PTL ran into legal troubles, my parents decided we'd head up to there to see the lights. The line to get in to see them was bumper to bumper traffic all the way out to the highway, and somewhat beyond that. We must have waited a good hour or so before we entered the park proper and started driving around. Now, one thing to note, there weren't really any signs saying just WHERE you should go. Rather you tended to follow the car in front of you and hope that they didn't lead you astray. At some point, maybe halfway through our time there, my father took a wrong turn. I forget exactly WHY he turned, or what caused him to do so, but we ended up going off road in our van. It didn't take long to realize we'd driven into the camping area, so he turned around and drove back to the road and we slowly (about 1mph) started going along as if nothing had ever happened. Behind us was bedlam. Cars had dutifully followed him off into the camping area and were now weaving their way between pine trees, through camping spots, and several were getting stuck in the dirt or mud. My father realized what he'd done, and started laughing at watching that long line of cars just wandering off on some random dirt road into the dark. After we got home, the next day, there was a local news report about how PTL had needed to close the christmas show early for the next couple days while they put better signs and barriers up, due to some forty or fifty cars having minor accidents at the park.
Absolutely fantastic story lol.
I used to work at the Great Passion Play growing up, and I’m very happy to say that they don’t hold the beliefs as the founder. Most of the people who work or volunteer there are from the nearby church I used to go to, and everyone is really chill and nice. I got to “herd” (Chase) the sheep that ran across the stage, my brother was a Roman guard, my dad was a disciple, and my mom was a crowd person and one of the first people you see. I even made friends with the guy at the barn, which ment I got to hang out with the animals. It doesn’t make much money, but I think most people have other jobs since its only open on the weekends.
Also, one of the Christian artists that they show in the museum, is named Jack E. Dawson.
*Jack Dawson* 😅I wonder if that’s just an artist name
That Taiwanese '18 levels of Hell' attraction has likely inspired many imitations for various parks across Asia, including the two in Saigon, Vietnam.
That's too many levels lol
Thanks for covering all sorts of theme parks! I would have never heard of most of these places without your videos
as a long-time themepark enthusiast, weird and wacky parks - the ones that lack household notoriety and are usually just amalgamations of whatever theming the owners can get their hands on - are my favourites. religion seems to have always had it's place in themeparks, as it does in every human experience or art. this was a very insightful and fun watch, all your videos are!
As much as I like the big budget stuff, the smaller, weirder parks and attractions are awesome too.
what's with the spacing?
@@SpamEggSausage just how i type lol. became a habit from my days of having a tiny phone. i have a reading difficulty and i'd like to read the words i type before i send them 😅
@@SpamEggSausage
I was going to say "he must be really old" because double spaces originated from typewriter use, but I got a glimpse at one of his comments after tapping on his profile picture, apparently it's a habit from when he used his phone.
I also just realised that he said that to you
Even though it’s not a theme park, the Holy City of the Wichitas is an… interesting religious park for lack of better words. It’s basically a replication of Israel from biblical times stranded in the middle of the Oklahoma plains. I visited a few summers ago, and all I can say that it’s definitely seen better days. The most remarkable part about it was how many people were there, and the state-of-the-art bathrooms despite the rest of the place looking like an abandoned village that didn’t survive the Dust Bowl.
Looks interesting, though there's not much there.
They call it Jacob's Ladder. I call it the Wobbly Babel.
God I love the architecture and aesthetic of the Indian and East Asian theme parks, like the Christian theme parks are so milquetoast in how they look while the Indian and East Asian ones are so extravagant and colorful; looking at it makes me want to go there and learn about the mythology and religion of those regions, which is something a religious theme park should do. Plus they just look sick as hell.
Great video! Would love to see a breakdown on Praiseland, which controversially had to close due to a gas leak.
I thought about including a reference to it in the video, but it got lost among the script.
Praise Land? More like Craze Land!
Did Simpsons reference that incident?
I grew up in Singapore and Haw Par Villa was the first theme park I distinctly remember. In the 90s, there was a dark boat ride that you rode into a dragon. Inside you saw the 18 stages of hell and you exit the dragon with a pretty sweet log plume. It was so hokey but wonderful. This is still the most memorable dark ride I have ever ridden.
