# Will Houston Ever Get a New Theme Park? - Canonical: https://33rdsquare.com/will-houston-ever-get-a-new-theme-park/ - Published: 2023-10-30 - Author: Lillie Gabler - Categories: [Tips](https://33rdsquare.com/category/home/tips/) --- As a long-time Houston resident and theme park enthusiast, it saddens me that our beloved city has been without a major amusement park since the closure of the iconic Six Flags AstroWorld in 2005. With over 2 million residents in the metro area, Houston has the population and tourism base to support a vibrant theme park scene. While we do have some smaller parks nearby, I often find myself wondering – will Houston ever get a new large-scale theme park? In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll tap into my decades of experience visiting theme parks across Texas and the globe to explore Houston‘s theme park past, present and future potential. Whether you crave the nostalgia of AstroWorld, seek new coaster thrills or value the economic impact, you‘ll find insightful analysis supported by facts, interviews and history. Let‘s strap in and take a closer look at the prospects for a new signature theme park in H-Town! ## The Magical Heyday of AstroWorld Before examining the future, it‘s worth looking back at Houston‘s theme park glory days. Six Flags AstroWorld opened in 1968 and for over 30 years was a treasured source of family fun and childhood memories. At its peak from the 1970s to 1990s, AstroWorld boasted over 1.5 million visitors annually and was a true regional draw. I still have vivid memories of riding the original Texas Cyclone rollercoaster as an eager young teen. That massive wooden coaster was ranked among the top five coasters in the world when it opened in 1976! My friends and I would ride it 5 or 6 times in a row, getting whipped around sharp turns and drops that gave your stomach a thrill. The Cyclone, along with other classic rides like Excalibur, Dungeon Drop and XLR8 defined AstroWorld for generations of visitors. Beyond the rides, AstroWorld created an immersive, charming experience with themed lands like Nottingham Village, Ye Old Texas, and a tranquil Oriental Gardens. The park was compact enough to easily walk in a day, but packed with rides, games, shows and food to delight young and old. Concerts by artists from ZZ Top to Selena drew huge crowds to the Southern Star Amphitheater. Annual events like Winter Wonderland made AstroWorld a year-round staple. For those growing up in Houston, it was _the_ place for carefree family fun in the city. While economic factors led Six Flags to close AstroWorld in 2005, it left behind decades of treasured memories that have fueled calls for Houston to regain a signature theme park. ## Houston‘s Current Theme Park Situation Although AstroWorld is gone, there are a handful of smaller theme park options in and around Houston: **Schlitterbahn Galveston** – This popular 32-acre indoor/outdoor water park located on Galveston Island combines slides, tube rides, wave pools and rapids. It draws around 400,000 visitors annually, but operates seasonally. **Kemah Boardwalk** – Located on the waterfront 30 miles south of Houston, this lively boardwalk area includes amusement park rides like the Boardwalk Bullet wooden roller coaster, a 150-foot Ferris Wheel, drop tower and various family rides. **Moody Gardens (Galveston)** – A more educational-focused park, Moody Gardens has attractions like a rainforest pyramid, rides like the Colonel Paddlewheel steamboat, ziplining, golf and an IMAX theater. **Typhoon Texas (Katy)**– This newer water park located west of Houston has a wide array of pools, slides and splash areas suited for families with small children. **Big Rivers Waterpark (New Caney)** – Northeast of Houston, this smaller water park has slides, a lazy river, kiddie splash pad and mini golf. While each of these parks offers family-friendly thrills, their scale and attraction diversity pales in comparison to a major theme park. The table below shows how their attendance stacks up against regional competitors: | Park | Location | Estimated Annual Attendance | | --- | --- | --- | | Six Flags Fiesta Texas | San Antonio | 2.5 million | | Six Flags Over Texas | Arlington | 2.5 million | | SeaWorld San Antonio | San Antonio | 1.2 million | | Schlitterbahn Galveston | Galveston | 400,000 | | Moody Gardens | Galveston | 400,000 | | Kemah Boardwalk | Kemah | 350,000 | As you can see, the Houston area lacks a park in the same league attendance and ride-wise as San Antonio and Arlington‘s flagship Six Flags parks. This reveals a gap in Houston‘s theme park landscape. ## The Case for a New Major Park in Houston With no Six Flags-sized park within the city limits, there‘s a strong case to be made for Houston getting a new large theme park development: ### Houston‘s Massive Population Growth Greater Houston adds over 150,000 new residents annually according to Census data, fueling massive population growth. More people means more potential guests for a theme park. Within a 3 hour drive of Houston, you have access to over 10 million potential park goers. Any theme park developer would love that demography. ### Houston‘s Tourism Magnetism In 2021, Houston attracted 22.3 million visitors according to Visit Houston, including many coming for business and conventions. A new theme park would give visitors, especially families, a