Tierra Santa, Latin America's Only Religious Theme Park

(Beatrice Murch)

Tierra Santa, in the "Costanera Norte" area of Buenos Aires, Argentina, is nestled between the domestic airport, a driving range and a water park. It is the only religious theme park in Latin America. Opened in 2000, it recreates Jerusalem (complete with Wailing Wall) and transports visitors back over 2000 years to show how people lived at the dawn of Christianity.

You can see animatronic reenactments of Genesis, the Nativity, and the Last Supper, complete with music and light shows playing off dry ice. The general plaza near the food court hosts live-action musical performances, from belly-dancing beauties to semana santa passion plays.

Employees dressed in period costume roam the streets, adding to the surreal vibe. They’ll helpfully take your entrance fee, point the way to the bathroom, or serve you a shwarma with "Adam's Apple Juice."

The crowning glory is Jesus Christ's resurrection as a 60-foot statue that rises robotically over the Holy Mount ten minutes before every hour, to the piped tunes of Latin choral music.

Beatrice Murch, based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is a freelance photographer and Photo Editor of The Argentina Independent.