A crumbling religious theme park in Connecticut that has been closed for nearly 30 years had $150,000 slashed off its asking price last week.Holy Land USA, in Waterbury, was shut for renovations by founder John Baptist Greco in 1984. When Greco died two years later, it was left in the hands of a group of nuns and has fallen into disrepair.
The eerie 9,472 sq ft site was listed for sale in 2011 for $775,000, which then fell to $500,000. Then, last Monday, the figure for what is suggested as a 'single family home' tumbled to $350,000.
Holy Land USA opened in 1958 and included sprawling replicas of Bethlehem, Jerusalem, the Garden of Eden and some catacombs.
Greco built the attraction from construction debris. The park also featured a chapel, some large sculptures and massive displays of Bible verses.
At the center of the site was a 56-foot-high cross and a large Hollywood-style illuminated sign reading Holy Land USA that was visible from the nearby interstate highway.
At its peak, in the 1960s and 70s, the theme park was bringing in around 40,000 visitors a year.
But after Greco's death it was willed to the Religious Sisters of Filippi, and it has been abandoned ever since. But people have continued to visit the site and it was the scene of a murder in 2010.
Francisco Cruz, 20, of Waterbury, was sentenced to 55 years in prison for raping and killing 16-year-old Chloe Ottman near the Holy Land cross on July 15, 2010. Since then there has been much debate about what to do with the site.
The listing for the property describes: '5 large buildings, with 1 Chapel located on 17.7 acres, this is HOLY LAND, many fantastic opportunities here, close to highways, easy access!'
There are 14 rooms, 5 bathrooms and 2 parking spaces on the former theme park.
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