American Heartland Theme Park and Resort, a new $2 billion, 1,000-acre theme park and entertainment destination in northeast Oklahoma. The theme park is slated to open in 2026.
The theme park component will encompass 125 acres featuring an Americana-themed environment with a variety of entertaining rides, live shows, family attractions, waterways as well as restaurant-quality food and beverage offerings.
The park will include six distinctly themed lands:
- Great Plains
- Bayou Bay
- Big Timber Falls
- Stony Point Harbor
- Liberty Village
- Electropolis
The development will also include a 300-room hotel and modern indoor water park.
American Heartland will be built in phases starting with a 320-acre RV park with cabins scheduled to open phase one in spring 2025. The theme park and resort is slated to open in 2026.
The resort will be located on historic Route 66 just west of Grand Lake, Oklahoma and will “celebrate the rich cultures and hometown values America has to offer.”
“We are thrilled to make Oklahoma the home of American Heartland Theme Park and Resort,” American Heartland CEO Larry Wilhite said.
“At the crossroads of the heartland, Oklahoma is an attractive location for a family entertainment destination. The state’s business-friendly approach and innovative partnership efforts have helped make this possible. We look forward to bringing unforgettable generational experiences to Oklahoma.”
The developer of the resort is American Heartland whose leadership has deep Oklahoma roots. American Heartland is an affiliate of Mansion Entertainment Group, LLC, Branson’s leading performing arts, animation and studio brand.
Led by Executive Producer Steve Hedrick, the resort’s design team is comprised of theme park designers including 20+ former Disney Parks builders and Walt Disney Imagineers. Design firms include THG, FORREC and Cuningham, whose portfolios feature the world’s foremost theme park brands including Six Flags, Disney Parks and Universal Studios.
“American Heartland will be a place families can come together to create lasting memories, experience joy, laughter, imagination and wonder,” American Heartland Founder and Chief Creative Officer Gene Bicknell said.
While no specifics about what rides and attractions American Heartland will offer, the aerial concept art does show at least three roller coasters:
The first is a large yellow steel coaster — possibly launched — with a sweeping turn over the theme park’s lake.
The second is a more traditional wooden coaster.
The third is a smaller, likely kid-friendly blue roller coaster. Of course, there could also be an indoor coaster hidden in one of the several large buildings on the outskirts of the park.
Of course, this is merely a concept rendering — what is actually built will likely be very different. Regardless, news of such a large, built-from-the-ground-up theme park is very exciting.
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