Amusement Park News

Young Texas cowboys and cowgirls gather up – it's time to check out a certain porcine character. That would be Peppa Pig, courtesy of Merlin Entertainment, coming to a second U.S. location, this one in the Lone Star state. 

Peppa Pig's second theme park is scheduled to open in 2024 in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area. Like the first Peppa park in the U.S., located in Florida, the second will also be designed as a stand-alone attraction made for the enjoyment of smaller children.

It will span 14 acres, previously the site of Mountasia Family Fun Center, which closed following the pandemic. The new Peppa park will include many different rides, interactive experiences, and shows, as well as themed play areas and a meet and greet area for kids to enjoy Peppa and pals. And for children who've already met Peppa globally through her television series and Hasbro, which owns the brand, the park should instantly feel both familiar and fun.

Merlin Entertainment already has a licensing agreement with Hasbro allowing them to build and run Peppa Pig theme parks, which are aimed to appeal to pre-school guests. Peppa will likely not be the only such theme coming from Merlin, which has a plan to partner with a variety of popular brands.

The success of the company's first Peppa Pig Theme Park in Florida has doubtlessly encouraged Merlin to continue to grow this platform. According to Merlin's CEO Scott O'Neill, Texas was just the market to do so. He cites the “incredible success of our Legoland Discovery Center and Sea Life Aquarium in Grapevine, Texas” as the reason to expand Peppa Pig in the North Richland Hills area, not to mention the fact that this region is already the home of Peppa Pig World of Play Dallas, which is an indoor play center located in Grapevine, Texas. There are 14 themed play areas in the World of Play that allow kids free roaming throughout that attraction, from a fort to a grocery store and treehouse. O'Neill describes Merlin itself as “the definitive partner of choice for brands engaging children.” 



On Hasbro's side, Matt Proulx, v.p. of location-based entertainment for the company, describes the Florida Peppa Pig Theme Park as being a “phenomenal” success. He says the company is excited to partner with Merlin once again to bring another stand-alone park to the U.S., saying that the addition of another Peppa Pig Theme Park “continues our Blueprint 2.0 strategy of offering more meaningful ways for families to engage with our brands.”

The first Peppa Pig Theme Park in Florida opened in early 2022. The Peppa Pig television show that inspired the park is viewed in over 180 countries worldwide; the first iteration of the park opened in the U.K. in 2011. 

The rides and play areas for the new Texas park, while not officially announced, are likely to follow that of those at other Peppa parks, all based on the popular television show characters that include Peppa, her family members and friends. In Florida's version of the park, these attractions include Daddy Pig's Roller Coaster, Grampy Rabbits Dinosaur Adventure and Grandad Dog's Pirate Boat Ride. The new Texas location should also lend itself to other features beyond the rides itself, including a Muddy Puddles Splash Pad, which riffs on what the show describes as Peppa's favorite fun activity, jumping in muddy puddles. It's a key attraction in the Florida park location.

Florida's Peppa Theme Park features a mix of rides and attractions, including a small-fry-sized roller coaster, a gentle boat ride, a game filled fair area and an indoor theater offering episodes of the Peppa Pig television show. Rides are sized to fit the needs of younger children, with most requiring no minimum height to board. At the Florida location, the Daddy Pig's Car coaster, has a low minimum height requirement of 36 inches, which is the most restrictive in the entire park. 

Ticket options have yet to be unveiled, however, there is already a combination ticket available, at the Grapevine Peppa Pig World of Play which combines a visit to that attraction with a visit to the Legoland Discovery Center and Sea Life Aquarium also owned by Merlin Entertainments.

The Legoland Florida Resort has combination tickets to the Peppa Pig Theme Park, Legoland Florida and the Legoland Water Park as an option.

The enthusiasm for the new Texas endeavor reaches to Oscar Trevino, the mayor of North Richland Hills, who calls the park a “great addition to our community.” The park will be located next to the NRH20 Family Water Park, which will doubtlessly create a synergy for the community as the place to go for family entertainment. And while the Peppa Pig Theme Park should appeal to small guests outside the region, it should also shape a repeat destination for more local attendees.



The North Richland Hills City Council approved project incentives in January of this year, including sales tax and property tax reimbursements that average 50% over a 10-year period. The city will also allow Merlin the use of 3 adjacent acres of city owned land to be used for parking for the Peppa theme park. 

In fact, the North Texas area is growing a reputation for family fun, with a lot more entertainment options scheduled to unfold in this area of the state. Recently, plans were unveiled for a family-friendly Universal Studios theme park experience coming to Frisco, Texas. That park will encompass some 97 acres. Interestingly, Six Flags has also long been a mainstay in the region - Dallas-Fort Worth is the Six Flags corporate location.