New $2 Billion America-Themed Amusement Park Being Built in Oklahoma, ‘Bayou Bay’ Section to Pay Tribute to Louisiana
A huge new America-themed amusement park is coming to Oklahoma. But, you'll have to wait until 2026 to enjoy it.
The American Heartland Theme Park & Resort is a more than $2 billion entertainment destination development coming to northeast Oklahoma, just west of Grand Lake on Route 66.
This new park will be quite impressive in size. All total, the resort destination will take up 1,000 acres. That's about the same size as Disneyland and even the layout will be similar.
The reason for this could be that some of the designers used to work for Disney. All total, American Heartland Theme Park's creative team is comprised of over 500 years of Disney and Entertainment experience.
The Disney similarities begin as soon as you get into the park. The entrance of the park will feature a huge map of the United States on the ground, with a big American flag sticking out of the center. Then once you are inside, the park will have different "lands", just like Disney parks.
There will be six sections that comprise the park. Here is what each will look like:
Liberty Village - It will give you a feel of Disney's "Main Street, U.S.A," very much like an American town in the 1950s. It'll feature shopping and dining, old cars on the street, a paperboy selling newspapers, and a town square with a replica of the Liberty Bell.
Great Plains - In this land, you'll experience "the heart of the heartland, where big land and big skies invite the spirit to soar." It will feature Charlotte's Web barnyard adventure, Native American traditions and stories, and a barnstormer thrill ride.
Bayou Bay - The secrets of the swamp await in this tribute to our neck of the woods. Expect a "swampy hideaway where you can find mystery, magic, and some of the cutest critters this side of the Mississippi." It'll have seafood restaurants, a swamp-themed lazy river ride, an attraction called the "Voodoo House," and a pirate stunt show.
Big Timber Falls - This section pays homage to America's Northwest and promises "a rugged American adventure full of rushing rivers, soaring peaks, and ancient legends." Among the highlights will be a Splash Mountain knock-off called Big Foot Falls.
Stony Point Harbor - This section is New England-themed mimicking a coastal town, "where feisty 'old salts' tell tales of wild adventures at sea." It'll have a big sailboat and a "Haunted Lighthouse" attraction.
Electropolis - It appears this will be their version of Disney's "Tomorrowland." This land will be "a bright, bold vision of the American age of innovation." Renderings show a coaster through this land along with one of those quick drop rides.
4 Star Hotel & Water Park - And any good theme park needs a hotel (or twenty...but they're starting with one). "The age of romance lives on" in this hotel. The storytelling will continue with an indoor water park where families can relax and spend time together.
American Heartland will also feature the Three Ponies RV Park & Campground with cabins and amenities to cater to all types of guests.
The RV park will open in 2025 while the theme park itself is scheduled to open in 2026.
Developers are hoping to attract as many as five million guests each year to the property. They also say it'll create around 4,000 new jobs.
As far as ticket prices, that has not been unveiled yet. However, the goal is to make this theme park more affordable than Disney and Universal.
Time will tell. In the meantime, enjoy this video that shows renderings of what the park will look like.