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PROPOSED NEW PARKS & MAJOR ATTRACTIONS:
This is the page where I’ve collected the news for any proposed new North American amusement parks or major attractions that are pretty much still either in the proposal phase, have yet to begin full scale construction, or who may have started construction but their future is now possibly in question.
EARTHQUEST ADVENTURES (Houston, TX)
 Project News - (1/11/12) Bad news this week for EarthQuest as the company behind dino-themed park plan, Whitestone Houston Land Ltd., has filed for bankruptcy. There is a restructure plan on the way and according to one party, there may be talks taking place for someone else to jump in and get things going again. The article also mentions a company called Contour Entertainment who apparently did some design work for the park, which can be found inside the “In The Works” section of the site, and then click on EarthQuest to see some great concept art of the park.
(6/23/11) The latest progress report on the proposed Earth Quest theme park outside Houston has now set a new timeline that could see the project break ground at last in early 2012.
(11/17/10) Bad news for EarthQuest, as the developers have now said that the 150 acre project must go under redesign and be built in phases in order to secure investors and the needed financing as they haven’t been successful at raising the needed $500 million for the overall project.
However moving to a phased development plan and cutting the budget by $200 million will however get to major investors on board. The good news is also that the first phase of the project, the one key element seen that needs to be built first, is the EarthQuest themepark and museum attraction. Phase 2 would be EarthWalk, the retail portion of the project, and later phases would add things like a water park, entertainment options and a hotel.
(8/2/10) The latest status report for the EarthQuest project claims that they are still on track to begin construction in either late 2010 or early 2011, and open the first phase 2 years after that. Still… there are quite a few people that are tired of all the talk and are at the point where they wont believe it is really coming until the digging starts. I can’t blame them… just look at all the endless delays that have kept other projects on ice year after year. Lets hope that isn’t the case this time around.
(7/15/10) A new small update about EarthQuest can be found here. They report that the project is about 2 years behind schedule, but they hope to secure financing by the end of the year and have the park finished by 2013.
(3/31/10) EarthQuest Adventures has finally updated their website into a new slick professional looking site, complete with all new concept artwork of the resort, theme park, several attractions, along with many more descriptions about each area of the park.
(3/3/10) It’s been some time since I’ve reported anything new about EarthQuest Adventures project in Texas, but over the last few weeks new information
has leaked in. During a fundraiser held for the project last December it was mentioned that out of the various features of the project (theme park, institute, EarthWalk retail mall, a waterpark, FEC and even some residential areas) their plan was to build the theme park and institute first before moving on to any other development concepts. The plan at the time was to divide the park into six lands, with a central huge mountain in the center. One side of the mountain is themed to look like a Volcano while the other looks like a snow covered arctic mountain.
Gateway – Home to the entrance as well as an after dark laser / fountain show.
Land – Home to many thrill rides, including one themed to go in and out of a large fake Volcano structure.
Life – As you can guess, this is where you will find the nature and animal exhibits.
Sky – More thrill rides here including what is thought to be an launched inverted coaster called F-5 Storm Chasers. I’m guessing that this could be similar to what we’ve seen Vekoma built as the Inverted side of Battlestar Galactica at Universal Singapore.
Water – A mixture of water and ice themed attractions, such as a bobsled coaster or the Rapid Runner’s river flume ride.
Pangea – Which will feature a submarine voyage style family attraction down into a secret underwater world full of sea monsters, discovered during the construction of the park.
If your interested in learning more right from the EarthQuest people yourself, check out their official Institute website where you can sign up for the mailing list or keep checking the main preview website for the theme park here in case they ever get around to putting some real content on it. In the meantime another reader discovered a model of the entire park and send in several pictures of interest, showing off various themed lands or rides.
(7/15/09) New artwork showing off EarthQuest can be found at the Contour Entertainment website. Just click on In The Works and then Earthquest to find it. The artwork seen here is amazing looking and puts this park project in an entirely new light for me.
(7/6/09) The EarthQuest project has launches two new preview websites: EarthQuestInstitute.org and EarthQuestAdvetures.com. According to a local area reader who goes by the site frequently, they’ve seen no sign of construction start yet there.
(12/18/08) A large update about EarthQuest project has been posted following a rather detailed new presentation about the park made last week. It mentions that the project will be cut into two halves, EarthQuest Ventures serving as the profit side of the business that will run the theme park and EarthQuest Institute that will run the non-profit museum and educational side of things.
The theme park itself will feature a zoo where riders can “ride through and observe the animals” on an energy efficient train like vehicle. The center of the park will be a large fake mountain with three different environmental sides, Arctic, Volcanic and Rainforest, with each side to feature a themed roller coaster attraction. Surrounding the mountain will be four lands themed to the elements: Earth, Air, Fire and Water, each with it’s own themed rides, displays and attractions.
The article goes on to talk a bit more about the Museum side, the resort elements, convention center and a water park. They hope to break ground sometime in late 2009.
(10/23/08) The local news has posted an update about EarthQuest Adventures.
(5/21/08) We haven’t heard too much about Earthquest Adventure lately but someone has posted the overall layout artwork for the project to Six Flags Houston.
(3/10/08) From the sound of things the Earth Quest Adventures park project in the Houston area has been given the green light and could break ground within 9 to 12 months.
(11/5/07) There was a brief update on Houston’s EarthQuest project late last month where they talk a bit about getting investors onboard and looking at sites. Don’t look for a giant theme park to arrive overnight however, as they say the project will go up over a period of five to six years starting with a education “Institute” building at first around 2009, to be followed by an Imax theater, a meeting space with a conventional theater and finally the theme park and resort aspects by 2011 or 2012.
(6/29/07) Astroworld may be only a memory now but the Houston area may become home to an all new $500 million theme park project called Earth Quest Adventures. The planners are looking at a site in East Montgomery County for a dinosaur themed park where guests will learn about the prehistoric creatures while taking in thrills on rides and water slides in addition to a museum area. Their studys say that the 150 acre project could bring in 2.5 million visitors a year and creation 2,700 new jobs once open. If things go well they would like to start construction in 2008 and open by 2011 or 2012.
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