Back in the Summer of 2023, some news started circulating that got a lot of people pretty excited. The Lake has a plethora of options for fun and relaxation, I mean, we live in the tourism capitol of the Midwest. Fun is what we do, here. There are lakeside bars, cruises, boating events, pools, water slides, and shows, and that barely scratches the surface.
And don't get me started on the constant late night impromptu fireworks shows. Really... Don't get me started.
But you know what we didn't have? An amusement park.
A proper one, with rides like roller coasters and Ferris wheels. The iconic image of soaring steel tracks lit by neon colors, and the excited shrieking of vacationers racing along them at speeds usually reserved for ducking out of a bad blind date.
That's why everyone was so intrigued when people started talking very seriously about how somebody was finally building one, right next to the Grand Glaize Bridge where it would be a real showstopping sight. Best of all, it was supposed to happen soon- sources like St. Louis's NPR branch were saying it could go up within the year, in 2024. When people saw chain link fences and heavy machinery start going up and filing in, the buzz only increased. It was really happening!
You'll notice it is currently the summer of 2026 as of the writing of this post.
You'll also notice that nobody is riding a Ferris wheel next to the Grand Glaize Bridge quite yet, but there's still a buzz of new growth and activity.
Let's talk about how this whole thing actually shook out, how a very tangled back-and-forth is now back on track to have a happy ending, and how the struggles this project faced have been conquered to pave the way for a very cool new addition to the Lake of the Ozarks.
AN EXCITING START, AND THE FIRST OBSTACLE
Jeff Tegethoff, the man behind Tegethoff Development, which in turn is the firm behind the Oasis at Lakeport amusement park project, did a genuinely great job at getting people excited. The only project at the Lake that it hasn't overshadowed is the Osage Casino that's also been making waves. How could it not? Tegethoff was a fantastic face for the project, outgoing, and clearly confident in the development. The whole thing oozed charisma, describing it being an "entertainment complex," with the amusement park, a Marriott hotel, an indoor water park, a conference center for hosting conventions, all beautifully displayed in this developer's rendering they circulated with the news.
Stunning, right?! Look at that! It looks like an absolute blast, who wouldn't be won over? I was excited, and still am, I want to see this come together if only for the eye-candy on the way to work every day.
Of course, it wasn't long before the project ran into its first problem.
If you look at the image, where the Marriott Hotel and the conference center are located, you might remember that there was a number of condominiums there. Key word being, "was." Those condominiums weren't owned by Tegethoff Development when this rendering was made, but there were plans in place to negotiate with the 2,500 contract holders who all cycled through the timeshare properties every year.
Now, the Lake of the Ozarks wasn't always a lake. It used to be the meeting point of two rivers- the Osage and the Niangua. It wasn't a lake until the Union Electric company, another developer from St. Louis like Tegethoff's firm, suggested building a massive hydro-electric dam in the early 1900's- the Bagnell Dam we all know and love. There was only one problem: the original Linn Creek, the town that acted as the Miller County seat, was right on the banks of these rivers. When the water began to rise from the dam, Linn Creek would find itself completely under water. Naturally, there was the issue of people living there, their homes and lives would have to be picked up and relocated, which was a lot harder in those days. People had built homes, put down roots, had families all tied in with the land they'd made theirs.
Many weren't keen on the idea of leaving.
Ultimately, when they refused to sell, it was political pressure from the local governments that got them to relocate in the name of economic growth and progress, to give up their current homes so the lake area could expand. Without all this, we wouldn't have the Lake as we know it, so I'm not here to cast aspersions on the whole thing. I'm simply drawing a parallel, because this form of eminent domain is still being used in similar ways to this day.
Lakewood Resort was a timeshare property, a complex of condominiums right where Mr. Tegethoff was picturing his Marriott and conference center. The owners and residents of those timeshares were... less than enthused about this whole thing. In fact, 1,000 residents were pretty much uninterested in selling to Tegethoff Development. Ultimately, like Linn Creek before them, reason was found to get the whole project back on track. The fact is, even if the condos stayed there, the park that was already cleared to be built around it would create the kind of traffic that makes it hard to live next door. With the properties being vacation timeshares, many considered empty and in lesser repair, the Board of Aldermen blighted the condos and cleared the way for the aforementioned eminent domain. With the park projecting to bring in $100 million annually, it's hard to argue against the once, admittedly, controversial call.
So the first major obstacle was cleared. Easy sailing from there on, right?
Your optimism is encouraging, never change. No, they still had a ways to go to get to the rapid progress they're making today.
NOTHING WORTH DOING COMES EASY
Delays plagued the process, and it's not hard to see why in hindsight. We've all felt the affects of the constantly shifting market, especially the fluctuating prices of building materials in recent years. The fights to secure funding were fraught, but the promise of a huge source of economic success for the lake- one that isn't just for the summers, but year round- made the fight worth having. Frankly, the working class folks of the Lake have needed more options for non-seasonal income, and a greater push to expand beyond business in the tourist season alone is more important than ever as the costs of living rise. A bond sale in November of 2025 secured a long-awaited income of $100,700,000 to the project. Mr. Tegethoff's sigh of relief was heard from the Niangua arm to Gladstone, and the project picked up again.
Of course, even that wasn't enough to make it a sure thing.
As recently as a few weeks ago, word started circulating about Tegethoff being removed from the project, with terms like bankruptcy thrown around and making the public nervous for the future of the Lake's first proper amusement park. These rumors were dis-proven when Mr. Tegethoff once again addressed the press, clarifying that there was a restructuring of the firm and the project, but the park would remain on track. In fact, right after that statement, efforts doubled. After a period of very little progress, the site sitting relatively quietly for a good while, recent weeks have seen unprecedented speed and improvement in the park's construction. We've even started to see multiple rides finally taking shape for us to feast our eyes on in anticipation of some high-speed thrills of engineering. So, let's take a look at what's been added, shall we?
COME ONE, COME ALL, AND BRING YOUR DRAMAMINE
At last, we're on track for a 2027 opening for the Oasis, and with what I see on my way to work every morning, I believe it. Developers have talked about the addition of two restaurants (one being the St. Louis based Napoli Brothers Italian restaurant), and boasted about the indoor water park being the largest in Missouri. Further statements tease an 8,000 square foot arcade, and a 200 foot observation Ferris wheel, along with two roller coasters. The convention center, which is already seeing early bookings, is planned to be 30,000 square feet. For a tease of one of the roller coasters, Lake Expo snagged this fantastic drone photo earlier this month:
Here's a few more recent ones from the Oasis facebook page:
Just about a week ago, another impressive ride started going up and was met with quite a bit of attention. The ride, designed by Italian-based engineering firm Fabbrigroup, is a spinning arm that is sure to give thrill seekers exactly what they're looking for.
Here's a look at the planned finished product, provided by Fabbrigroup.
All in all, in spite of countless challenges and hard decisions, setbacks and struggles, this $450,000,000 dollar Odyssey of a fun park is rising to the occasion as steel truss in rising to the clouds.
To put it simply, it looks like fun, and I can't wait to see what it does for the Lake.
Cause fun is what we specialize in.
If you'd like to be a part of that fun, and drive past this amazing eye-candy like I do every day, we can help you there. Just contact us, and we'll find you the piece of the Lake that's right for you- with none of the struggle Mr. Tegethoff had to manage through to make his vision come true.
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