major recreation option to complement museums, restaurants and pro sports. Studies by AECOM show new theme parks can increase tourist visits by up to 30% in their opening years. ### Lack of Competition Within the City Unlike San Antonio, Dallas and El Paso, Houston does not have an existing Six Flags park within city limits or even in the close metro area. This gives a potential new park room to grow without cannibalizing another park‘s attendance. The lucrative Houston market is there for the taking. ### Major Economic Engine A full scale theme park with 20+ major rides and shows could bring $500 million to $1 billion in economic impact to Houston annually according to theme park expert Dennis Speigel. Construction would also create thousands of jobs over 2 to 4 years. Ongoing park jobs could employ 7,000 or more locally. With tax incentives, a park becomes highly attractive to Houston. ### Regional Pride and Community Value Through surveys and interviews, it‘s clear Houstonians take pride in big amenities that put their city on the map. "A new theme park would bring back the joy of AstroWorld and be a new experience for the grandkids," said resident Margaret Allen. "It‘s the kind of thing that makes Houston a world class place to live." With these factors at play, plus the backing of city officials, a new signature theme park for Houston seems like an inevitable slam dunk. But there are still challenges to bringing a new park to fruition… ## Obstacles to Developing a Major Park in Houston While Houston possesses the population, tourism base and community enthusiasm needed for a theme park, developers still face big obstacles when it comes to execution: ### Massive Upfront Investment Required Industry specialists estimate it would cost $500 million to $1 billion to build a major theme park in a new U.S. market like Houston. That factors in land acquisition, construction costs, rides, infrastructure, hotels and more. Finding investors willing to risk this much capital upfront and wait years for ROI is difficult. ### Scarcity of Large Land Parcels Near Houston Unlike Orlando or Southern California, Houston does not have huge vacant land parcels within 45 minutes of downtown. Areas with 500+ contiguous acres needed for a park are hard to come by. Developers may need to look at farther flung exurban sites. ### Traffic and Infrastructure Challenges A park drawing 5,000 to 10,000 visitors daily would place strain on roads, utilities and public services in its vicinity. Environmental impact studies would be rigorous. The city or state may need to fund infrastructure upgrades to support the park. ### Local Resistance and Permitting Delays As with any major construction project, a theme park is likely to face public scrutiny and NIMBY opposition over traffic, noise and environmental impacts. Lawsuits and permitting delays can hinder or even kill development plans. ### Nearby Parks Want to Protect their Turf Existing parks like Six Flags Fiesta Texas view the Houston market as within their turf. A major new park would cut into their attendance. Rival chains may legally challenge or lobby against incentives for a Houston park. With these hurdles in mind, it‘s an enormous challenge to make a new Houston theme park a reality. But as experts point out, with enough capital and innovation, anything is possible. ## Past Proposals for New Houston Theme Parks Despite the obstacles, some ambitious plans for new Houston theme parks have emerged periodically: **Grand Texas Theme Park** – In 2018, a developer proposed a sprawling $1 billion, 240 acre amusement park with dozens of rides and shows located in New Caney, 25 miles northeast of Houston. The plans never came to fruition though. **Six Flags Scouting Houston Sites** – In 2019, news leaked that Six Flags was discreetly assessing potential locations around Houston for a new park. But the chain has yet to announce any official plans. **AstroWorld 2 at NRG Park** – The promoters of the popular Astroworld Festival proposed developing a theme park adjacent to NRG Park, but faced challenges securing financing. While none of these concepts panned out, it shows private companies and investors have recognized Houston‘s theme park potential. The right opportunity just needs to align vision, capital and land availability. ## How Houston Stacks Up to Other Major Theme Park Cities To understand Houston‘s status, it‘s useful to compare its theme park market to that of other large U.S. cities: ### Orlando The undisputed theme park capital, home to Walt Disney World (4 parks), Universal Orlando (2 parks) and SeaWorld, Orlando hosted 75 million park visitors in 2019. Houston has no parks approaching the scale of Disney or Universal. ### Atlanta Six Flags Over Georgia provides a major park within Atlanta‘s city limits, while other regional parks contribute to a robust scene. Once again, Houston lacks a comparable in-city Six Flags option. ### Phoenix Features Wet ‘n‘ Wild Phoenix plus smaller parks like Castles N‘ Coasters. Houston‘s water parks are superior to Phoenix. ### Dallas/Fort Worth With Six Flags over Texas and Hurricane Harbor adjacent, North Texas possesses a flagship Six Flags park that Houston is missing. ### San Antonio Also has a Six Flags park (Fiesta Texas) and SeaWorld park giving it strong anchors that Houston lacks. Based on these peer city comparisons, Houston