Good video, Poseidon. Most of the parks you showcased in the video were odd, but charming. The proposed (and probably cancelled) plans for PLA-IM might take the cake for being the most bizarre and outlandish proposals for a religious theme park.
While the Jacobs ladder observation tower makes sense, the People of the Book rollercoaster is very puzzling to say the least. In the foreground, there appears to be a wooden coaster with PTC trains, but in the background there appears to be a lift hill structure similar to I-305. I'm going to assume the coaster would have been a smaller scale GCI wooden coaster.
The shabbat ride appears to be a log flume, with automobile themed boats taking riders through scenes representing the hustle and bustle of everyday modern life, with the splashdown as the climax of the ride. The park also appears to have had plans for a ferris wheel, with an unknown theme.
The park was apparently very much inspired by WDW. I'm pretty sure that the Shabbat Ride was pitched as a Splash Mountain equivalent.
Nauvoo, IL is being developed as a historical theme town for Mormonism. No rides yet though!
Would love to go on the ride depicting the Egyptian afterlife.
I went to the Tiger Balm Garden in Singapore back in 1978. A friend and I were wandering the grounds, marveling at all the bizarre imagery, when a local approached us and started explaining the stories and myths behind the imagery. Afterward, he expected us to give him some cash, which we did, as he was very knowledgeable and spent a fair amount of time with us.
This was very much unexpected but very enjoyable and informative. Granted understandably religion is such a touchy subject; but a theme park and/or attraction about different beliefs and practices in one park would not be a bad idea. While it would be interesting to see a religious theme park that tastefully focuses on the numerous faiths around the world; how would someone pull something like that off is a whole other matter.
I can't say that I really found any of these parks distasteful, at least other than Heritage USA. I don't think the staunch reverence of Christianity and Islam necessarily apply to a place like Suoi Tien or the Madou Daitian Temple. Even Pla-im seems unconcerned with its hokeyness.
Wrinkles nose. Id rahter go to a theme park to escape religion. I dont find christianity entertainment unless youre a staunch atheist or devout christian, which i am neither
29:11 "Grace: The Pro-Life Doll" made me spit out my drink
Seeing the title, I was instantly reminded of the Noah’s Ark walkthrough in Kennywood. Most of it is just walking through dark hallways, all of the animatronics/figures are old and tattered, and the same two notes play on repeat the entire time. Pennsylvania may be known for its haunted attractions, but none of them have unsettled me nearly as much as that freaking Ark. Oh, and did I also mention that everything just feels weirdly sticky?
As a Pittsburger, I agree there is a little of an unsettling atmosphere to lots of scenes.
The way people talk about Disney, you'd think it was a religious park too! In the name of the Walt, the Mouse, and the Fab Five, Oh Boy! 😆
I'm glad the algorithm tossed this my way, it was a fun experience seeing so many unique parks
This was a top notch mini-doc all the way through!
I know me too.
I subscribed in the hopes of more like it.
I live maybe an hour and a half away from eureka springs AR and love visiting. It's a trip entering the town and being greeted with The Great Passion Play (most of the time looking like an abandoned liminal space) and then right afterwards being met with the extremely LGBTQ+ friendly downtown. There's usual a fair amount of heavily vandalized passion play signs on your way and it's pretty funny.
Idk just the thought that something like the Passion Play exists is wild. The giant God statue is really cool and pretty though
A couple years ago I was on a trip to my grandparent's, but an oil tanker of all things had crashed in a national park and spilled oil into the river, and all roads leading into and out of the park were closed, including the route I needed. If I recall, my phone was out of service, so I just followed a sign that said it led to a detour route. I ended up getting lost and stumbled upon Field of the Woods, a Christian theme park that seems like it just sneaked out of nowhere. I stopped to ask directions and the place was totally empty except for the employees. The employees were extremely helpful and a good old boy who I guess just came there to chat with his friend who worked there took the time out of his day to lead me all the way back to the high way.
As a Jewish person, I literally looked at this video and thought “no way there would be a Jewish one. Our culture would NOT work well as a theme park. What would they make it about, Shabbat and scholarship?
