FOLEY, Ala. (AP) -- An Alabama Indian tribe is opening the largest amusement park on the northern Gulf Coast.
The Park at OWA opens Friday in Foley, Ala., just north of the tourist towns of Orange Beach and Gulf Shores.
The park is owned by the Poarch Band of Creeks and named for a Muscogee Creek word that means "big water." The park includes 21 rides plus shopping, restaurants, a hotel and other amenities on 520 acres.
Water parks and small amusement attractions are common along the northern coast. But the region hasn't had a major amusement park since Hurricane Katrina swamped the now-abandoned Six Flags New Orleans in 2005.
The park is a departure for the Poarch Creeks, who are best known for their Alabama casinos located in Atmore, Montgomery and Wetumpka.