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NEWS
Sony FEC and waterpark planned for Minnesota
POSTED 19 Jan 2016 . BY Tom Anstey
The Mall of Entertainment will cover 430,000sq ft and will include the Sony Entertainment Center as well as a 275-bedroom Marriott Hotel and a waterpark
Developer iP2 Entertainment is planning to open an indoor Sony family entertainment centre (FEC) in Minnesota to complement an adjacent waterpark and hotel as part of a US$115m (€105m, £80.8m) mega leisure development.

iP2, a media company which specialises in immersive FECs, has also launched similar endeavours with an FEC in Jakarta and a DreamWorks concept in Manila over the past two years.

Known as the Mall of Entertainment, the Albertville-based destination will cover 430,000sq ft (40,000sq m) and will include the Sony Entertainment Center as well as a 275-bedroom Marriott Hotel and a 50,000sq ft (4,645sq m) waterpark.

In addition to those developments, there could be an edutainment centre based on National Geographic. Branded ‘Ultimate Explorer’, the attraction is described as a place for children to “play, jump, climb, explore and learn about our world through the incredible and often breathtaking experiences National Geographic is known for”. The developers are yet to confirm that plan however, with details still being finalised.

Formed of iP2, real-estate manager Casey Darkenwald, Robert Kelly of the Roy Anderson Group and Kevin Hanson of International Creative Capital, the Black Forest LLC partnership says all financing has been secured on the development.

The plan has been under-wraps but in the works for several years so the developers already own the land, which has been successfully re-zoned. The project will create 2,000 jobs in the state.

The development is scheduled to break ground in Q3 2016, with an opening date near the end of 2017.
Black Forest LLC says all financing has been secured on the development
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The conference thread of the 2015 IAAPA Expo got underway today (16 November) with a seminar on play, spotlighting examples of how the 'maker movement' can help encourage engagement and learning in the attractions industry.
  Goddard Group's Hollywood-inspired US$3.2bn Studio City opens in Macau


The multi-billion dollar Hollywood-inspired Studio City Resort in Macau, which as its centrepiece offers Asia’s tallest and the world’s only figure-8 ferris wheel, has opened its doors in China.
  Shrek and co coming to Manila's City of Dreams


Melco Crown Resorts has announced a new collaboration with Dreamworks Animation, which will see the pair team up to deliver a Dreamworks-inspired “Edutainment Centre” at Manila’s City of Dreams in the Philippines.
MORE NEWS
London Museum makes destination dining part of the attraction
London Museum will open four new food and drink destinations when it launches its new home at Smithfield on 28 November, making hospitality a central part of the visitor experience at one of the capital's biggest cultural openings of the year.
OMA completes New Museum transformation with landmark expansion and Oberon restaurant
OMA has completed a major transformation of New York's New Museum, creating a larger cultural campus that combines expanded exhibition spaces with learning, performance, hospitality and public programming.
David Rockwell creates immersive magic destination, The Hand and The Eye
A US$50 million (£44.2 million, €51.2 million) transformation of Chicago's historic McCormick Mansion has created a new destination that combines live magic, immersive theatre, dining and private membership under one roof.
Montana Heritage Center opens with immersive exhibits and US$107 million investment
The Montana Historical Society has officially celebrated the opening of its new Montana Heritage Center, a US$107 million (£79 million, €92 million) destination that combines immersive storytelling with cutting-edge audiovisual technology to bring the sta
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Heritage Great Britain
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NEWS
Sony FEC and waterpark planned for Minnesota
POSTED 19 Jan 2016 . BY Tom Anstey
The Mall of Entertainment will cover 430,000sq ft and will include the Sony Entertainment Center as well as a 275-bedroom Marriott Hotel and a waterpark
Developer iP2 Entertainment is planning to open an indoor Sony family entertainment centre (FEC) in Minnesota to complement an adjacent waterpark and hotel as part of a US$115m (€105m, £80.8m) mega leisure development.

iP2, a media company which specialises in immersive FECs, has also launched similar endeavours with an FEC in Jakarta and a DreamWorks concept in Manila over the past two years.