And then it happened
With the Indian theme park, I wonder if you can do a run-down on other theme parks that are meant to summarize countries or regions. Disney's America would have been this and California Adventure is arguably this for California. I know there are examples of these from China, Indonesia, Sweden, Norway, and others.
That's a pretty interesting idea. I'll add it to the idea list!
@@PoseidonEntertainment w
Seeing the Great Passion Play nearly gave me whiplash. Never expected to see a place I've been on any kind of video like this.
I mostly remember it as an alright experience, although you are correct in saying that it was quite dramatized
What an interesting video, with so much great research! The Heritage USA story is fascinating and so sad. RIP Tammy Faye❤
Taiwon’s hell scape walkthrough sounds similar to what the protagonists go through in the Korean films “Along With the Gods: the Two Worlds” and its sequel: “AwtG: the Last 49 Days.” Essentially an Asian Purgatory before the church erased it from their literature (along with Limbo). The films were based off a hugely popular Korean web toon; as the theaters were packed when the films were released. Like previous Marvel-movie packed.
Worth a watch if you can convince your Netflix account that you’re in Korea or Japan.
There should be a footnote for Dollywood as well. Though not entirely religious, religion is intricately tied to it. They have religious shows, music, themes, and even a whole church that has services on Sunday morning.
As an Israeli I recognized the actor playing the grandpa immediately and the cringe level only rose the longer I watched. The last mention I've seen of this Pla'im atrocity is from 2021 saying they're really going to try to pitch it to the government, and with the current bozos in control I worry it's actually going to happen. Things move slower than a snail here though so don't expect it before, like, 2033, and it will look terrible.
I admit, I am typing this before watching the video out of excitement, but I am so glad someone talked about Heritage USA. It was definitly before my time but I live in the town that it originally stood in, there is even still a massive abandoned hotel that still stands and is a frequent hangout for urban explorers although more recently security has tightened. I drive by it regularly and next to It a PTL church still stands operational and while I haven't been inside, every time I drive close I can see camera equipment and security guards all throughout the church no matter what time of day and if I stay too long they begin to walk towards my car. If you ever wanted to do a more in depth video on the park I am fascinated by it and would love to help if you needed it.
here in Utah we have a place known as the Gilgal Sculpture Gardens, which is certainly an interesting place to say the least, while most of it is pretty normal, it's Utah, and you can't have Utah without some callback to mormonism of course, so what do they decide to do, they make the very prolific Joseph Sphinx, literally Joseph Smith's head on a Sphinx
I just did an image search and it's certainly interesting lol.
@@PoseidonEntertainment yeah, there's also the 8th and 8th whale which for whatever reason tends to be regarded as a religious site, and if course, among coaster enthusiasts we have the Maverick heartline roll as well (not even joking, it's marked as a place of worship on Google maps)
Heritage USA was massive when my parents were teens. I’m from the area and I grew up hearing stories about my parents going to the park and being life guards. Up until a few years ago the castle and some buildings were still there.
I also grew up in Fort Mill. Did they take down the castle?? I thought it was still there as a place for cops to catch speeders going to and from Pineville.
@@S-B33 I’m pretty sure it’s gone as well, it’s become townhomes and a mini shopping center. I haven’t driven through that area recently but I don’t recall seeing it anymore sadly
@@koriander7208 I texted my friend who still lives in the area and he said that it was taken down. But not the decaying apartment building! I’m waiting for a strong gust of wind to knock it over at this point.
I would like to see a Pagan theme park or would that be a Renaisannce fair
Does Revenge of the Mummy count as a religious experience?
TBH the theme park with Hell seems way more interesting than just yet another Jesus re-enactment
The Jewish theme park seems like something straight out of The Righteous Gemstones.
I live in the Smoky Mountains and there was once a dark ride in Pigeon Forge called " A boat ride through hell". I never visited this attraction but I've always been fascinated by it and I do recall seeing an old sign for it back in the Eighties. I have always imagined it was something like the boat ride in the movie version of "Land of the Lost." I have never seen any actual photos of the ride. Christus Gardens was a Christian themed wax museum in Gatlinburg TN. and perhaps a bit ironically, it was located near Ripley's Museum of the Supernatural, which was mostly a collection of artifacts from one of the founders of Wicca.
