Mattel launches indoor water parks in the United States, with a planned opening in 2027 in Nebraska

The American toy giant Mattel unveiled on Thursday a “significant event” of diversification: the creation of water parks in the United States, the first of which is due to open in Nebraska at the end of 2027, to showcase its emblematic brands including Barbie and Hot Wheels.

These indoor parks, called Mattel Wonder Indoor Waterparks and with an area of ​​approximately 9,300 m2, are intended to be open all year round - they will have retractable roofs - and to satisfy all ages. They will offer attractions, experiences and food and drinks inspired by the Mattel catalog (also Fisher-Price, Uno, etc.).

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The group has joined forces with the company American Resort Management, a specialist in water park management (Epic Waters, Wild Rivers), whose role will be to supervise the parks on a daily basis. “We see a real opportunity to provide this kind of immersive entertainment traditionally focused on important markets” in regions “where our fans are,” commented Natalia Premovic, director of products and experiences at Mattel, quoted in the press release.

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5 parks planned

The opening of the first park in Bellevue, Nebraska, “is a milestone in this strategy and an important opportunity to show what happens when you bring so many of our brands together in one place,” she continued.

At this point, five parks are planned across the country, four of which already have their locations: Bellevue (Nebraska), Orlando (Florida), Bradley (Illinois) and Roanoke Rapids (North Carolina). The Bellevue park will, for example, have a Barbie multi-activity swimming pool, an artificial wave simulator, a Hot Wheels multiple slide, a lazy river inspired by famous Mattel games like Uno, a Fisher-Price water play structure, etc. Its construction has already started.

In recent years, Mattel has expanded its activities by launching into cinema with the first “Barbie” film in 2023, which enjoyed worldwide success. Nominated for eight Oscars, it allowed Warner Bros studios to record their biggest box office revenue. It continued to enhance its portfolio of characters and brands with the films Masters of the Universe and Matchbox in 2026.