Known as the Mall of Entertainment, the Albertville-based destination will cover 430,000sq ft (40,000sq m) and will include the Sony Entertainment Center as well as a 275-bedroom Marriott Hotel and a 50,000sq ft (4,645sq m) waterpark.

In addition to those developments, there could be an edutainment centre based on National Geographic. Branded ‘Ultimate Explorer’, the attraction is described as a place for children to “play, jump, climb, explore and learn about our world through the incredible and often breathtaking experiences National Geographic is known for”. The developers are yet to confirm that plan however, with details still being finalised.

Formed of iP2, real-estate manager Casey Darkenwald, Robert Kelly of the Roy Anderson Group and Kevin Hanson of International Creative Capital, the Black Forest LLC partnership says all financing has been secured on the development.

The plan has been under-wraps but in the works for several years so the developers already own the land, which has been successfully re-zoned. The project will create 2,000 jobs in the state.

The development is scheduled to break ground in Q3 2016, with an opening date near the end of 2017.
Black Forest LLC says all financing has been secured on the development
RELATED STORIES
IAAPA 2015 kicks off with seminar on importance of play


The conference thread of the 2015 IAAPA Expo got underway today (16 November) with a seminar on play, spotlighting examples of how the 'maker movement' can help encourage engagement and learning in the attractions industry.
Goddard Group's Hollywood-inspired US$3.2bn Studio City opens in Macau


The multi-billion dollar Hollywood-inspired Studio City Resort in Macau, which as its centrepiece offers Asia’s tallest and the world’s only figure-8 ferris wheel, has opened its doors in China.
Shrek and co coming to Manila's City of Dreams


Melco Crown Resorts has announced a new collaboration with Dreamworks Animation, which will see the pair team up to deliver a Dreamworks-inspired “Edutainment Centre” at Manila’s City of Dreams in the Philippines.
MORE NEWS
London Museum makes destination dining part of the attraction
London Museum will open four new food and drink destinations when it launches its new home at Smithfield on 28 November, making hospitality a central part of the visitor experience at one of the capital's biggest cultural openings of the year.
OMA completes New Museum transformation with landmark expansion and Oberon restaurant
OMA has completed a major transformation of New York's New Museum, creating a larger cultural campus that combines expanded exhibition spaces with learning, performance, hospitality and public programming.
David Rockwell creates immersive magic destination, The Hand and The Eye
A US$50 million (£44.2 million, €51.2 million) transformation of Chicago's historic McCormick Mansion has created a new destination that combines live magic, immersive theatre, dining and private membership under one roof.
Montana Heritage Center opens with immersive exhibits and US$107 million investment
The Montana Historical Society has officially celebrated the opening of its new Montana Heritage Center, a US$107 million (£79 million, €92 million) destination that combines immersive storytelling with cutting-edge audiovisual technology to bring the sta
Universal launches new theme park model with Kids Resort
Universal Destinations and Experiences has launched a new regional theme park model with the opening of Universal Kids Resort in Frisco, Texas.
San Antonio Zoo reports $283 million economic impact as expansion plans progress
San Antonio Zoo has reported a US$283 million economic impact for 2025, following a decade- long transformation programme that has seen almost US$200 million invested into the Texas attraction.
+ More news   
 
COMPANY PROFILES
Alterface

Alterface’s Creative Division team is seasoned in concept and ride development, as well as storyte [more...]
QubicaAMF UK

QubicaAMF is the largest and most innovative bowling equipment provider with 600 employees worldwi [more...]
instantprint

We’re a Yorkshire-based online printer, founded in 2009 by Adam Carnell and James Kinsella. [more...]
Painting With Light

By combining lighting, video, scenic and architectural elements, sound and special effects we tell s [more...]
+ More profiles  
CATALOGUE GALLERY
+ More catalogues  
DIRECTORY
+ More directory  
DIARY

 

23-26 Aug 2026

Elevate Spa Riviera Maya Edition

The Riviera Maya Edition Kanai, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
28-29 Sep 2026

Wellness Destination AI Tech Summit – Tourism, Hospitality & Real Estate, 28-29 Sept 2026

Grand Ballroom, METT Singapore, Singapore
+ More diary  
 


ADVERTISE . CONTACT US

Leisure Media
Tel: +44 (0)1462 431385

©Cybertrek 2026

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