Heritage USA facts for kids
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| Religious theme park and Christian resort; Cable television network broadcast and production facility | |
| Industry | Amusement park/hotel operator Cable television network |
| Fate | Chapter 11 bankruptcy |
| Founded | 1978 (closed 1989), hotel and convention center reopened in 2004 as Heritage International Ministries (Note: Television studios and production facility reopened in 2009 by The Broadcast Group) |
| Defunct | 1989 |
| Headquarters | Fort Mill, South Carolina |
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Key people
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Jim Bakker and Tammy Faye Bakker |
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Number of employees
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~ 2500 |
| Parent | Heritage Village Church & Missionary Fellowship, Inc. |
Heritage USA was a big Christian-themed water park, theme park, and living area in Fort Mill, South Carolina. It was built by a TV preacher named Jim Bakker and his wife, Tammy Faye Bakker. They were the people who started The PTL Club.
The park covered a huge area, about 2,300 acres (9.3 square kilometers). A church builder named Roe Messner helped create it. After it closed in 1989, parts of the land were sold to different companies. New buildings and projects have been built there since then.
The old Heritage USA buildings in Fort Mill, South Carolina, were bought by MorningStar Fellowship Church in 2004. They are now called Heritage International Ministries.
Contents
Heritage USA: A Look Back
How the Park Started and Grew
Heritage USA first opened its doors in 1978. By 1986, it was a very popular place. Almost 6 million people visited the park every year! It also provided jobs for about 2,500 people.
The park had many cool features. These included the Heritage Grand Hotel with 501 rooms and a fun area called Main Street USA. There was also an indoor shopping center and the Heritage Village Church. Visitors could also find the Upper Room, a large campground, and the Jerusalem Amphitheater.
Other attractions included conference rooms, King's Castle, a skating rink, and places for prayer. The park also had TV studios, a Bible school, and housing for visitors and staff. The Heritage Island water park offered lots of water fun.
A Popular Destination
Heritage USA was once the third most visited theme park in the United States. It had 4.9 million visitors each year. Only Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida and Disneyland in Anaheim, California had more visitors. People often called Heritage USA a Christian version of Disneyland. Jim Bakker had big plans to make the park even larger before it closed.
A Famous Water Slide Moment
In 1987, a TV preacher named Jerry Falwell went down a huge water slide called the "Typhoon." It was 163 feet (50 meters) tall! He wore a suit while doing it. This was part of a promise he made during a fundraiser. The fundraiser collected $20 million to help the PTL Club, which was in debt.
This event was important because it led to Jerry Falwell taking over the PTL Club and Heritage USA. Jim Bakker had asked Falwell to step in to prevent others from taking control. Pictures and videos of Falwell on the water slide became very famous.
Why Heritage USA Closed
At its busiest, Heritage USA made $126 million each year. However, the government took away its special tax-exempt status. Soon after, Jim Bakker faced legal problems and public criticism. Park attendance quickly dropped.
Under new leadership, Heritage USA had to file for bankruptcy. It owed about $72 million. Many people had donated money for a planned hotel tower, hoping for lifetime vacation stays. They only received a small amount of money back.
Jim Bakker's legal and personal troubles were often in the news starting in 1987. Then, in September 1989, Hurricane Hugo hit the area. The storm caused a lot of damage to many of the park's buildings. Heritage USA closed down shortly after the hurricane.
What Happened to the Land?
New Owners and New Names
In 1991, a preacher named Morris Cerullo bought the Heritage USA property for $52 million. He worked with a company from Malaysia called MUI Group. They renamed the property "New Heritage USA." Later, they had disagreements, and MUI Group took full control. They changed the name again to Regent Park.
MUI Group also owned Laura Ashley plc, a clothing and home furnishings company. Laura Ashley moved its US offices and distribution center to the property. Their main offices are in a pyramid-shaped building. This building used to be Jim Bakker's office. It is now called "The Regent Building." MUI Group also built a golf course and homes on most of the old Heritage USA land.
For a while in the 1990s, the 501-room hotel was run by Radisson Hotels. It was called the "Radisson Grand Resort." But it didn't do well as a regular hotel and eventually closed. It then fell into disrepair.
New Ministries and Developments
In 2004, the rest of the property was sold to Coulston Enterprises. This company was owned by a local developer named Earl Coulston. Coulston Enterprises sold parts of the land to MorningStar Ministries and Flames-of-Fire Ministries.
MorningStar Ministries has been working to fix up the parts of the property they bought. This includes the tall Heritage tower. The buildings bought by Flames-of-Fire were later sold to The Broadcast Group. This company makes TV and multi-media productions. Coulston Enterprises has also built new neighborhoods with houses and restaurants on the remaining land.
In 2006, a 24-hour prayer ministry called Zadok House of Prayer (ZHOP) opened at the old Heritage USA site. They later moved, and MorningStar Fellowship Church bought their building. It now houses MorningStar's private school, Comenius School of Creative Leadership.
In 2018, Rick Joyner from MorningStar Ministries said he was interested in rebuilding the theme park.
Important Buildings and Their Fates
The Barn and PTL Studios
In 2009, The Broadcast Group leased a part of the property. This area included the old Barn auditorium, the Total Learning Center, and the PTL Television Network Studios. The studio area was quickly fixed up and reopened as "The Broadcast Group Complex." The Barn Auditorium was also renovated and reopened in 2012 as "The Barn at Regent Park."
In 2014, The Broadcast Group moved its operations. Soon after, Antioch International Church bought all these buildings and the surrounding land. Antioch International Church now uses the former Barn Auditorium as its new church home. The whole complex is now called The River Place.
The Upper Room Chapel
In 2009, a group called "Friends of The Upper Room" started a petition. They wanted to save The Upper Room building from being torn down. Many people signed the petition.
In 2010, Christian concert promoter Russell James bought The Upper Room. He started fixing it up right away. It reopened in 2011 as the Upper Room Chapel. The outdoor "Walk of Faith" was also restored. It is now used for prayer and is planned to be open 24 hours a day.
Heritage Grand Hotel Tower
MorningStar Fellowship Church bought the hotel tower in 2004. There were plans for the tower to be torn down. However, MorningStar convinced the county to let them finish the tower instead. They planned to turn it into housing for older adults.
There have been legal disagreements between MorningStar and York County about the tower. As of 2022, the county still says the building is unsafe and should be torn down. MorningStar and its supporters continue to work to complete the tower.
King's Castle Demolition
In 2013, developer Earl Coulston started tearing down "The King's Castle." This building used to be an arcade and go-kart track. It was originally meant to be a very large Wendy's restaurant. Construction stopped when Heritage USA went bankrupt.
The castle was later finished and used as an arcade. But it eventually closed and fell apart. MorningStar Fellowship Church had thought about using it as a youth center. However, it was too damaged to fix. Coulston paid for the demolition, and the site has since been cleared.
Jerusalem Amphitheater/King's Arena
The land with the "Jerusalem Amphitheater" (also called "King's Arena") and campground is owned by Earl Coulston. The campgrounds have been fixed up and are now called Crown Cove RV Park.
The outdoor amphitheater was demolished in 2012. There were plans to add a roof and turn it into a place for youth concerts, but this never happened. The amphitheater was abandoned for many years before it was finally torn down.
See also
- List of defunct amusement parks
- List of water parks