I totally forgot about the Jewish park (I live in Israel and saw the pitch at the time). You're right it'll probably never be built, but now I wonder whether they planned to keep it closed on Shabbat, because that'll be a death sentence to any park. We have very few secular holidays, and I can't imagine a Shabbat observing park can work at any capacity...
We did have a small attraction, something between Splash Mountain and It's a Small world. It had very outdated animatronics, and it played out scenes from the Bible. I think it closed down years ago, and it was really nothing to write home about, but I have fond memories of it.
czcams.com/video/5h9pDSTAzPA/video.html
I’m Vietnamese and I didn’t think I’d see Suoi Tien in this video lmao. I’ve never really thought about it as a “religious theme park”. Buddhism just plays a very influential role in our culture. I used to go there with my family when I was a kid and the hell ride traumatized me lol.
Looking back, I find a lot of the architecture very tacky and in like, an uncanny valley kind of way I guess?
Public places for spiritual festivals and spectacles are a generally very normal thing throughout human civilization, I understand that there is a degree of commodification going on here, but it really is a shame seeing the people in the replies pathologizing what should be healthy behavior.
I remember the DRAMA of PTL. I even used to watch the show + the "fund raising" I was actually 20 yrs. old when it happened. The # of ppl Heritage pulled in was roughly that of Knott's Berry Farm. Though it was not a prolonged period of time it was impressive none the less. The New Deli one has some impressive AA figures. Noah's Ark ones look fascinating as well. Jerry Falwell ride down the slide was the "butt" of many comedians jokes esp. late night. Thanks for the video. Even with a "religious" overlay, it would still boil down to some sort of capitalism. Everyone cannot volunteer to build/staff/maintain an endeavor.
I like the idea of a crazy busy coaster launching suddenly into a big calm pond with quiet focus windows. That sounds like an experience.
I grew up in Fort Mill, SC. We moved in the early 2000s and the hollow structures of the water park were still there. They have since demolished it but the huge apartment building still stands. It’s such a hazard at this point. It hasn’t been maintained or lived in since it was abandoned. They have talked about tearing down the building since I moved to SC, 20 years ago. It’s so funny because Fort Mill has developed so much within the past 5 years, including building new homes. They have built townhouse and apartment buildings around the decaying building. 😂 The Main Street strip is still up and running and is now a small chruch.
just commented on this video, but same, I have tried countless times to find a way in that hotel to explore
oh, this is right up my alley! can't wait to watch this later, thank you!
Suoi Tien describes itself as a 'Cultural Park' and while a form of Chinese-influenced Buddhism is part of that experience, a lot of what is featured there is also inspired by non-Buddhist Vietnamese creation myths, like the giant faces overlooking the waterpark areas.
I grew up around Heritage USA, spent a lot of time at the water park! My father worked as part of the broadcast production team, so we had free annual passes. The Christmas show around the park was absolutely amazing as a kid.
1) PTL=pass the loot (my father was a Christian TV engineer for a while in the early eighties, and that was the joke around the studio). 2) Been to Tiger Balm Gardens numerous times, most recently in 2014 (it is now a public park). While the Gates of Hell is most renowned, it contains lots of non-religious/philosophical scenery. Kind of sadly, I was almost the only visitor there on that last visit. It has its own station on the excellent Singapore subway.
Sort of an unrelated observation, but the Buddhist park in Vietnam is a testament to how terrible large, bombastic modeled structures look in theme parks. That type of tacky architecture automatically destroys any park's aesthetic appeal. If Mainstreet USA taught us anything, it's that themed environments need to show sensitivity to those details and be pleasant to walk in. I want to go to the New Dehli park because of its breathtaking setting and buildings, not because there's a hulking Elephant or Dragon head can I walk in.
I don't really see those structures as anything other than quintessentially south-east Asian. I think architecture in the region can come off as a bit tacky to the west, but what I like about the park is how different it is aesthetically.
The theme parks from east Asia are fascinating, one thing you might want to consider for next time is getting someone from the region and religion of the park to get further insight as I think that would be super fascinating!
