BECCA MARTIN-BROWN

bmartin@nwaonline.com

“American Heartland will be a place families can come together to create lasting memories, experience joy, laughter, imagination and wonder,” Gene Bicknell said Wednesday. “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 founder and chief creative officer for a theme park and resort that marks a $2 billion investment in northeast Oklahoma, just west of Grand Lake on Route 66. According to a news release, American Heartland will be a 1,000-acre development with a 125-acre theme park that will feature 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 125-acre theme park will feature a collection of six distinctly American lands to welcome guests on a journey through the best of the American story,” according to the news release. “Families will find thrilling rides and heartwarming shows as they discover Great Plains, Bayou Bay, Big Timber Falls, Stony Point Harbor, Liberty Village and Electropolis.

“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 release added.

American Heartland is an affiliate of Mansion Entertainment Group, LLC, the Branson performing arts, animation and studio brand.

The development will be built in phases starting with the RV park in spring 2025 and the theme park in 2026.

Learn more at americanheartlandthemepark.com and threeponiesrvparkandcampground.com.