Here's why American Heartland Theme Park can be the Midwest's 'anchor tourist destination'
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Big plans for a $2 billion − with a "b" − theme park and resort in northeast Oklahoma sound like something out of Branson, Missouri.
That's because the developer of American Heartland Theme Park and Resort, just west of Grand Lake near Vinita, Oklahoma, is an affiliate of Branson-based Mansion Entertainment Group.
The project, announced Wednesday by the developers and state and local officials, will be built in phases starting with a large RV park with cabins to open in spring 2025, followed by a world-class theme park and resort to open in 2026. The site is about 170 miles northeast of Oklahoma City and about 130 miles west of Branson.
The 125-acre Americana-themed park, "comparable to the size of Magic Kingdom Theme Park and Disneyland Park," is just part of the 1,000-acre development and will feature rides, live shows, family attractions, waterways and restaurant-quality food and beverage offerings, the development company said.
The themes? Great Plains, Bayou Bay, Big Timber Falls, Stony Point Harbor, Liberty Village and Electropolis.
The development also will include a "top-tier" 300-room hotel and indoor water park.
Theme park developer: Oklahoma, 'crossroads of the heartland,' is its own attraction
“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," American Heartland CEO Larry Wilhite said. "We look forward to bringing unforgettable generational experiences to Oklahoma.”
Next to the theme park, the 320-acre Three Ponies RV Park and Campground will be the largest in the center of the country, with 750 RV spaces and 300 cabins plus amenities, designed by OKC-based ADGBlatt.
“Located on historic Route 66 just west of Grand Lake, the development will attract visitors from around the world to experience and celebrate the rich cultures and hometown values America has to offer,” said state Rep. Rusty Cornwell.
The project design team, led by executive producer Steve Hedrick, includes more than 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," the developer said.
The state welcomes the venture, said Hopper Smith, interim director of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.
“We are pleased that American Heartland Theme Park and Resort has taken the first step and chosen Oklahoma to build a world-class entertainment destination,” Smith said. “We look forward to assisting with this project as it develops.”
American Heartland to be an 'anchor tourist destination, developer says
It will be amazing, said Gene Bicknell, American Heartland founder and chief creative officer,
“American Heartland will be a place families can come together to create lasting memories, experience joy, laughter, imagination and wonder,” Bicknell said. “There is 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 right at home at American Heartland.”
Why the Grand Lake area?
"It's the right place to be," Bicknell said. "We're here to develop something that's going to help all the people, not only in northeast Oklahoma but in all the surrounding states and all through the Midwest because what we're bringing here is often not found anywhere except on the east and west coasts."
American Heartland will be an "anchor tourist destination" expected to attract more than 2 million out-of-state visitors each year, said Kristy Adams, senior executive vice president of sales and marketing for Mansion Entertainment Group, American Heartland and Three Ponies. "The scale and quality of the development will be unlike anything else in the region, making Vinita, Oklahoma, a can’t-miss destination for families around the world.”
Vinita Mayor Josh Lee pointed to the jobs and taxes American Heartland will generate, then took a long view.
"What excites me most about the project is what it's going to do for the people of Vinita, the people of Craig County, Grand Lake, all of northeast Oklahoma, even the four-state region," Lee said. "The impact that this is going to have is going to make everybody's lives better, and it's going to be generational impact."
Senior Business Writer Richard Mize has covered housing, construction, commercial real estate and related topics for the newspaper and Oklahoman.com since 1999. Contact him at rmize@oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: American Heartand Theme Park: Midwest's 'anchor tourist destination'
