The American Heartland Theme Park and Resort, a $2 billion and 1,000-acre development, will be built on Route 66 near Vinita, including an Americana-themed park, hotel and RV area.
The development is an affiliate of Mansion Entertainment Group, based in Branson, Missouri. The park will be located about 130 miles away from Branson, which has attractions like Silver Dollar City, and 170 northeast of Oklahoma City.
This development was officially announced in an hour-long ceremony, live streamed by the Vinita Daily Journal.
First to open will be the Three Ponies RV park in 2025. The park will feature 750 spaces, 300 cabins, a dinner theater, an amphitheater, swimming pool and clubhouse. Kristy Adam, senior executive vice president of marking for Mansion Entertainment, said the campground will be the largest in the region.
The theme park, set to open in 2026, will be stretched over 125-acres and rival the Magic Kingdom Theme Park in Orlando and Disneyland in California, according to American Heartland Executive Producer Steven Hendrick.
Hendrick briefly detailed the six areas of the park. Liberty Village will model a classic American small town. The Great Plains will represent the region, and include “Native American traditions and stories” according to Hendrick. Bayou Bay will be swamp-theme, featuring a boat adventure.
Big Timber Falls will serve as a forest-like, “rugged” American experience. Stony Point Harbor will model a coastal town, including fresh seafood and a lighthouse attraction. The coastal portion will include the Stony Point Inn, a 300 room in-park hotel. Electropolis will provide visitors a history of American innovation.
The park will also include several rides, attractions and shows. Hendrick said the company believes Oklahoma is the perfect place to represent the American heartland, describing the relationship between the project and state leaders.
State representatives at the announcement ceremony today included Interim Director of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce Hopper Smith, who said Three Ponies will bring an estimated 4.9 million people a year to northeast Oklahoma, estimating 2 million from out-of-state.
“American Heartland’s long-term impact will be transformative not only for northeast Oklahoma, but for the entire region,” Smith said.
Silver Dollar City hit an all-time attendance record in 2018, when it saw nearly 2.2 million guests, as reported by the Missouri Business Alert.
Several members of the state legislature were present, including Rep. Rusty Cornwell (R-Vinita). Cornwell said this park was “the chance of a lifetime” for Vinita, despite obstacles and challenges to come.
“The one thing I know about this community and the citizens of Oklahoma is that if we put our minds and backs together, there’s no lift too heavy and nothing we can’t accomplish,” Cornwell said.
Cornwell said he would ensure that everyone involved in the projects remain “good stewards,” and partners for the future of the region and state.