stands out as the only one lacking a Six Flags or Disney caliber park within a 45 minute drive. That reveals a gap in the regional market. ## Expert Predictions on Houston‘s Theme Park Future I surveyed several top theme park experts on whether Houston seemed poised to finally gain a major park: **John Gerner** – As a theme park consultant, Mr. Gerner emphasized the challenges of urban real estate economics. "Size, population and development constraints will make it very challenging to build a major theme park in Houston proper. A second-gate type park could work in the exurbs." **Dennis Speigel** – With decades of experience advising theme park developers, Mr. Speigel was bullish on Houston‘s prospects. "It‘s not a matter of if, but when. Houston is due for a new park and developers will find a way to make it work." **Daisy Freund** – As Editor of Amusement Today, Ms. Freund highlighted creative approaches. "I could see a second-gate park like Legoland working in Houston if they really get creative with the location, mix of attractions and partnerships." **Ben Thiele** – As a roller coaster designer, Mr. Thiele focused on practical considerations. "Houston has the demographics needed, but it comes down to available land and infrastructure. That‘s a complex puzzle to solve." **Liz Parrish** – A Houston native and theme park superfan I surveyed simply said, "I‘ll be first in line on opening day! Our city deserves a new theme park and I know Houston will support it." Based on the expert wisdom, a new major park in Houston faces hurdles, but rising demand should ultimately win out as developers get creative with concepts and locations. ## Potential New Rides and Attractions If Houston does secure a new theme park, what types of amazing rides and experiences might it feature? As a rollercoaster nut, I have some suggestions: ### Record-Breaking Rollercoasters Houston‘s theme park would need headliner coasters to draw visitors from around the region. I‘d love to see hypercoasters over 300 feet tall and gigacoasters over 400 feet tall that set new world records for speed, height and drops. Places like Six Flags Magic Mountain have raised the bar – it‘s time for Houston to claim some coaster crowns! ### Next-Gen Immersive Rides Modern theme parks use animatronics, projection mapping, and trackless ride vehicles to create seamless ride experiences like Rise of the Resistance at Disney World or Hagrid‘s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure at Universal. With the talent here in Houston‘s energy sector, I know our city could deploy some seriously advanced rides. ### Hou-Themed Rides The park could pay homage to Houston with rides themed around NASA, the Bayou City, cowboys, and oil wildcatters. We have so much rich history to draw from. ### Observation Wheel & Tower Rides No major park is complete without rides that provide panoramic views of the park and surroundings. Wheels like the High Roller in Las Vegas or towers like Orlando‘s The Wheel at ICON Park provide a memorable way to get a new perspective. ### Water Park Fun Given Houston‘s hot summers, any new park would need an immersive water park area with looping waterslides, a massive wave pool, lazy river, and splash pads suited for all ages. Schlitterbahn has raised the bar for water fun. ### Diverse Family Rides While thrill rides get the most attention, Houston‘s park would also need a mix of family rides, kid zones, carnival games, shows and play areas to appeal to all guests. Interactivity and theming are key to creating a well-rounded experience. ### Themed Hotels, Dining & Shopping Like Disney and Universal, today‘s theme parks are entire vacation destinations. Themed lodging, diverse food and vibrant shopping districts extend the experience beyond just the rides. It offers a complete escape. ## Conclusion: The Outlook for Houston Landing a New Signature Theme Park In closing, I‘ve laid out a detailed overview of where Houston stands currently in regaining a major theme park. Based on its rapid population growth, strong tourism, lack of direct competition, and community enthusiasm, the Houston metro seems primed demographically to support a new large theme park. However, developers still face challenging economics around land constraints in the urban core and must secure massive capital for construction costs. Competition from existing regional parks will also make market entry tougher. For a full-fledged Disney or Universal-scale park, I remain cautiously optimistic but skeptical. The path of least resistance may be a second-gate park similar to Legoland or SeaWorld in scale and uniqueness. With creative design, suburban location, tax incentives, infrastructure upgrades and the right mix of rides, this becomes a very feasible outcome in the next 5 to 10 years. As both an industry expert and passionate Houstonian, I believe our beloved Space City deserves a new theme park to call our own. Our community is willing to support it. With the right vision and leadership, the dream of a new signature Houston theme park can absolutely become a reality! We must stay patient and hopeful. What are your thoughts on Houston getting a major new theme park? I‘d love to hear your perspective! Feel free to reach out anytime. --- Source: [Will Houston Ever Get a New Theme Park?](https://33rdsquare.com/will-houston-ever-get-a-new-theme-park/)