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Silver Dollar City

Branson, Missouri, USA

“You have a great past ahead of you”

Greetings from Branson, Missouri. Surrounded by the picturesque Ozark Mountains, the town owes its fame mainly to West 76 Country Boulevard. This winding road cuts right through Branson and is often referred to as The Strip. It’s not as decadent or busy as its namesake in Las Vegas, but there are similarities nonetheless. The Branson Strip is also lined with hotels, theatres, attractions, souvenir shops and overpriced tourist traps. Live shows are a big deal here, you can visit a replica of the Titanic and we spot more go-kart tracks than humanity will ever need. By the way… Branson and its famous street also remind me of Pigeon Forge in Tennessee, where visitors will find similar offerings in a similar setting. And just like in Pigeon Forge, there’s a world-class theme park just around the corner. Welcome to Silver Dollar City.

MARVEL CAVE

Silver Dollar City’s story starts with the Marvel Cave, deep below the earth’s surface. The site was discovered in the 19th century and the first miners had high expectactions. They thought they had found huge quantities of marble, so they named their cave Marble Cave. Unfortunately, the marble turned out to be limestone and chances were limited that they’d get super-rich by their discovery. Unless… the cave was opened to tourists. That was the idea of the Lynch family, who became the owners in 1889. The Lynches changed the name to Marvel Cave and they would operate the cave for half a century. In 1950, the property was then sold to the Herschend family. That’s a recognizable name for theme park enthusiasts, as this is the operator of several attractions, dinner shows and theme parks. Herschend Family Entertainment is the current owner of Dollywood and Kentucky Kingdom, but it all started with Silver Dollar City and its Marble Marvel Cave.

Marvel Cave has hosted millions of guests… and continues to do so today. The entrance to this cave can be found in Main Street, inside a large souvenir shop. Admission is included for every visitor to Silver Dollar City, so there is really no reason to skip this adventure. You explore the cave in groups of approximately 30 people and you’re accompanied by an experienced guide. In our case, this is a lady who explains the cave’s history with tremendous passion. She also takes her time, as the entire tour lasts about 75 minutes. In that time span, we descend into the imposing Cathedral Room and we make our way through narrow tunnels. The tour concludes with a ride on Silver Dollar City’s oldest operational attraction, as the journey back towards towards the surface takes place in an antique cable car train.

ROLLER COASTERS

Marvel Cave is a not-to-be-missed experience, exactly because it’s not a standard theme park attraction. However, Silver Dollar City also caters to people who love classic theme park rides. In the southwestern corner of the park, for example, we find Wildfire. This is one of the six classic sit-down coasters B&M ever built and it delivers an excellent experience. The ride starts with a 37-metre lift hill, after which we’re treated to a great first drop, five inversions and some forceful curves. I’d like to give extra points for the unconventional layout and the incredible smoothness, but Wildfire’s greatest strength is undoubtedly its location. The ride was built on a hillside and offers priceless views of the surrounding area. This is great news for passengers, but non-riders may also enjoy this extremely photogenic roller coaster from the viewing platform.

It’s hard to think of a modern theme park that doesn’t feature a launched coaster. Silver Dollar City’s version is called Powder Keg – a Blast in the Wilderness and it features a compressed air launch. This launch system is the signature of S&S Worldwide and these accelerations are known to be very powerful. However, Powder Keg’s most striking feature isn’t the launch, but the length of the track. I was expecting a rather short experience, but trains traverse a surprisingly long layout that’s hidden in a dense forest. I’m also amazed by the ride’s constant high speed and remarkable smoothness. Interestingly, there used to be a water roller coaster at this location. Most of the attraction was demolished in 2003, but the 30-metre-tall lift hill was reused to initiate the second half of the layout. Unfortunately, the added value of this second segment is very limited. The first half of the ride is thrilling and fun, but the second part feels disappointingly short and pointless.

Rocky Mountain Construction is considered an elite coaster manufacturer by many. The company has built quite a few Champions League-worthy roller coasters during the past 15 years. One of their oldest installations is right here at Silver Dollar City. Outlaw Run opened in 2013 and it was the first RMC to be built from scratch. Master designer Alan Schilke came up with a sensational layout that consists of a super-steep first drop, an outside banked turn, multiple airtime moments, a wave turn and a double heartline roll. This means that despite its relatively limited track length of 895 metres, Outlaw Run contains a lot of thrill. Still, I wouldn’t say that Outlaw Run will go down in history as my favourite RMC. The ride uses a different track type than most of the other RMCs and that results in a noticeably rougher experience.

We all know Rocky Mountain Construction as the company that builds monumental hybrid roller coasters and intense single rail coasters. But did you know that the company also worked on a dark ride recently? RMC collaborated with Silver Dollar City to build the new Fire In The Hole, which replaced the eponymous dark ride after 50 years of operation. Our first impressions of this brand-new version are fantastic. The gigantic building is hidden behind a beautiful facade and the entrance is marked by a photogenic sign. The ride is also convincing: RMC delivered a smooth ride system including onboard audio and Silver Dollar City did a great job with the theming. The attraction tells a story about the Marble Cave, the burning mining town of Marmaros and a gang of crooks called Baldknobbers. Obviously, don’t expect the level of theming to be on par with Disney or Universal, but we still enjoy the ride’s original story line and its surprising finale. Fire In The Hole is an atypical RMC attraction, but a very enjoyable one.

