An indoor theme and experience park based around Belgium’s most famous comic strip characters is being built in the heart of Antwerp train station.

The 6,000sqm (64,583sq ft) Comics Station will feature six cartoons – Lucky Luke, The Kiekeboes, Jommeke, Willy and Wanda (Spike and Suzy), Urbanus and The Smurfs – each with its own dedicated zone and a combined total of 60 attractions and activities. Comics Station, which is scheduled to open in Easter 2017, will also include a reading zone, “creative zone”, movie theatre, restaurant and shop.

The location for the theme park is nestled inside Antwerp Central Station itself, a historic landmark of the city that dates back to the end of the 1800s. The theme park will built on four levels that surround a central atrium rising 32m (105ft) – the lowest level is 18m (59ft) below ground level and the ceiling about 8m (26ft) above. There is an 18-year deal on the site with NMBS (Belgian Rail).

According to the owners, comic publishers WPG, Comics Station will have a dwell time of around four hours, a capacity of 2,000 and expects 200,000 visitors per year. The estimated €9m (US$10.1m, £7.8m) project is being backed by Belgian investment group Vermec.

Belgian-based Alterface is one of the suppliers working on the project.

“Comics Station is quite a small attraction, but it’s really well designed and well thought out, featuring Belgium’s most popular comic strip characters,” said Stéphane Battaille, COO at Alterface. “We’re excited to be working on an interactive dark ride and a shooting gallery for the project.”