Grand Texas Theme Park Coming to Houston Area

I will admit that I haven't paid much attention to the plan for the Grand Texas Theme Park to open in 2015 just North of Houston, Texas.  It seems that every so often a new theme park is announced for somewhere in the U.S. and it's extremely rare that they actually get built.  I guess you could say I'm not quick to get excited about such projects.

Still, it's fun to dream, and some developments do seem to get further along than others.  The Grand Texas project for instance, actually has purchased land (over 600 acres) to start developing on - though the investor factor, always so important, is not totally clear to me.  One article mentions that work on investments has been ongoing for years, but I have not seen more detailed information.

If built, the park would be themed to the history of Texas, though that is a bit obvious from the name of the property.  Included would be an assortment of rides, shows, activities, a water park and possibly an RV resort or hotel.

Another project, named EarthQuest, which was announced years ago and never got off the ground, was planned in the same area.  Even if eventually built (and most doubt that) developers believe the two parks could coexist due to differences in theme and size.

One of the main developers behind Grand Texas is Chuck Hendrix, a former general manager of Six Flags AstroWorld.  He current is the CEO of Innovative Leisure Partners, and from this interview it sounds like he would like to change his legacy from being the man that closed AstroWorld (though he himself certainly did not) to the one who built a brand new theme park for the area.

This story gives some additional details on the plans for the park's attractions, and it sounds like it won't be focused on only huge thrills.  Calling the park "experimental" and "in tune with family entertainment," it seems to me that plenty of physical activities, such as the zip lines seen above, will round out the offerings.

Right now the plan is to open Grand Texas in 2015, with work starting by the end of this year.  For now you can follow updates from the source on the park's official Facebook page.