The Great Passion Play
It’s so much more than just a play, it’s a PLAYground!
Find “inspiration” by exploring and participating with the whole family in the many things to do on site from the most religious to the most invigorating at The Great Passion Play in Eureka Springs!
These new inspirational trails are perfect for the entire family! The 15-mile trail loop is designed to be friendly to all user groups and skill levels which includes hikers and mountain bikers of all ages. So bring the whole brood and hit the trails at The Great Passion Play in Eureka Springs!
This one-hour tour takes an in-depth look at the staging area. Everything that an actor sees you will see including the ward-robing rooms, set design, special effects, lighting and sound room, the barn area. Here’s what some folks have to say about the tour:
“I grew up in the area and attended the play many times over the years, but the backstage tour gave me a completely different perspective of the play.”
“The backstage tour was a cool bonus”
“We took the backstage tour and got to see the works of everything. Met the animals.We were there last year in November and couldn’t believe all the upgrades that had been made since then. Just love everything you have done”.
Walking through a life-sized replica of the Eastern Gate in Jerusalem into an authentic Marketplace, you will feel as if you are in the actual Holy Land. Talk with Biblical craftspeople and characters. See and experience how fun and extremely interactive, this experience is for you, your family, group, or church!
Free interactive exhibits include:
Each evening before The Great Passion Play performance, the Potter stands at his wheel molding clay into form. As he works the clay, The Potter teaches from inspirational passages of the scriptures, including Jeremiah 18.
David the Shepherd
David the Shepherd gives a free performance before the Play at 7:00pm in the Potter’s Theater. He talks about how David overcame Goliath and he even gives a demonstration with an actual shepherd sling. If you are lucky, he might even let you practice with marshmallows!
Each evening before The Great Passion Play performance, the Sculptor, Bob Willis, forms a bust of Christ in clay. He shares truth from God’s Word as he fashions the clay into an image of Christ. Bob’s testimony is a reminder that the Lord does not throw the clay away, but we are to be fashioned into His image each day to honor Him.
And so much more! Bring the whole family and experience The Market Place this Summer!
The Holy Land Tour is not like anything you have ever experienced. Walking through a life-sized replica of the Eastern Gate in Jerusalem into an authentic Marketplace, you will feel as if you are in the actual Holy Land. Talk with Biblical craftspeople and characters and even witness Jesus walk on water. Tours are from 12:00pm to 4:00pm on days of Play performances and there are special guided tours every day but Sunday by advanced reservation. Do not miss experiencing Biblical life with your own eyes with cisterns, sheep pens, guard towers, and a full-scale replica of the Tabernacle.
Buy Tickets to a Play Performance
One of the most iconic attractions in Northwest Arkansas is the statue of Christ at The Great Passion Play. 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. Taller than most humans, the hands from wrist to fingertip measure approximately 7 feet. The statue’s arm spread from fingertip to fingertip spans 65 feet and its overall height is 67 feet.
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The Great Passion Play in Eureka Springs, Arkansas is “America’s #1 Attended Outdoor Drama” according to the Institute of Outdoor Theater and Drama of East Carolina University at Greenville.
Staged in an outdoor amphitheater, the multi-level set, special lighting and sound effects, live animals, and a cast of 150 Biblically costumed actors come together to create the thrilling epic drama of Jesus Christ’s last days on earth. This Christian attraction has been performed since 1968 in the beautiful Ozark Mountains in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. There are many places to stay in Eureka Springs and fun things to do! See the Easter story come to life from the first weekend in May through the last weekend in October. This experience is just the one for you, your family, group, or church!
Hungry yet? You and the whole family will enjoy a hearty buffet style meal in The Great Passion Play’s Great Hall Buffet. Pulled pork, ribs, chicken, a vegetarian dish, starches and vegetables, a full salad bar and dessert bar, as well as beverages make it not only a convenient place to eat, but also a delicious place to dine. It’s all-you-can-eat, and it is open to the public! You can come and eat regardless if you have tickets to anything else on the grounds!
Dinner is served from 4:30 PM – 7:30 PM each day the Play is performed.
Some of the rarest Bibles include an original 1st edition 1st printing 1611 King James Version, the only Bible signed by all of the original Gideons in 1898, the first Cherokee Bible, as well as a page from the Gutenberg Bible!
Trace the history of the Bible from the most ancient parchment to modern computerized versions as you explore our stunning collection of over 6,000 Bibles in 625 languages and dialects. The Bible Museum showcases the Word of God with a compilation of original bibles and manuscripts rarely found in one collection.
Admission to the Bible Museum is included in the purchase of your Great Passion Play performance ticket or with the purchase of your Holy Land Tour pass.
With pieces dating back to the ninth century, the Sacred Arts Center features a diverse mix of artistic mediums portraying Christ and the Christian life. In fact, there are over 1,000 works of art in 64 different forms, making it one of the most extensive collections of Christ-centered art.
This new Cultural and Biblical History Museum provides a brief snapshot of the history of creation and mankind and how the Bible fits into that as well as providing evidences for God’s existence as well as why Christian theism and the Bible provide the most logical and plausible worldview of existence. *Many free items are available to help “the believer think and the thinker to believe.”
Open Fridays and Saturdays throughout the year and on days of the Passion Play performances.
An original ten-foot by ten-foot section of the Berlin Wall was erected next to the Church in the Grove. These words from the 23rd Psalm are painted in German on the wall, “Though I walk through the dark valley, I will not fear.” When the wall came down, The Great Passion Play acquired this piece as a tribute to the spirit of all people who risk their lives to believe and practice their Christian faith.
The Church in the Grove was built around the turn of the century by Jonathan Stites. It was located on Highway 62 East, about 2.5 miles from this location. In the beginning it was used not only as a church but also as a meeting place and school. After 1915, it was dedicated as a full-time church. For many years a circuit rider preacher ministered to this little congregation. The Congregation would meet at noon for a potluck dinner and follow with a worship service.
The Passion Play moved the Church in the Grove to the grounds of the Great Passion Play in January of 1986. Employees worked on the building for three months to refurbish it. It had been used as the Bible Museum prior to this move, but had stood vacant after the Bible Museum was opened in the lower level of the Smith Memorial Chapel.
Behind the Church in the Grove is a playground and picnic area with a swing set, teeter-totters and other playground equipment to help youngsters and their parents unwind. Picnic tables are there for your use and enjoyment. Perfect for the whole family!
So if you’re looking for a good old wholesome, fun, family friendly interactive vacation this Summer then look no further than The Great Passion Play in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Come experience our one of a kind “Play”ground and capture lifetime memories of fun, not standing in line this year!
CLICK HERE for Passion Play Discount Rate at the Crescent Hotel