On todays episode of “Weird Religious Places in the Middle of Nowhere”, we have found ourselves at “Christ of the Ozarks”; A 7 story tall statue of Jesus that overlooks the small town of Eureka Springs, AR.
If you know me, you know I love weird places like this. I am amazed by the time, money and dedication put into these monuments. This one in particular was designed by Emmet Sullivan, who was one of the sculptors who worked on Mount Rushmore. When you look at it you can tell his talent wasn’t wasted!
According to the website: Every inch of the remarkable sculpture was built by hand. No poured segments were used in the statue’s construction. At an altitude of 1500 feet, the statue is made of 24 layers of white mortar on a steel frame and weighs over two million pounds. The foundation, which is virtually welded into the rock of the mountain, required 340 tons of concrete interlaced with steel. During construction, the framework of the statue was completely surrounded by scaffolding. Workers had to build an elevator up the side of the framework in order to reach the statue’s higher segments.
Closest Supercharger Joplin MO 85 mi
3132 Hammons Blvd, Joplin, MO 64804
Christ of the Ozarks
937 Passion Play Rd, Eureka Springs, AR 72632
