Mix blistering heat with America's adoration for religious mythology and you've got a desert utopia worthy of God's Son himself. Welcome to Desert Christ Park, the holiest (and maybe the hottest) cactus garden on earth.
Located on 3.5 acres of desert land near Joshua Tree National Park lie 40+ powdery white statues portraying the big man teaching, praying, eating and looking like a badass (or total creep) with his buddies Mary and co.
The towering statues are well kept by the lovely folks of the Yucca Valley, allowing Jesus to shamelessly vogue and bask in the desert sun for the thousands that frolic to the park for picnics, weddings and that inevitable “What did I do with my life?" soul searching.
The mountainous terrain makes for the perfect backdrop to this holy park, though the dead eyed statues give you an eerie "They might come to life and exact horrible revenge upon the human race that built them" feeling. Recite some ancient scripture, spit in the wrong place or steal something and you'll have an army of stone Jesus' showing up at your apartment, threatening to eat your soul and kill your family. Just look at these dudes.
Regardless if he's your homeboy or not, this shit is amazing and definitely worth checking out.
HOW THE HELL DID THIS HAPPEN?
In 1951, land owner Eddie Garver met sculptor/concrete statue enthusiast Frank Antone Martin. It was a match made in— no pun intended— heaven, and they'd eventually go to work on an ambitious project that would both inspire and terrify the people of Joshua Tree for decades.
Garver, a Reverend by trade, aspired to create a world peace promoting Christian-themed park, while Martin simply wanted his 10 foot 'Resurrected Christ' statue placed on the rim of the Grand Canyon. Simple tasks, right?
Upon procuring the land from the church, Garver found himself with 5 acres and no world peace concept in sight. Enter Martin, for whom had just gotten his “grand” idea denied by the State due to that church and state separation thing.
A chance meeting hooked the duo up and Garver offered to put Martin's Statue up on his hill, which led to the the creation of Desert Christ Park, which opened around Easter 1951. It was an immediate hit with the locals.
The next year, Martin and Garver took up permanent residency on the hill and formed a non-profit corporation in order to add more biblical figures to the mix. A last supper, tomb and Jesus in various poses would follow over the next 10 years.
After the partnership ended in the late 1950s, the statues were relocated to the current park, where they remain and are maintained via grants and donations.
