Ghost towns aren’t commonly associated with the Southern part of North Carolina, but if you travel to what’s left of Heritage USA, that’s exactly what you’ll find. I received an e-mail prodding me to finally post those pictures I promised way back when. So here they are.
Pictures of Heritage USA
 The Amusement Area |
 A 20+ Story Hotel |
 The Castle at Heritage USA |
 The Main Street Shoppes |
 I believe this is the studio where they filmed the TV show. |
 Close up of the shoppes |
A Little Background
Heritage USA was the crown jewel in the former evangelical empire of Jim and Tammy Fay Bakker. Remember Jim and Tammy? They were famous TV preachers know more for Tammy’s excessive make-up and lachrymose antics than any real spiritual substance. Well back in 1970s they leveraged the cash and influence of their TV show to created Heritage USA, a sprawling 1,200-acre complex that was a combination amusement park, resort, PTL headquarters, and residential development.
When the Bakers fell from grace in 1989 Heritage USA was abandoned. The residential areas were separated and became “Regent Park”, but the main complex was just sealed off. The amusement park, the 20+ story hotel, the “Main Street” Shoppes, and many more were all just closed and never reopened. By the time Tom and I obtained these pictures in 2003, the place had degenerated into a creepy tangle of weed-strewn parking lots, crumbling buildings and surreal decay. It was almost like a nuclear aftermath, with everything intact, the building still furnished, but no one around…
The sheer waste of Heritage USA is a real tragedy. Why were the buildings never re-purposed? Why was the furniture never salvaged? Why is all this developed land just sitting there and rotting? Here’s a large chunk of property worth millions that no one will touch. It almost as if the Bakker’s shame had smeared a vile, tangible paste over the entire compound, defiling it forever.