New theme park in Oklahoma opening in 2026 with Charlotte’s Web

Oklahoma will welcome a $2 billion resort in 2026, featuring the American Heartland Theme Park and an adjacent campground. Let’s take a tour of the new theme park’s six lands, which include “Charlotte’s Web”.

Introducing American Heartland

The 1,000-acre property known as American Heartland Theme Park and Resort will open in two phases. The 300-acre Three Ponies RV Park and Campground will debut in spring 2025. The 125-acre theme park, designed to emulate American locales, will follow in fall 2026. The design team includes the firm that created Port of Entry at Universal Islands of Adventure.

American Heartland will be located in Northeast Oklahoma near Vinita, on Route 66 close by to Interstate 44.

“American Heartland will be a place families can come together to create lasting memories, experience joy, laughter, imagination, and wonder,” said Gene Bicknell, founder and chief creative officer of American Heartland. “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.”

The theme park and campground will be created by American Heartland, a division of Mansion Entertainment Group. The company, based out of Branson, Mo., is self-described as “the heart and soul of entertainment.” Mansion also develops live-action and animated films, as well as performing arts.

Phase 1: RV Park and Cabins

Three Ponies RV Park and Campground will be the largest campground in the Central U.S. when it opens as the first phase of the American Heartland project in spring 2025.

The pet-friendly property will host 750 RV spaces, each equipped with power, sanitary, water, cable, and Wi-Fi.

Also at Three Ponies, 300 cabins of three different styles will each have a queen bed, bunk beds, and a kitchen. Every cabin can sleep up to five people.

Throughout the Three Ponies campus, guests will also find:

• The General Store, selling camping provisions and coffee
• Frontier Hall Dinner Show, an all-you-can-eat meal that begins with its staff ringing a dinner bell (sounds like a hoop-dee-doo of a good time)
• The Clubhouse, a dining facility with a table-service restaurant and counter-service café
• A recreation building featuring a restaurant, fitness room, game room, and arcade
• An onsite pool

Phase 2: New Theme Park

American Heartland Theme Park will open in fall 2026 with six lands that celebrate the different landscapes of the United States. Let’s take a tour through the park, featuring details from the park’s website.

Liberty Village

Guests will enter American Heartland through Liberty Village (“small town, big heart”).

Featuring shops and a replica of the Liberty Bell, Liberty Village will be a place where “the warmth and entrepreneurial spirit of classic small-town America shines through.”

Great Plains

In Great Plains (“land of endless horizons”), guests can experience Charlotte’s Web Barnyard Adventure. It’s described as one of several “imaginative experiences” in American Heartland that celebrate the “classic stories and illustrations that have inspired generations of readers and dreamers.” These areas will include play areas, rides, and retail selling books.

Great Plains will also feature Barnstormers, vaguely described as “thrilling rides that touch all your senses.”

Inside Great Plains’ First American Stories Theater, guests can “sit back and relax while watching the exciting stories of our heritage.”

Bayou Bay

Bayou Bay (“secrets of the swamp await”) will be home to “mystery, magic, and some of the cutest critters this side of the Mississippi.” The land will feature a swamp thrill ride and a pirate amphitheater stunt show. The park’s website also lists two Bayou Bay experiences mysteriously labeled “Voodoo House” and “Critter Tales.”

Big Timber Falls

Over in Big Timber Falls (“land of trees and taller trees”), guests will discover “a rugged American adventure full of rushing rivers, soaring peaks, and ancient legends.” Big Timer Falls’ anchor attraction will be Big Foot Falls, a log flume. Riders will “soar down the mountainside, encountering a legendary beast along the way.” Sounds like an exciting expedition.

Stony Point Harbor

Stony Point Harbor (“adventures vast and deep”) will be nautically themed and offer seafood dining.

The land will host Haunted Lighthouse, what appears to be a family dark ride based, but could be something else.

Electropolis

Lastly, Electropolis (“sparks, steam, and the spirit of American invention”) will celebrate “high-voltage stories and high-powered thrills.” Here, guests can ride Electro City, a spinning attraction with the same ride system as Carowinds’ new Gear Spin.

Electropolis will also be home to a ride called Terminal Velocity. American Heartland’s language is vague about this attraction. However, concept art definitely shows a roller coaster, and possibly also includes some sort of drop tower attached.

Four-Star Hotel and Indoor Water Park

Next door to American Heartland Theme Park, a four-star hotel will house 300 rooms. The hotel, whose name is yet to be announced, will be a place where “the age of romance lives on.”

The luxurious hotel will have a boardwalk …

… and scenic outdoor dining.

The hotel will also feature an indoor water park.

The Team Creating American Heartland

Mansion Entertainment’s team behind American Heartland is led by Executive Producer Steve Hedrick. Designers include over 20 alumni of Disney Parks and Walt Disney Imagineering. Several design firms will collaborate with Mansion Entertainment to bring American Heartland to reality. Below are the companies involved, as well as a glimpse of what they’ve also built that you may have experienced.

• THG Creative: DreamWorks Water Park, Hello Kitty Park, and Universal Studios Hollywood attractions like The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash, The Simpsons Ride, and Jurassic World: The Ride
• FORREC: Port of Entry at Universal Islands of Adventure, Nickelodeon Universe, multiple Legoland parks worldwide, and Dollywood attractions like Mystery Mine, Wildwood Grove, FireChaser Express
• Cunningham: Penury West Hollywood Hotel and Residences, Emerald Queen Casino, ALL NET Arena, Morimoto at MGM Grand

Meanwhile, ADG Blatt will develop Three Ponies RV Park and Campground. The firm’s other architecture work includes city planning, hotels, sports facilities, and houses of worship.

Local Leaders Weigh In

Several figurehead of Oklahoma shared their excitement for American Heartland’s arrival:

“There’s no better place to represent the heart of America than northeast Oklahoma,” said Micheal Bergstrom, State Senator of Oklahoma. “This $2 billion investment in our state will create more than 4,000 jobs and introduce a new category of entertainment to the region, and its long-term economic impact will be transformative. Tourism is already one of Oklahoma’s top industries and this project will elevate our state even further. Since tourism is a doorway to economic development, American Heartland Theme Park and Resort will draw new businesses not only to the surrounding area but also throughout the region and state.”

“Oklahoma is excited to welcome American Heartland Theme Park and Resort,” said Rusty Cornwell, state representative of Oklahoma. “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.”

“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,” said Hopper Smith, interim director of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. “We look forward to assisting with this project as it develops.”

As always, stay tuned right here at Attractions Magazine for updates and announcements about American Heartland as it chugs along toward its 2025/2026 opening. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.