BELLEVUE — Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price and other familiar Mattel brands will soon be making a splash in Bellevue.
City officials, developers and representatives from Mattel gathered Thursday at the future Mattel Wonder Indoor Water Park to unveil the first interior renderings showing how the company’s brands will be incorporated throughout the attraction.
The images offer the public its first glimpse of what the massive indoor water park will look like when completed, with colorful Mattel-themed attractions transforming the facility now taking shape near U.S. Highway 75.
The park is expected to open in mid- to late 2027 and is being positioned as the centerpiece of a much larger entertainment district that Bellevue leaders believe will draw visitors from across Nebraska and neighboring states.
“We are standing at the future home of the first-ever Mattel Wonder Indoor Water Park,” Bellevue Mayor Rusty Hike told those attending the event. “Right here in Bellevue, Nebraska.”
Hike said the project represents much more than a new recreational attraction for Bellevue.
“It represents the kind of destination we have been working to create for Bellevue — a place that attracts families, brings visitors into the community, supports new businesses and gives people more reasons to stay, spend time and money, and come back,” Hike said.
The newly revealed interior concepts show how Mattel’s well-known brands will become part of the experience rather than simply appearing on signs throughout the building.
Lindsay Gallagher Fisher, representing Mattel at the event, said the Bellevue attraction will bring several of the company’s brands together under one roof.
“For the first time in an experience like this, we’re bringing so many of our Mattel brands together under one roof,” Fisher said, naming Barbie, Hot Wheels and Fisher-Price among those that will be represented.
The goal, she said, is to create a place for children, parents and Mattel fans of different generations to play and spend time together.
“We want to give families a reason to get out, play and make memories,” Fisher said. “That’s ultimately what we want Mattel Wonder Indoor Waterparks to be — not just somewhere you visit once, but somewhere families want to come back to, and something that becomes part of the Bellevue community over time.”
The transformation into a Mattel-branded attraction came after work on the project was already underway.
Justin Brown of American Resort Management told attendees that last year, construction documents had been finalized for what was then known as the Bellevue Bay Indoor Water Park and construction had begun.
That’s when American Resort Management approached Bellevue officials with a new proposal.
“What do you think about the very first Mattel Wonder Indoor Water Park?” Brown recalled asking city officials.
Despite the significant change coming after construction had started, Bellevue moved forward with the concept.
The result is a project that city officials say will become the anchor for development extending well beyond the walls of the water park.
Last week, Bellevue announced an agreement with Goldenrod Companies and American Resort Management to pursue the next major phase of the Bellevue Bay Entertainment District. Approximately 35 additional acres are being considered for dining, amusement, retail, lodging and other entertainment uses.
Hike described the water park as the catalyst for that development.
“From the beginning, our strategy has been to use this water park as a lever, not as an isolated attraction,” Hike said. “The goal is to build an entertainment district around it with restaurants, retail, lodging, additional attractions and other private investments.”
Goldenrod Companies Chairman and CEO Zach Wiegert said his company became interested in the possibilities surrounding the project after meeting with Bellevue officials several months ago.
“Our job is to build a fantastic project around this great anchor for Mattel,” Wiegert said.
The potential regional draw of the attraction was also a recurring theme during Thursday’s event.
U.S. Rep. Mike Flood said he believes the park could become the type of destination that families from rural Nebraska and surrounding states build trips around, comparing its potential appeal to destinations he remembers visiting as a child.
Flood said Bellevue is putting itself “on a multi-state map,” drawing families from Nebraska as well as South Dakota, Iowa, Missouri and Kansas.
He also pointed to the attraction’s potential appeal to military families stationed at nearby Offutt Air Force Base and to families already traveling to the Omaha metropolitan area for youth sports and other events.
State Sen. Victor Rountree, whose district includes portions of Bellevue, similarly described the water park as both a family attraction and potential economic driver.
“Beyond recreation, this project should serve as an important economic driver for Sarpy County by attracting visitors, supporting local businesses and generating positive economic impact throughout all of this region,” Rountree said.
“When you see the interior vision revealed today, don’t just picture the slides, pools and attractions,” Hike said. “Picture families coming to Bellevue from across the region. Picture new restaurants, hotels and entertainment surrounding the site.
“And picture this moment as the beginning of something much bigger.”
Following the presentation, attendees were given hard hats and escorted onto the active construction site for a closer look at the progress being made on the facility.
While considerable construction remains before families can walk through the doors, Mattel officials said the company sees Bellevue as an opportunity to bring a large-scale branded family attraction to a community outside the country’s traditional tourist destinations.
“Great experiences should not only exist in the biggest tourist destinations,” Fisher said. “We want to bring them closer to where our fans live.”
If construction remains on schedule, Bellevue families — and visitors from well beyond the city — should get their chance to experience it in 2027.
