$2B theme park to be built in Northeast Oklahoma

Jul. 20—VINITA, Okla. — The American Heartland Theme Park and Resort, a development of more than $2 billion, is set to be built in Northeast Oklahoma, just west of Grand Lake on Route 66, state officials announced Wednesday.

Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, a Republican from Adair, said the development will create more than 4,000 jobs.

The theme park and resort will be built in phases, starting with a large-scale RV park with cabins scheduled to open in spring 2025 and a theme park and resort scheduled to open in 2026. All of the property for the venture has been acquired, and construction is to start later this year, according to Kristy Adams, senior vice president of sales and marketing for American Heartland.

"We are thrilled to make Oklahoma the home of American Heartland Theme Park and Resort," CEO Larry Wilhite said in a statement. "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."

American Heartland will be a 1,000-acre development with a 125-acre theme park, which developers said is comparable to the size of Magic Kingdom Theme Park and Disneyland Park. The park will feature an Americana-themed environment with a variety of rides, live shows, family attractions, waterways, and food and beverage offerings in a collection of six distinctly American lands: Great Plains, Bayou Bay, Big Timber Falls, Stony Point Harbor, Liberty Village and Electropolis.

Trenton Langley, Craig County commissioner, said the development will be built along Oklahoma Highway 60, formerly Route 66, about 4 miles east of Vinita and about 4 miles from the Ottawa County line.

"I think it's an awesome idea," he said.

Asked why Craig County was chosen, Langley said it is because of its central location and the region's values.

"They just felt it is time for Oklahoma to have something like this to help them out," he said.

The adjacent 320-acre Three Ponies RV Park and Campground, designed by Oklahoma architects ADG Blatt, will be the largest campground in the central U.S. with 750 RV spaces and 300 cabins, plus amenities.

The development will also include a 300-room hotel and modern indoor water park.

"American Heartland will be an anchor tourist destination on Route 66 set to attract more than 2 million out-of-state visitors to Oklahoma each year," Adams said in a statement. "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."

Bergstrom said: "Its long-term economic impact will be transformative."

The design team for the theme park will consist of more than 20 former Disney Parks builders and Walt Disney Imagineers.

"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 in a statement. "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."

Bicknell is a former Pizza Hut and Wendy's franchisee, entrepreneur and philanthropist, and also a former resident of Pittsburg, Kansas. The Gene Bicknell Sports Complex is named for him. Bicknell is an alumnus of Pittsburg State University who also made a large contribution to support the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts.