Current:Home > InvestNew $2 billion Oklahoma theme park announced, and it's not part of the Magic Kingdom -AssetScope
New $2 billion Oklahoma theme park announced, and it's not part of the Magic Kingdom
Fastexy View
Date:2025-04-08 04:12:10
A theme park with an estimated $2 billion price tag is coming to the Midwest — and its location may surprise you.
The 1,000-acre development, named the American Heartland Theme Park and Resort, is scheduled to open in 2026 in the northeastern Oklahoma city of Vinita, according to a news release Thursday from the Missouri-based Mansion Entertainment Group, which is heading up the project.
The amusement park itself will cover 125 acres, which according to developers is comparable in size to Florida's Magic Kingdom and Disneyland in California.
It will have an Americana-themed environment with "a variety of entertaining rides, live shows, family attractions, waterways as well as restaurant-quality food and beverage offerings," Mansion Entertainment said.
It will also include rides and shows in "six distinctly American lands:" the Great Plains, Bayou Bay, Big Timber Falls, Stony Point Harbor, Liberty Village and Electropolis.
In addition to the amusement park, American Heartland will feature a 300-room hotel, indoor water park and an adjacent 320-acre RV park, and a 300-cabin campground named Three Ponies.
The park's design team includes more than 20 Disney Parks builders and Walt Disney Imagineers, according to the Mansion Entertainment. It also hired design firms that have been used in the past by other major amusement parks, including Six Flags and Universal Studios.
Once open, developers expect the park to attract two million visitors per year, according to Kristy Adams, a sales and marketing executive with the Mansion Entertainment.
Oklahoma state Sen. Micheal Bergstrom said in a statement through Mansion Entertainment that the park will add at least 4,000 jobs provide a boost to the state's tourism economy.
"We are thrilled to make Oklahoma the home of American Heartland Theme Park and Resort," American Heartland CEO Larry Wilhite said in a statement. "At the crossroads of the heartland, Oklahoma is an attractive location for a family entertainment destination."
- In:
- Travel
- Oklahoma
- Economy
- Disneyland
- Disney World
Simrin Singh is a social media producer and trending content writer for CBS News.
veryGood! (5853)
Related
- Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
- James Darren, ‘Gidget’ teen idol, singer and director, dies at 88
- The Fed welcomes a ‘soft landing’ even if many Americans don’t feel like cheering
- Russian missile strike kills 41 people and wounds 180 in Ukrainian city of Poltava, Zelenskyy says
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- RFK Jr. must remain on the Michigan ballot, judge says
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, This is the Best Day
- A vandal shatters windows and doors at Buffalo City Hall
- 'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
- Princess Märtha Louise of Norway Marries Shaman Durek Verrett in Lavish Wedding
Ranking
- Can Bill Belichick turn North Carolina into a winner? At 72, he's chasing one last high
- Ellen DeGeneres Returning for Last Comedy Special of Career
- A man is killed and an officer shot as police chase goes from Illinois to Indiana and back
- Alabama man charged with murder in gas station shooting deaths of 3 near Birmingham
- Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
- Russian missile strike kills 41 people and wounds 180 in Ukrainian city of Poltava, Zelenskyy says
- Jenn Tran’s Ex Matt Rossi Says His Bachelorette: Men Tell All Appearance Was Cut
- Kara Welsh Case: Man Arrested After Gymnast Dies During Shooting
Recommendation
Sarah J. Maas books explained: How to read 'ACOTAR,' 'Throne of Glass' in order.
Murder on Music Row: Could Kevin Hughes death be mistaken identity over a spurned lover?
Jardin Gilbert targeting call helps lead to USC game-winning touchdown vs LSU
A decision on a major policy shift on marijuana won’t come until after the presidential election
Travis Hunter, the 2
Human remains found in Indiana in 1993 are identified as a South Carolina native
Florida State coach Mike Norvell addresses 'failure' of stunning 0-2 start
As students return to Columbia, the epicenter of a campus protest movement braces for disruption