A theme park with an estimated price tag of $2 billion is coming to the Midwest — and its location may surprise you.
The 1,000-acre development, called American Heartland Theme Park and Resort, is slated to open in 2026 in the northeast town of Vinita, Oklahoma, according to a news Thursday from Missouri-based Mansion Entertainment Group, which is leading the project.
The amusement park itself will cover 125 acres, which developers say is comparable in size to Florida's Magic Kingdom and California's Disneyland.
Mansion Entertainment Group
It will have an Americana-themed environment with “a variety of fun rides, live shows, family attractions, water rides, as well as restaurant-quality food and beverage offerings,” Mansion Entertainment said.
It will also feature rides and shows at “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 called Three Ponies.
The park's design team includes more than 20 Disney Parks builders and Walt Disney Imagineers, according to Mansion Entertainment. It also hired design firms previously used by other major theme parks, including Six Flags and Universal Studios.
Once open, developers expect the park to attract two million visitors annually, according to Kristy Adams, Mansion Entertainment's sales and marketing executive.
Oklahoma State Senator Micheal Bergstrom said in a statement through Mansion Entertainment that the park will add at least 4,000 jobs and boost 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 fun destination.”
