A place made by Texans for Texans. That's the one thing Texas is missing, according to Stanford graduate Lizzy McGee.
And she has just the solution. Behold, TexasLand.
The idea has been in the works since the start of the pandemic in 2020 when McGee sat down with her family and had a light-bulb moment: Texas needs its own Texas-themed theme park.
Get DFW local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC DFW newsletters.
Then came the details. The park will feature rides, attractions, and various Lone Star-themed experiences. Food and drinks will also be a big component, according to McGee.
"I don't think the rides would be the focus ... you're probably doing one to two rides per hour," McGee said. "But you could also spend the day eating and drinking around Texas."
The theme park will have many indoor components, to combat Texas heat, potentially including indoor rides and waiting lines. Some attractions may include a Prada Marfa pavilion, a Fredericksburg stand that has fresh peaches, a recreation of the Fort Worth Stockyards, and a Houston pavilion featuring a rodeo.
With the Texas population booming and as the second most populous state, McGee said Texas having its own theme park is a "match made in heaven."
"You've kind of got the magic happening for the business side of things, but you need more than that. You need the secret sauce. And I think with Texas, you've got this unique culture," McGee said.
The Texas-centric theme park is still in the early stages of development, but McGee has big plans and hopes the theme park could be open in just three years.
By the fall of this year, McGee hopes to have the land purchased and for a civil engineer to assess it. She then hopes to present the theme park to investors.
"As long as we find a handful of key people who understand our vision and share our values, and understand what a theme park investment looks like ... I think we'll be able to move forward," McGee said.
By the end of 2026, McGee plans for TexasLand to open its gates.
The theme park's destination is another thing that is still in the works. While McGee is from Houston, a demand study is underway to find out where the theme park will perform best. One thing she does know is that she wants TexasLand to start off as a day-trip destination. She hopes that from any major Texas city, it might be a 90-minute drive.
With focus groups underway in the demand study, McGee says one way Texans can have their input about the park is to sign up on their website. You can also sign up for updates on the theme park here.
