A 14-acre site located next to the NRH2O Family Water Park on Hwy. 26 will be redeveloped to accommodate a standalone theme park. The park will feature multiple rides, interactive attractions and themed playscapes and shows based on the animated children's TV series Peppa Pig.
Entertainment companies Merlin Entertainments and Hasbro are partnering together to bring the theme park to North Richland Hills. The two companies had previously opened one other Peppa Pig Theme Park which is located in Polk County, Florida.
“Merlin’s platform and reach continues to grow in the U.S. as we build on the success of the world’s first standalone Peppa Pig Theme Park in Florida,” said Merlin Entertainments CEO Scott O’Neil in a statement.
The North Richland Hills community was a natural next step in expanding, O’Neil said. Merlin Entertainments also operates the Legoland Discovery Center, Sea Life Aquarium and the Peppa Pig World of Play, a smaller indoor play center, in Grapevine Mills mall in Grapevine.
“Merlin is the definitive partner of choice for brands engaging children, holding the research, care, experience and interest in bringing iconic brands to life through location-based attractions,” O'Neil said. “Thank you to our friends at Hasbro for partnering with us to bring the playful world of Peppa Pig to this vibrant community.”
Matt Proulx, vice president of location-based entertainment at Hasbro, stated that another Peppa Pig theme park continues Hasbro’s Blueprint 2.0 strategy of offering more meaningful ways for people to interact with their brands. He said Hasbro is excited to open another park with Merlin Entertainments in Texas.
“We cannot wait for more guests to create lifelong memories with Peppa and her friends,” he said.
North Richland Hills Mayor Oscar Trevino stated the new theme park will bring more energy to an area already known as a family destination.
“North Richland Hills is known for its family-friendly amenities and activities and we could not be more thrilled to add Peppa Pig Theme Park to the mix,” he said. “This will be a great addition to our community.”
The site is already zoned for outdoor entertainment use, Communications Director Mary Peters said. North Richland Hills Planning and Zoning Commission will not need to rezone the site for the project. Staff will review and approve the theme park plans unless there are variances related to items such as signage or landscaping that need to be addressed by the commission.
Brittany Williams, senior public relations manager at Merlin Entertainments, said a timeline has not been announced for the theme park’s construction besides the 2024 opening date. People can sign up for newsletter alerts about the theme park via its website.
