Nate Bargatze Is Serious About Opening His Own Theme Parks, And I’m As Confused As I Am Fascinated

Starting a fresh theme park isn’t a casual endeavor; take Universal Orlando Resort for instance, they launched Epic Universe this year, reportedly investing billions of dollars into its creation. Many fledgling theme parks from companies yet to make their mark in the industry often find themselves in legal tangles, much like the America’s Heartland theme park project, which initially held grand promises but has since been embroiled in lawsuits.

Hang On, Nateland Is Real?

It’s astonishing that a comedy performer like Nate Bargatze could be planning a groundbreaking theme park project. Earlier this year, he shared his aspiration with Esquire about creating a park in his hometown, Nashville. Recently, Felix Verdigets, CEO of Nateland (Bargatze’s company), revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that there have been genuine discussions about investment and potential locations for not just one, but possibly multiple Nateland theme parks – including the flagship park in Nashville that’s currently under development. Verdigets stated…

In informal terms, we’ve begun preliminary talks with several affluent families and governors from various states regarding a Nateland-inspired project, which could be likened to a small park.

Nate Bargatze is currently thriving as a top stand-up comedian, yet his ambitions extend beyond hosting this weekend’s Emmys. A vision for the future includes the inaugural Nateland Cruise in 2026 – the start of the Nateland Experiences. Subsequent theme parks are planned afterward.

Admittedly, my familiarity with Nate Bargatze’s career isn’t extensive, so when his concept initially surfaced, I didn’t pay it much mind, partly because I thought it might simply be an unrealized idea. Many celebrities propose ideas that don’t come to fruition, and the same often goes for theme park concepts that are proposed but never materialize. Given these patterns, I presumed this would likely join the ranks of such unrealized projects.

It appears he’s genuinely committed to this project. His vision involves constructing a theme park, comparable in scale to Disneyland, right here in Nashville. Bargatze himself has ideas about its location: the old site of Opryland USA theme park, though realizing this would mean demolishing the shopping mall that now stands there.

Bargatze’s Theme Park Idea Is So Crazy It Just Might Work

It appears that Bargatze is aiming for Hollywood as well, with his own studio and production company in tow. Initially, it looks like the Nateland theme park(s) might focus on standard rides, but if the films produced by this company turn out to be hits, they could potentially serve as intellectual property (IP) for future attractions within the park.

It wasn’t on my list of expectations, but I’m open to anything. Just as people thought Walt Disney was mad when he started Disneyland and look how that turned out, maybe Nate Bargatze possesses the same mix of creativity and audacity that Walt did, which could make something like this a success.

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2025-09-13 04:08