Family entertainment is booming across Tarrant County.
Just ask officials at North Richland Hills — a Fort Worth-area city of about 70,000 that embraced a unique strategy 30 years ago that now provides economic benefits.
In the decades since the city opened NRH2O Family Water Park in 1995, developers have worked to open more family-oriented theme parks and entertainment-recreation centers in the city and other parts of Tarrant County.
“The leaders of North Richland Hills 30 years ago had the foresight to create a city-owned water park, and not just like a splash pad that most cities have,” said Craig Hulse, the city’s economic development director. “It’s literally a water park that competes with the one at Six Flags.”
The first municipally owned water park in Texas, NRH2O is open just four months of the year, but brings in hundreds of thousands of people from around the region, Hulse said.
“Just doing that was one catalytic event,” he said.
The city’s location — centered between DFW Airport, downtown Fort Worth and the Alliance corridor — has prompted similar projects to complement the nation’s second-largest municipal water park.
In March, Merlin Entertainments Limited opened Peppa Pig Theme Park Dallas/Fort Worth next door to NRH20 water park. The colorful children’s theme park has pint-sized rides, playscapes, interactive attractions, live daily shows and splash pad play areas.
The North Richland Hills park complements other area Merlin attractions — including the indoor Peppa Pig World of Play, Legoland Discovery Center and Sea Life Aquarium, all at the nearby Grapevine Mills mall.
Entertainment centers boom
Developers have opened various entertainment-recreation centers in other booming areas of the Fort Worth area.
The number of family entertainment centers — a $28 billion annual industry — is expected to grow more than 10% through 2032, according to Global Market Insights Inc.
The centers are increasing because of demand for leisure activities that cater to children and adults.
In September 2024, Andretti Indoor Karting & Games opened in far north Fort Worth with a new $45 million, 100,000-square-foot venue with go-karts, video games, a restaurant, bar and other entertainment.
Samantha LaMagna, director of marketing for Andretti, said the company’s first year in Fort Worth was strong despite inflationary costs.
“From opening through our one-year mark, we have welcomed hundreds of thousands of guests to our Fort Worth location,” she said via email. “We have been fortunate that our loyal guests continue to support our business despite a slow down in discretionary income spend.”
Social media influencer Melanie Ward, a mother of four, said she was impressed with the Andretti racing center during a Sept. 25, 2024, visit.
“It’s in a family-oriented area,” she previously told the Fort Worth Report. “We needed something like this here.”
Family-friendly venues
In North Richland Hills, officials said, the economic impact of family entertainment centers accounts for an estimated $100 million in combined sales, Hulse said.
“That’s the equivalent of having a mall,” Hulse said.
Hulse said the city embraces entertainment and recreation businesses as an economic benefit to sites near neighborhoods. Over the years, NRH2O expanded to 17 acres with 23 attractions.
“Not only does it put smiles on parents’ and kids’ faces, it also brings in people from outside the area and it also supports the businesses and the tax base,” he said.
He said that the city’s failed 90-acre North Hills Mall site is being redeveloped into a $250 million mixed-use City Point project adjacent to the City Hall complex that opened in 2016. City Point will include 367 single-family homes, 300 apartments, a 100-plus room Homewood Suites by Hilton hotel and 60,000 square feet of commercial space.
Hulse said Malibu Jack’s sought a location in North Richland Hills and complements the city’s other attractions. That entertainment center — billed as the state’s largest indoor theme park — opened in June 2025 and offers a roller coaster, go-karts, laser tag, bowling and an arcade in the 135,000-square-foot facility.
“The first big domino that took place was Peppa Pig Theme Park from Merlin Entertainments that found value in being next door to NRH20,” Hulse said. “Five Star Parks & Attractions, owner of Malibu Jack’s, then said, ‘OK, we’re looking for a building that fits our size, but we want to be close to Peppa Pig and NRH20.’”
Malibu Jack’s opened in a closed At Home store.
Hulse said that city officials along with planning and advisory committees determined in the 1990s that entertainment and recreation should be a targeted industry for the city.
“Not only is it something that caters to families with children, which are very important to the viability of the community for your schools and your shopping and whatnot,” he said.
The redevelopment of a former retail space aids the city, Hulse said.
“To us, as a community, it’s very complementary,” he said. “The transition of these legacy commercial pieces of property toward entertainment and recreation are a perfect fit for us.”
Fans head to sports centers
Family sports-oriented centers are also thriving across North Texas.
Just north of the North Richland Hills water park, 1611 Golf Club, a virtual golf center, opened on Parker Road with seven golf bays and a restaurant inside. Two trampoline centers and a play park are also open in North Richland Hills.
Nytex Sports Centre, on Ice House Drive, is also attracting families interested in hockey, volleyball and indoor soccer. Those sports host local tournaments that aid in economic growth with hotel and restaurant sales.
North Richland Hills officials are discussing another family recreation center near Peppa Pig park and the water park, Hulse said.
“Birds of a feather flock together, right?” Hulse said, adding that other companies appear eager to jump into the DFW recreational market.
“We’re blessed right now,” he said. “We continue to grow.”
Eric E. Garcia is a senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at [email protected].
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