Current:Home > MarketsNew $2 billion Oklahoma theme park announced, and it's not part of the Magic Kingdom -SummitInvest
New $2 billion Oklahoma theme park announced, and it's not part of the Magic Kingdom
View
Date:2025-04-16 19:31:19
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! (719)
Related
- Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
- MLB free agent rankings: Soto, Snell lead top 120 players for 2024-2025
- Ready to spend retirement savings? What to know about a formula for safe withdrawals
- GOP Reps. Barr and Guthrie seek House chairs with their Kentucky reelection bids
- Former Syrian official arrested in California who oversaw prison charged with torture
- Sean 'Diddy' Combs' attorneys seek gag order after 'outrageous' claims from witness
- Texas border districts are again in the thick of the fight for House control
- GOP Gov. Jim Justice battles Democrat Glenn Elliott for US Senate seat from West Virginia
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- Tropical Storm Rafael to become hurricane before landfall in Cuba. Is US at risk?
Ranking
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- First Family Secret Service Code Names Revealed for the Trumps, Bidens, Obamas and More
- Taylor Swift watches Chiefs play Monday Night Football after end of US Eras Tour
- Rudy Giuliani ordered to appear in court after missing deadline to turn over assets
- All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
- Nebraska adds former coach Dana Holgorsen as offensive analyst, per report
- Kristin Cavallari Wants Partner With a Vasectomy After Mark Estes Split
- Savencia Cheese recalls Brie cheeses sold at Aldi, Market Basket after listeria concerns
Recommendation
From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
James Van Der Beek, Jenna Fischer and the rise of young people getting cancer
Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar is a heavy favorite to win 4th term against ex-NBA player Royce White
RHOBH's Teddi Mellencamp Shares Emotional Divorce Update in First Podcast Since Edwin Arroyave Split
Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
Selena Gomez, Mariska Hargitay and More Stars Who’ve Voted in 2024 U.S. Presidential Election
Connecticut to decide on constitution change to make mail-in voting easier
Erik Menendez’s Wife Tammi Menendez Shares Plea for His Release After Resentencing Decision