New Orleans' Abandoned Amusement Park May Soon Become An Epic Combination Water Park

With a rich culture, unique history, and eclectic culinary scene, New Orleans is a standout destination in the United States. While the city is known for fun and live music around Bourbon Street, a dose of family fun may soon spread to New Orleans East. Bayou Phoenix, a developing 227-acre entertainment hub and destination for water park, sports, and movie enthusiasts, is slated to open in the coming years.

Bayou Phoenix is set to rise from the site of Jazzland, an abandoned theme park that opened in the year 2000. In five years, Jazzland went bankrupt, was acquired by Six Flags, rebranded, and flooded with feet of water by Hurricane Katrina. Despite other attempts to redevelop the area, the theme park sat largely frozen in time until 2023, when the city of New Orleans gave control of the property to Bayou Phoenix LLC to redevelop the site and spur development in New Orleans East. Bayou Phoenix has already signed an agreement with E. Ross Studios to develop a movie studio there, which is expected to open in 2026. According to the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority, Bayou Phoenix Partner Troy Henry said the rest of the park will be developed "in phases," with the park's combined 17-acre indoor and outdoor water parks scheduled to open in 2028. 

As reported by Fox 8 Live, Henry estimates that Bayou Phoenix will bring 2.5 million annual visitors to New Orleans. Travelers coming from across the country will likely fly into Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY), or will find easy access to the park off of I-10 if arriving by car. Travelers taking it easy to "the Big Easy" can catch two of the most scenic Amtrak routes in North America from New York or Los Angeles. 

In a community update presentation from March 2026, Bayou Phoenix highlighted its partnership with American Resort Management, a resort and water park management and development firm. The park's developers envision seamless integration for visitors between the indoor and outdoor water park, hotel resort, 8-acre Clear Water Beach and Lagoon, and the entertainment center. The water parks will have wave pools, an action river, and multiple waterslides for fun year-round, even in the muggy summers. Between the three swimming areas, developers have planned a large, 12.5-acre "town center" shopping and dining area just footsteps from the water. When paired with the most beautiful beach in the state at Lake Isabel Farm, across the state, Louisiana may — perhaps surprisingly — become a destination for beach enthusiasts.

Even though locals reportedly support the project, and Bayou Phoenix acquired a 99-year lease on the land, there are still potential hurdles ahead. In June 2026, NOLA.com reported that contractual agreements between Bayou Phoenix, American Resort Management, and the operator of the sports park "are still being finalized," according to Troy Henry. Moreover, in the same month, Fox 8 Live reported that Bayou Phoenix expects to raise most of the $500 million price tag through private sources, as well as use $61 million of public funds for the project. Without the public funds, Henry noted that the project may not come to fruition as planned, stating the project "would lose some asset in the mix," per NOLA.com. If the total is not reached, he said the hotels, entertainment center, or even the water park could be changed based on existing funding and an assessment of the attraction's economic impact.