alternatives exist nearby, such as Kemah Boardwalk (which is adding a new pirate-themed water park called Boardwalk Bay) and Galveston’s Historic Pleasure Pier, but they do not fill the gap for a full- scale destination park. Various theme or amusement park developments have been proposed in the market, including TexasLand USA and Grand Texas (currently Big River Waterpark) though haven’t seen full scale plans realized to date. A major park return to the Houston market is ultimately a matter of time, given the area’s massive population growth and ability to operate nearly year-round, though high development costs require the right investor match.
F1 global fan base (millions)
Houston remains the largest U.S. metropolitan area without a major destination amusement park since Six Flags AstroWorld closed in 2005.
529.3m
2018
727.8m
2024
827.0m
2025
Texas Theme Parks and Population Density
Population
Theme park
Two-hour drive time
831.0m
2026
KANSAS
COLORADO
Source: Neilsen’s Global Fan Report
Austin COTALAND is a new 30-acre amusement park at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, the home of the Formula 1 US Grand Prix. The park officially opened on September 26, 2026, and represents an important evolution of COTA from a venue primarily associated with major racing events into a broader, year-round leisure and entertainment destination. The 30-acre park is home to more than 30 rides, including Texas’ first tilt coaster, Circuit Breaker, and the country’s first infinity shuttle coaster, Palindrome, which features a zero g-stall. The project is particularly relevant to destination development because it effectively layers a year- round attraction onto an event-driven sports asset. Instead of COTA functioning primarily around race weekends and other scheduled events, COTALAND adds a standalone leisure product capable of generating visitation on ordinary operating days. It also creates multiple levels of engagement with the motorsports brand. A visitor can experience conventional family rides, participate in karting, or move closer to the actual racing product through a track experience. In our view, that makes COTALAND a useful benchmark for the broader movement toward sports-anchored entertainment districts, where the sport provides the identity but entertainment, attractions, F&B and participatory experiences broaden the audience. COTALAND arrives at a particularly favorable moment for Formula 1. The sport’s global fan base
reached 827 million in 2025, up 12 percent year over year and 63 percent compared with 2018. Importantly for attraction development, that audience is becoming younger: 43 percent of fans are under 35, and 57 percent of new fans added during 2025 were under 35. The audience is also becoming more gender-balanced, with women representing 42 percent of the fan base in 2025 versus 37 percent in 2018. F1 is increasingly functioning as an entertainment and lifestyle platform that can support experiences beyond watching a race. Its younger and expanding audience creates opportunities for karting, simulators, driving experiences, themed F&B, merchandise, viewing venues and other forms of competitive social entertainment. Untapped opportunity - Houston Houston remains the largest U.S. metropolitan area without a major destination amusement park since Six Flags AstroWorld closed in 2005. Smaller regional F1 is increasingly functioning as an entertainment and lifestyle platform that can support experiences beyond watching a race.
OKLAHOMA
ARKANSAS
Fort Worth
Dallas
LOUISIANA
TEXAS
Austin
Houston
San Antonio
High
Low
Source: ESRI, Individual Attractions, LDP
10 THE EXPERIENCE ECONOMIST: AMERICAS EDITION 2026 | © LDP
THE EXPERIENCE ECONOMIST: AMERICAS EDITION 2026 | © LDP 11
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