Those who have longed to visit the Holy Land so that they can retrace the steps of Christ and other Biblical figures need go no farther than northwestern Arkansas. Near the resort town of Eureka Springs, The Christ of the Ozarks statue stands tall on an Ozark Mountain and overlooks the New Holy Land.

This recreated version of the Holy Land (also known as Israel) is home to not just the Christ of the Ozarks but to the Great Passion Play as well.

Christ of the Ozarks came first. This seven foot high massive statue weighs in at more than 500 tons and His outstretched arms span almost seventy feet. It is free to visit the statue and it is open twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Smooth paths lead to the base of the statue so that visitors can look up in awe, pray, or reflect on their most private thoughts.

Since the Christ of the Ozarks quickly became popular, the idea to present a passion play soon inspired The Great Passion Play. This passion play - like all others and like the controversial movie The Passion of the Christ - follows the events that led to Christ's death on the cross and his subsequent resurrection from the dead.

Passion plays have been popular in Europe since the Middle Ages and among American Christians, the Great Passion Play of Eureka Springs is a must-see experience.

The play is performed nightly during the summr season in a staging area designed to look like the Jerusalem of Jesus' time. Theater goers can opt to dine before the play begins or just buy tickets. Adult tickets, with tax, are currently $23.25 per person, children tickets for kids 6-11 are $10 and under six are free for those who wish to hold their child on their lap. Parents who prefer a seat for their under six children will pay for a child's ticket.

Since the Great Passion Play soared in popularity, the next addition to the top of Magnetic Mountain was the New Holy Land Tour.

This two plus hour tour allows visitors - after buying their admission tickets - to ride a tram across fifty acres with multiple stops at sites that have Christian significance. Tours are narrated and some sites - like the Burning Bush - are drive by only. At other stops, visitors disembark and are treated to a performance by actors who portray Biblical figures.

Stops include the Tabernacle, the sea of Gailee, as well as the inn and stable where Christ was born.

The cost for the tour is $15 for adults, $5.50 for kids 6-11, and free for those under six. There is also a family pass available for larger families and of course an extensive gift shop.

Included in the tour price are the Sacred Arts Center, home to more than 1,000 pieces of art with a Biblical theme and the Bible Musuem, on the lower floor of the Smith Memorial Chapel. Anyone who likes to look at Bibles will love this place - more than 6,000 Bibles are on display here.

Best attraction here is the Christ of the Ozarks because visitors are on their own to admire or aspire. The view from the foot of the statue is fantastic, looking back toward Eureka Springs. The famous - and haunted - Crescent Hotel can be seen from here along with the bell tower from St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church, once featured in Ripley's Believe It Or Not.

A downside to the New Holy Land Tour and Great Passion Play is that it is aimed at evangelical and fundamental Christians. Christians of some denomations may not appreciate the heavy preaching here and historians may find that history has been tempered with a strong dose of Christianity that doesn't concern itself with secular truths.

That aside, however, it is still an amazing place to visit for those in the Eureka Springs area. All these attractions are located on the top of Magnetic Mountain, three miles east of Eureka Springs, Arkansas on Highway 62.