American Heartland Theme Park ‘fell apart,’ ‘failed,’ lawsuit claims
American Heartland Theme Park, planned for Oklahoma, is the subject of a lawsuit which claims the project was shrouded in fraud and describes the theme park as “failed.”
The plaintiff, Gene Bicknell, a primary investor of the American Heartland Theme Park, filed the lawsuit against Rick Silanskas Jr., Larry Wilhite, and Steve Hedrick on July 25, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma (USDC ND/OK).
The lawsuit says the defendants sent Bicknell hundreds of texts and emails pretending to be God, and another 100 messages from a fictional nun named Sister Catherine, coercing Bicknell into funding a total amount of over $60 million.
The only construction that ever took place for American Heartland was a gravel road and a fence. The park, themed to the United States, was announced in July 2023 as coming to Vinita, Okla., on Route 66 in fall 2026. By October 2024, the park was reportedly delayed. The 1,000-acre property was also planned to include Three Ponies RV Park & Campground and a four-star hotel with an indoor water park.
While no formal announcement has been made regarding the future of American Heartland Theme Park, the lawsuit says the project “fell apart” and “failed.” Toward the end of its 68 pages, the lawsuit says, “As of this writing, there has been no further progress on the Project [American Heartland], leaving behind millions of dollars in debt, multiple legal proceedings (with the prospect of more to come), and, in northeast Oklahoma, a profoundly disappointed community.”
Silanskas, Wilhite, and Hedrick are charged on seven counts: racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, civil conspiracy, fraud, deceit, constructive fraud, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and unjust enrichment. Bicknell seeks money damages and injunctive relief.
Silankas was previously involved in the failed DreamVision theme park.
American Heartland Theme Park was planned to feature six lands: Liberty Village, Great Plains, Bayou Bay, Big Timber Falls, Stony Point Harbor, and Electropolis. Though most attractions (from a log flume to a stunt show) would be themed to U.S. locales and history rather than franchise characters, the park was slated to include at least one attraction themed to “Charlotte’s Web,” described as a barnyard adventure.
Three Ponies RV Park & Campground was planned to contain 750 RV spaces, 300 cabins, and resort-style amenities.
Here are concept artwork pieces previously revealed that depict the different lands and attractions American Heartland would have featured:
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