2023-07-25 03:37:20
A massive $2 billion theme park and entertainment destination, comparable to the size of Disneyland, is soon to be built in Oklahoma, a state not often associated with big theme parks.
With an “Americana”-themed setting, American Heartland will feature a 125-acre theme park and full-scale trailer park as part of a 1,000-acre development along Route 66 west of Grand Lake, according to a Press release from Mansion Entertainment Group, which is leading the project.
The theme park will be located near the town of Vinita, approximately 65 miles northeast of Tulsa.
Along with family-friendly rides and attractions, the destination will feature live entertainment and waterways, as well as restaurant-quality food and beverage offerings. With six “distinctly American lands” — the Great Plains, Bayou Bay, Big Timber Falls, Stony Point Harbor, Liberty Village and Electropolis — the park will welcome visitors “on a journey through the best of American history,” according to the group.
Visitors will be able to stay at the adjacent Three Ponies Camp, which will consist of an estimated 750 RV spaces and 300 cabins, making it the largest campground in the central United States.
Construction will take place in phases, with the RV park and cabins scheduled to open in spring 2025 as part of the first phase.
Including a 300-room hotel and a modern indoor water park, the theme park won’t open until next year. Once construction is complete, the destination estimates it will draw more than 2 million out-of-state visitors to Oklahoma each year, according to the news release.
“American Heartland will be a place where families can come together to make lasting memories, experience joy, laughter, imagination and wonder,” American Heartland founder and creative director Gene Bicknell said in the statement. “There is much to celebrate about our country: its landscapes, its cultures and, most importantly, its people. No matter where you’re from, you’ll feel right at home at American Heartland.”
Those behind the project insist it will elevate Oklahoma in terms of tourism, specifically by creating more than 4,000 jobs and attracting new businesses to and around the state.
Kristy Adams, senior executive vice president of sales and marketing for Mansion Entertainment Group, said the theme park and resort will, in part, be an anchor tourist destination on Route 66.
“The scale and quality of the development will be unique in the region, making Vinita, Oklahoma a must-see destination for families around the world,” he added.
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