Preschoolers will be oinking with delight next year when the Peppa Pig Theme Park opens in North Richland Hills, Texas.
Ground was broken for the park on June 28, marking the start of construction. Merlin Entertainments and Hasbro are partners on the project.
The theme park is designed for children through age 6. The Texas location will be the second Peppa Pig park in North America. The first opened last year in Florida next to the Legoland Florida Resort.
At the groundbreaking, one of the park's key attractions was announced: Daddy Pig's Roller Coaster, a family-friendly ride. The park will have five interactive attractions when it opens.
Six children in pink hardhats adorned with Peppa Pig ears and pink safety vests joined Peppa herself to perform the ceremonial groundbreaking, digging into a pile of pink sand with, of course, pink shovels.
The park will be located 12 miles from downtown Fort Worth and Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. Merlin and Hasbro are positioning the park for both locals as well as a weekend destination for guests from Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.
Merlin's footprint in Texas is expanding with the new park. It already operates Legoland Discover Center, Sea Life Aquarium and Peppa Pig World of Play (an indoor play attraction) in Grapevine and Sea Life Aquarium in San Antonio.
Merlin isn't the only company that has been attracted to the Dallas area. Universal is building a theme park for families with young children in Frisco, just north of Dallas. Frisco and North Richland Hills are about 40 miles apart.
Universal has hinted that more smaller, regional theme parks are on the table if the Frisco park is a success.