American Heartland, America’s Next Theme Park – NBC Chicago

A $2 billion theme park and entertainment venue comparable in size to Disneyland is soon to be built in Oklahoma, a state not often associated with large theme parks.

In an “Americana”-themed setting, American Heartland will feature a 125-acre theme park and a full-scale trailer park on Route 66 west of Grand Lake as part of a 1,000-acre development. Press release From Mansion Entertainment Group, it is helming the project.

The theme park will be located near Vinita, about 65 miles northeast of Tulsa.

Along with family-friendly rides and attractions, the destination will offer live entertainment and water rides, as well as restaurant-quality food and beverages. Featuring six “quintessentially American lands” — Great Plains, Bayou Bay, Big Timber Falls, Stony Point Harbor, Liberty Village and Electropolis — the park will welcome visitors on a “great journey through American history,” the group said.

Visitors can stay at the nearby Three Ponies Campground, which has an estimated 750 RV spaces and 300 cabins, making it the largest campground in Central America.

Construction will take place in phases, with the RV park and cabins scheduled to open in the spring of 2025 as part of the first phase.

The theme park, including a 300-room hotel and state-of-the-art indoor water park, won’t open until next year. Once construction is complete, Target estimates it will attract 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 create lasting memories, experience joy, laughter, imagination and wonder,” American Heartland founder and creative director Gene Bicknell said in the statement. “There’s so much to celebrate about our country: its landscapes, its cultures and, most importantly, its people. No matter where you’re from, you’ll feel like you’re in the American heartland.”

Those behind the plan insist that tourism will boost Oklahoma, particularly by creating more than 4,000 jobs and attracting new businesses to the state and surrounding areas.

Kristy Adams, senior executive vice president of sales and marketing for Mansion Entertainment Group, said the theme park and resort will be part of an anchor tourist attraction on Route 66.

“The scale and quality of development will be unique in the region, making Winita, Oklahoma a must-see destination for families around the world,” he added.