I often try to translate key words into different languages to help gather information, which usually yields results. The largest issue, at least with Soui Tien specifically is that their website isn't even up. As often as I'm interested in speaking to people from other countries though to get their experience, I often had poor luck finding communication channels though.
As an atheist, those Asian theme parks look pretty awesome. I do generally find religion fascinating as long as it's not being forced on anyone (and no, I'm not going to convert, despite finding it fascinating. I came from an Evangelical family so been there, done that.)
I wonder if Le Puy du Fou, in France, would fall within your parameters for a Christian Theme Park.
It's a park with mostly live shows and walk-through attractions, based on the history of the area but with a strong christian bias (e.g. christian martyrs freeing themselves in the Roman era show, or a miracle saving the village from the Vikings)
It now has a branch in Spain too.
Fun video, thank you!
I know of Le Puy du Fou at a surface level, but I thought that it would eventually make for an interesting video by itself. I know that there is definitely controversy with historical revisionism, so I'm not sure to what extent that affects public perception among the French. As an outsider, the context is definitely lost on me though.
@@PoseidonEntertainment The most controversy I've heard around it comes from the political views of the founder/owner. From what I know, the parc itself is now regarded as entertainment rather than education, especially since they've added Arthurian stuff that is clearly fiction. The people I know either appreciate it as family entertainment, see it as campy, or only know it by name.
There's certainly a lot I don't know, but it's not a huge subject.
I remember it being more educational as a kid, when it didn't have e.g. the Clovis walk-through that presents his victory as a result of his conversion. We did learn in school that he made a vow to convert to christianism if he won, but it's not taught as if it actually did anything (we are a secular country).
I am very curious about the Toleda one though, and I want to go someday. Very few of the subjects of the shows in France are related to anything outside of the borders, and the only other religions mentioned are the roman gods and maybe druidism so nobody cares if they use it as adversaries to christianism.
But with the history of Al Andalus, there is a lot to risk in controversy when telling the history of Spain imo... (not that Toleda is in Andalucia but still, hard to ignore, easy to mess up)
I feel like a cultural theme park is possible, but based on some of these parks...it is sort of a toss up if a religious themed theme park is remotely a good idea. I mean for educational purposes is a fantastic idea, but an amusement park is mostly for amusement...I'm not certain what how much of most religions can be translated into amusement without being....ugh.... awkward.
I would say that Buddhist haunted houses have gone far beyond awkward. That's definitely the kind of ridiculousness I'm looking for.
Hey, I always love watching your stuff, seriously some of my favorite content on youtube! My family were big theme park people when I was growing up, and we've been to a few unique ones (including the Ark Experience in Ohio).
BUT, have you heard of the Precious Moments theme park in Missouri? I've heard it isn't what it used to be, but in the 90s it was the absolute strangest place I've ever been, with its unsettling full-size doll people!
Just did a quick search and it looks quite strange. I'll definitely look into it further.
Never expected that franchise to get a theme park of its own.. I thought they all perpetually looked like Mary-Kate and Ashley dolls lmao
25:48 is that the Virgin Mary-go-Round?
Here in Orlando Florida, we had one HolyLand. You can still see it but it's not pretty anymore and is pretty much dead. I remember we would drive by it and seeing the mural of Jesus. The stadium or whatever it was, was so pretty. It was gold and had mirrors. It was actually pretty. I think it's now shut down and doesn't look good anymore.
Batu Caves in KL Malaysia has an amazing walk thru attraction giving the story of.... some hindu religious story i didn't understand but it was so beautiful. all these life sized figurines inside a naturally formed cave system with a river running thru it, it's really very beautiful. I've gone twice now. have you heard about this?
Just did a search on it and it looks absolutely fantastic. I'll research it a bit more when I have the chance.
I think that water park in Vietnam would be awesome to go to!
Also the next time I’m in Arkansas I’ll have to check out that Christian park/play 😂
in Buddhism water is linked to purity, celebration, and cleansing. It's used in many festivals that in modern times have turned into more of a party atmosphere as younger generations lose the faith, but enjoy the reason to celebrate. That's what I would guess the water park in Vietnam is about. Man, I love SE Asia.
I immediately liked and subscribed after watching the intro! I've lived in Springfield, Missouri off and on for most of my life and have been to Eureka Springs, Arkansas. I'm not a fan of living in the Bible Belt but I've lived all over so I'll move again one day haha Great video!
