A $787.7 million tourism development billed as the largest in Kentucky history is headed for the Walton area of Boone County, promising a hotel, a museum, and sprawling entertainment space, though the exact site and the theme of the attraction remain undisclosed. The company behind it, Liberty Forge Adventures LLC, has already won preliminary state approval for one of the largest tax incentive packages ever awarded to a tourism project in the state.
The Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Authority gave that preliminary green light during an approval meeting in August 2026, according to Local 12. Under the Kentucky Tourism Development Act, Liberty Forge Adventures can now recover up to $195.7 million over 10 years, equal to 25 percent of its total eligible costs, through sales tax revenue the project itself generates, as reported by WDRB.
That 25 percent recovery rate is the standard cap under the state's incentive guidelines, and it is the same mechanism that helped fund the Ark Encounter in nearby Grant County, which received its own approval for sales tax recovery back in 2011 ahead of its 2016 opening, according to a blog post from Answers in Genesis. The comparison matters locally, since Northern Kentucky is already known nationally for large faith-based tourism draws.
A National Attraction, Not a Faith-Based One
Project leader Brian Berger, a local media entrepreneur, has confirmed to local media outlets that the destination is being designed for a national audience and will explicitly not be a faith-based attraction, according to the same WDRB report. That distinction sets Liberty Forge Adventures apart from the region's existing religious tourism landmarks, even as thematic specifics remain closely guarded.
The development team has assembled a creative and design crew that includes former Walt Disney Imagineering professionals, the report notes, a detail that hints at the experiential ambition behind the project even though the company has not revealed what visitors would actually see or do once inside.
Jobs, Timeline, and What Comes Next
The project is expected to generate 1,900 new jobs in Northern Kentucky, split between 900 full-time and 1,000 part-time positions across hospitality, entertainment, and facility management roles, per the WDRB account. Construction is projected to begin in May 2027, with completion targeted for spring 2030, and project leadership plans a formal public unveiling within the next four to six months.
Before any of that becomes final, state law requires an independent economic impact study, paid for by the developer, to confirm a net positive fiscal effect before the Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Authority can grant final approval, according to guidance from the Kentucky Department of Tourism. That means the preliminary incentive approval already secured is only the first of several administrative steps still ahead.
A Small Town at a Major Crossroads
Walton had an estimated population of just 5,868 in 2025, a 7.9 percent increase since the 2020 census, reflecting growth across fast-expanding Boone County, according to Census Bureau figures compiled by City Population. The town sits at the junction of Interstates 75 and 71, a location that could make it an attractive stop for the national visitor base Berger has described.
The announcement also arrives amid a broader boom for Kentucky tourism, which reached $14.6 billion in economic impact in 2025 and supported nearly 97,000 jobs statewide, according to figures shared by Kentucky Tourism. Whether Liberty Forge Adventures becomes the next chapter in that growth, or stalls in the administrative process that still lies ahead, will depend on the impact study, zoning steps, and land decisions that have yet to be made public.
