A long-standing tourist attraction in Bedford County has closed and the property will hit the auction block on Dec 16, according to the Lynchburg News & Advance.

Holy Land USA, which has been open for nearly 40 years and attracted thousands of visitors is now closed due to financial struggles.

The beautiful property includes over 180 acres of farmland, a house, a gift shop, pavillions and several streams and ponds.

Ideally, the new owner will continue to run the property as some sort of tourist attraction that can help boost the local economy and provide tax revenue to the county.

"Holy Land USA, a Bedford County tourist attraction that told the story of Jesus Christ through its scenery for nearly 40 years, is closed and headed for the auction block.

More than 180 acres of farmland that served the pilgrimage site on Jericho Lane several miles south of Bedford is for sale, said Mike Dodson, president of Holy Land USA Inc., a nonprofit that has operated the attraction since 2008.

Low visitation and high costs of maintaining the site led to a difficult decision several months ago to sell the land, Dodson said. Owners hope to find a new buyer who will continue the ministry.

'We had many people saved there,' said Dodson, who also serves as pastor of Tree of Life Ministries in Lynchburg. 'If it wasn’t for the financial side, you couldn’t find a more rewarding ministry.'

Thousands of people have visited Holy Land since its founding in 1972 by the late Robert Johnson, a Bedford businessman who built it as a memorial to his son, Campbell, who died suddenly at age 24.

The attraction included a three-mile journey through the property with 20 sites depicting the life and deeds of Jesus and replicating the Biblical lands of Israel, Syria and Jordan. Several depictions included Jesus’ empty tomb, the Upper Room where he had his last supper and Mount Moriah.

The property also includes a home with seven bedrooms, a chapel and recreation center, a gift shop, pavilions and several ponds and streams.

'It’s a gorgeous piece of property,' said Mike Torrence, a partner at TRF Auctions in Lynchburg, which will auction the site on Dec. 16."

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