You’re doing great things man keep up the unique videos!
Lol, I remember living in Northern Thailand about 30 years ago and my friends and I went to a garden park featuring demons torturing people.
As someone who lives in Arkansas (and is a Jew), you have piqued my interest in visiting Eureka Springs, just to see the state of the park
If you're not familiar with them, Fundie Fridays has videos about this & also about Tammy Fae etc.
I really want a proper religious theme park. A drop ride shaped as a crucifix. A boat ride where Jesus calms the waves. A ride where you get ‘baptised’ by water. A rollercoaster that shakes and then goes over the edge like the demons in the pigs. Maybe a camel riding ride.
There is a museum in Cleveland called the sanctuary museum(or divine statue museum). It was established to preserve statues from churches that had closed down.
It seems pretty interesting, I'll research it further.
@@PoseidonEntertainment there are also roadside shrines in Wisconsin.
11:28 the was a Motion Simulator Ride in Porta Adventura in Spain with this exact same plot just replace a Tablet with a Gameboy. I do not know rides name but it was clearly just Dubbed into Spanish and was filmed in US.
Maybe I'm misunderstanding? It was a ride meant to replicate a grandfather going to a theme park with his grandson?
@@PoseidonEntertainment No it just started with a pre show before you went in simulator with a old guy talking to a kid playing a gameboy saying this book is way cooler.
I've lived near Eureka Springs, and this video doesn't even begin to cover how bizarre the statue and Passion are. The Christ of the Ozarks is a very popular spot for vandals who are feeling particularly daring.
I love chinese hell it's so interesting and the imagery is so vivid. I remember walking through Haw Par Villa's hell area as a kid and was so frightened by the imagery I had to cover my face with my mom's shirt. It felt so palpably alive I couldn't even look at it properly until I was much older
Ironically the Hell parks look like they'd be a fun escape from the current world reality 😅
the beginning about sacred mounts as a kind of ancient theme park was really interesting, great video!
I got to see a Buddhist hell walk through display outside of Hiroshima when I studied abroad in Japan, it was really fascinating
It was kosan-ji if anyone's interested
I can only laugh imagining what it'd be like if my church did something like these parks.
Here in Utah, we have This Is The Place heritage park, which is meant to recreate what Utah was like in the mid 19th century - though it obviously has a strong connection to our church, it's mostly historical.
Our church also has a set recreating Jerusalem in Goshen Utah, but it's for filming videos (and we've let the Chosen do filming there) not for public access.
But yeah, although I see nothing wrong with a fun amusement park, I think it's rather distracting mixing roller coasters and spiritual things.
I was almost expecting PLAM to announce a tower of babel ride. This almost seems almost like nationalist indoctrination in the theme park.
I feel a little weird combining religion and theme parks. I love to go to theme parks and have some alcohol and get to feeling good and then ride a badass roller coaster and scream the F word like I'm about to die. I don't think that would go over well at a religious park. LOL
Lived in SC all my life and never knew we had a religious theme park here... thanks for the videos, keep up the good work, I always learn something from your videos! ❤😊
25:19 That guy looks like he's thinking "Is this doll going to follow me home and strangle me in my sleep?".
The Shabat ride killed me.
I know this is a late comment, but the places in Italy reminded me of a place that is not really a theme park, though they do tours and stuff. Have a look at The Shrine of the Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend, Iowa.
does yt have a personal vendetta against you? i swear this is like the third time i’ve resubscribed. your content is always excellent and i hate missing out
I haven't heard of it being an issue, but maybe? That's odd if so.
Thank you for posting the video. I didn't know that these type of religious theme parks were operating across the world.
25:17 i had a toy as a kid growing up religious that played that exact sound. i know for sure it wasn't one of those dolls but man was that weird to hear
Very interesting. Good work. I have at time wondered about going to a Noah's Ark attraction for my bucket list. I remember the Heritage Park and the following scandal. It was sad and disappointing.
Another absolute banger of a video!
So, turns out that the Great Passion Play is still going on and still going strong. They have their website and the fact that it is enough stuff that is still going on to this day.