Nate Bargatze Still Thinks He Has the Juice To Open an Amusement Park

Heading into his Emmys hosting gig, comedian Nate Bargatze engaged in a wave of promotional press where he revealed his plans to open an amusement park in Nashville called Nateland. It was a pretty lofty goal to say the least, but to Bargatze’s credit, it was buoyed by the fact that he does sell out tours left and right. (Is he one of the unnamed popular comedians that Bill Maher recently complained about? The thought crossed my mind.)

However, if hosting the Emmys was Bargatze’s stab at boosting his profile and becoming a household name, it did not go great. Even he admitted that his donation bit went completely sideways. Yet, despite all of that, Bargatze is reportedly moving full steam ahead with his theme park plans.

Via Variety:

Nate Bargatze’s Nashville amusement park dream is one step closer to reality, as the stand-up comedian’s company Nateland has partnered with design firm Storyland Studios to explore the concept and feasibility of the attraction.

Nateland and Storyland are reviewing possible sites in and around Nashville for the theme park, which is planned to span more than 100 acres. Alongside rides, they are considering key amenities including retail, dining and a possible hotel. The feasibility study is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2026, at which point Bargatze will look toward securing investments for the park.

Does all of this seem very ambitious for a standup comedian? It sure does. But to Nate’s credit, I appreciate that he has fond memories of the Opryland theme park in Nashville and wants to bring back that old school experience of a place where kids can safely roam free. He’s made it this far in his career through drive and hustle, so the wind is at his back. Maybe a little less so after the Emmys, but he’s powering through.

That said, Bargatze has been increasingly more open about his faith, and I’m gonna be real: This endeavor is giving off heavy “God told Noah to build an ark” vibes. It’ll be wild to see him actually make it happen, but I’d be lying if I said the scars of my evangelical upbringing weren’t waving a whole bunch of red flags. It could be fine!