will open in summer 2028. Paramount Global and Advent Allen Entertainment announced a partnership that will transform the Top Gun movie franchise into an immersive experience called Top Gun Las Vegas. The destination is scheduled to open in the Summer of 2028 – just in time for the Los Angeles Olympics – and will be located on an undeveloped site at The Strat Hotel Casino and Tower.

Top Gun Las Vegas is described as a mix of rides and cinematic storytelling, complete with fighter jet simulators and more. Guests can also relax before and after missions at Top Gun: Maverick’s Hard Deck bar and restaurant, a reimagined Strat venue featuring live piano sing-alongs.

The Top Gun franchise has enjoyed popularity thanks to its storytelling, performances, and aerial cinematography. The original Top Gun film directed by Tony Scott and starring Tom Cruise as fighter pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, became a pop culture phenomenon when it debuted in 1986. That spirit continued when the sequel Top Gun: Maverick outperformed at the box office in 2022 at a time when the film industry struggled after the pandemic.

This isn’t the first time Top Gun has been licensed for a theme park attraction. In July of 1998, Carowinds amusement park announced the addition of Top Gun: The Jet Coaster for the 1999 season. At a cost of $10.5 million, the ride was the single biggest investment in the park’s history. That announcement followed Paramount Parks adding Top Gun-themed roller coasters to several of their theme parks throughout the 1990s, including Paramount’s Great America, Paramount Canada’s Wonderland, and Paramount’s Kings Island.

Construction began in late July 1998, with the first track arriving in August. Top Gun: The Jet Coaster soft opened to guests on March 16, 1999. The coaster was renamed Afterburn following Cedar Fair’s purchase of Paramount Parks in 2006.