Theme park industry experts reveal groups are eyeing Houston for a potential theme park

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A new University of Houston study shows what entertainment options Houstonians want, and industry experts reveal it could help entice investors to make it a reality.

Houston has had its fill of entertainment options in the past, from Astroworld's thrill rides to the Comets and WNBA to professional hockey with the Aeros.

However, those are entertainment options that can only be found in older videos. Now, a new survey shows Houstonians would like these options to come back.

"To have a women's sport would be fun," Astrid Ybarra said. "To get my daughter, and I also have an older daughter, who's 17, involved."

"Back when I was younger, we had Astroworld," Miguel Garcia said. "Now that my kids are growing, I would like to see the same thing."

University of Houston's Hobby School conducted the study. It shows 57% want an NHL team, 60% want a Houston WNBA team, and the most popular entertainment option was a theme park.

"A large proportion, more than half, say they would go once a year," Rice University Baker Institute Fellow in Political Science, Mark Jones explained. "If you go down to parents with children under the age of 18, 40% said they would go twice a year, if not more."

These findings have made their way to theme park industry experts, including International Theme Park Services founder Dennis Speigel.

"It came as no surprise," Speigel recalled.

He works with theme parks across the country. Speigel said the U of H study may entice investors to look closer at Houston.

"The next step would be to hire an organization to do a feasibility study that would develop the economics and metrics for what size of a park," Speigel explained.

Speigel said he knows of groups eyeing Houston.

A place that 13 investigates discovered almost landed as a park five years ago. Former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner pushed for a park.

Emails obtained by ABC13 reveal he was set to make a theme park announcement, but it was scrapped days before the pandemic.

Speigel said because of Houston's growing population, there's still an appetite, and he wouldn't be surprised if one returned to Houston within the next five years.

"If you're going to build one, you want to put it in the market that can facilitate and serve it, and Houston is one of those remaining markets," Speigel said.

It's just one of a few options Houstonians say they'd like to see in real life, instead of only memories from old video.

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