Comedian Nate Bargatze, a Nashville native, is actively pursuing plans to open a theme park in Music City.
On Tuesday, it was announced that Bargatze, who was born in Nashville’s Old Hickory neighborhood, has partnered with Storyland Studios, a themed entertainment architecture and design firm based in Southern California, to “explore the concept and feasibility of a Nashville-based theme park.”
Bargatze’s Nateland Experiences division of his company, Nateland, is actively working with the Storyland design team and Tennessee state and local officials to “review possible sites in the greater Nashville area for the planned 100+ acre park.”
Felix Verdigets, CEO of Nateland Entertainment, said, “Nate and Nateland are committed to good, clean, family-friendly entertainment.”
“We live in middle Tennessee and recognize the need for a major attraction for people of all ages in the Nashville area. We’re excited to see what our partnership with Storyland Studios will bring,” Verdigets added.
In addition to an amusement park, the companies are also seeking to include other onsite amenities such as retail, dining, and hotel.
Mel McGowan, founder and chief creative officer of Storyland Studios, added, “Our goal is to create a truly premium themed entertainment experience right in Music City that reflects the unique humor and heart of Nateland, while also delivering a world-class destination for families.”
A “feasibility study” to determine the practicality of the proposed project in Nashville is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2026, according to Storyland Studios.
In an interview earlier this year with The Tennessean, Bargatze expressed his love for Nashville’s Opryland, which closed in 1997, adding how he believes his ideas would make Nateland bigger and more successful than Opryland was.
“Opryland was great; We were devastated when it closed,” Bargatze told the outlet at the time. “I want to make some movies and continue to tour and then hopefully build a world here. You see Universal Studios. I kind of would like that to be a Nateland. We can have rides and start making movies here. I think I know what is missing in entertainment and I think this would work.”
“Nashville is the perfect place now; it’s easier to get people to come do things here because of its size like shoot movies or do shows. Nashville has blown up and that can be a good thing. A really good thing,” Bargatze added.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
