The adventure is about to begin in Texas City

Texas City will be getting a new amusement park coming sometime this summer. A 25-acre piece of land is under construction off I-45 south, south of League City, that will be turned into an amusement park called Adventure Pointe.

Dr. Harvey Slusky, a Friendswood cardiologist, is the head of operations for the project. His family has been involved in amusement parks for generations. Slusky’s father was the founder of another well-known park in Houston, Playland Park, that operated from the 1940s to 1967. Slusky’s family also operates the miniature train inside the park at the Herman Park Zoo in downtown Houston. When Playland Park closed in 1967, Slusky never got rid of the old rides.

“The trains will travel through the park to view the themed areas,” Slusky said. “These are the original trains that operated across from the Hermann Park Zoo and began their operation over 50 years ago. They are now fully restored.”

Adventure Pointe will feature four family-friendly themed areas.

“Lafitte’s Landing – will have a replica of Jean Lafitte’s pirate ship,” Slusky said. “It will be approximately 90 feet long! It will have an imaginative story line that takes you on a passage inside the ship with interactive shooting galleries that have life-like animatronic characters. Then ride the Octopus across from the ship if you dare. Land of Oz – a family themed area that includes several new rides, as well as the yellow brick road. If you are lucky, you might bump into Dorothy, the Tin Woodman, the scarecrow, or the Lion as you make your way along the yellow brick road.”

“Main Street – a 60-horse vintage carousel, a synthetic outdoor ice-skating rink which will be the first of its kind in a Texas amusement park, as well five large scale railroad trains. The trains will travel through the park to view the themed areas. These are the original trains that operated across from the Hermann Park Zoo and began their operation over 50 years ago. They are now fully restored. Another fun themed area – will be remain a mystery until our grand opening.”

Plans for the park have been under development with the city for a long time. Slusky and Texas City officials finally came to an agreement for zoning the amusement park, which allowed Slusky to purchase the area for construction. Once the city approved the zoning, the park broke ground rather quickly. With no major fallbacks or problems with construction, the park is estimated to open sometime in June.

“Contrary to what has been publicized recently, a wooden roller coaster will not be in the opening of phase 1, however, I definitely plan to have one in our next phase and will pay homage to my father’s coaster that operated at Playland Park back in the 1940s,” Slusky said.

The city is expecting the park to help increase the economy in Texas City, much like other successful amusement parks in the area such as the Kemah Boardwalk. The Boardwalk opened in 1997 and has been growing ever since.

Jorge Franz, senior vice president of tourism for the city of Houston, reports tourism in Houston generates $1.1 billion in local and state tax revenue.

The park will be a place in Texas City for locals to bring visitors from around the world to enjoy with friends and family. The nearby Outlet Mall and Buc-ee’s are also pulling tourists to the area.

“I think the amusement park will bring more business to Bucc-ee’s,” said Steven Rodriguez, Bucc-ee’s employee. “The amusement park will most likely not affect Bucc-ee’s in a negative way and will be beneficial to both companies.”

Slusky wants the park to hold true to the roots of classic family fun rides and entertainment. However, there is a chance the park may grow.

“There are approximately 7,000 new family homes planned in the immediate vicinity of the park, and we have additional acreage to expand the park’s operation with other themed areas,” Slusky said.

For more information on the park and to stay up to date on the park’s progress, visit Adventure Pointe’s Facebook page.