Thunderation opened in 1993 and it counts as Silver Dollar City’s oldest operating roller coaster. It’s definitely showing its age, as the trains don’t run entirely smoothly and some of the banking is downright bizarre. Still, Thunderation manages to surprise me in a positive way, thanks to its unique layout. Most of the ride takes place in a valley and the station is located ‘at the top’, which means that riders are thrown straight into the action. The experience starts rather calmly, but seems to get increasingly more intense along the way. Trains reach a top speed of almost 80 kilometres per hour, which is rather exceptional for a mine train roller coaster anyway. By the way: Thunderation is at its very best after sunset. There’s hardly any lighting around the tracks and the sense of speed is even greater at night.

This may seem like a detail, but many attractions in Silver Dollar City have stunning logos. We already saw beautiful signs at Outlaw Run, Mystic River Falls and Fire In The Hole, but the winner is probably Time Traveler. And the Steampunk-like logo at the entrance is just an introduction to all the awesomeness this coaster has to offer. The concept of time obviously plays an important role in an attraction called Time Traveler. The queue is decorated with clocks and the station is adorned with huge gears. However, my favourite thematic element may be the background music. Silver Dollar City plays instrumental bluegrass versions of famous time-themed songs. Guests in the queue are treated to catchy versions of Time After Time (Cyndi Lauper), Clocks (Coldplay), If I Could Turn Back Time (Cher) and more similar songs. Cool detail.

Time Traveler is not an everyday roller coaster. In fact, it was Mack Rides’ first-ever Xtreme Spinning Coaster when it opened back in 2018. This type combines spinning vehicles, launches and inversions into one spectacular experience. I live in Belgium and I may take something like this for granted, as Ride to Happiness is in my backyard. Still, the Xtreme Spinning Coaster remains relatively unique, so I consider myself lucky to experience this prototype today. And while Time Traveler’s statistics are a little milder than Ride to Happiness’s, this too proves to be a winner. The layout includes a spectacular vertical descent, two accelerations, three disorienting inversions and a number of powerful curves. Besides, the experience is smooth and the restraints guarantee an excellent sense of freedom. Time Traveler may feel less intense than Ride to Happiness, but it delivers just as much fun. Great coaster.

OTHER EXPERIENCES

America is full of amusement parks, but the number of theme parks is limited. Excluding Disney and Universal, only a handful of parks try to create a high-end experience in every possible field. Silver Dollar City is one of them, as it is about more than just attractions. Catering is one of the elements that sets this park apart from the competition. The park has many unique F&B offerings, including multiple grill houses and a bakery that sells delicious cinnamon bread. Silver Dollar City also shines in the entertainment department. Our favourite venue is the Opera House, where we attend A Dickens’ Christmas Carol. This performance is genuinely impressive, as the sets, singing and acting wouldn’t feel out of place on Broadway. It’s pretty amazing that such a great performance is simply included with your admission ticket when visiting Silver Dollar City. Be sure to arrive on time, though, as the theatre fills up quickly.

We visited Silver Dollar City in November and unfortunately, the park’s water rides were closed. The collection includes American Plunge (a fairly simple-looking log flume), Tom & Huck’s RiverBlast (a splash battle) and Mystic River Falls. The latter is undeniably the most impressive water ride Silver Dollar City has to offer. This rapid river was beautifully integrated into its natural surroundings and the station looks absolutely stunning. A YouTube video taught me that it’s a soaking experience with a spectacular final drop. Hopefully, we will be able to see Mystic River Falls operating during a future visit.

In a way, Silver Dollar City is the EPCOT of the Midwest. Not because there’s a silver sphere at the entrance, but because the park hosts numerous seasonal festivals. During those events, visitors can enjoy unique shows, extra decoration and a range of special snacks. There’s the Spring Exposition and a Bluegrass festival, followed by the Summer Celebration and the Harvest Festival. Our visit to Silver Dollar City takes place during An Old Time Christmas, which received praise for being one of America’s best Christmas events. There’s a lot of live entertainment and the park is decorated with 6.5 million lights. These coloured light bulbs can be seen throughout the park, but the majority of the decorations can be found in the Midtown area, near the park entrance. I admire the views and I can hardly imagine how much work it takes to put up all these lights. Silver Dollar City is the place to be if you’re a fan of excessive Christmas decorations.

WORTH A VISIT?

I entered Silver Dollar City with high expectations. This is a place that had intrigued me for many years and I had read about it a lot. That may be dangerous, as it can lead to disappointment. However, after leaving the park, I realise that all expectations were met. Silver Dollar City offered the beauty, the hospitality and the quality I was hoping for. From my point of view, the eye-catchers are obviously the roller coasters. Wildfire proved itself as one of the world’s most photogenic coasters, Outlaw Run provides solid thrills, Fire In The Hole is a first-class family attraction and Time Traveler made a lasting impression. In my opinion, Dollywood has a slightly superior coaster collection, but Silver Dollar City’s lineup still manages to tick all the boxes. In most other fields, there’s some sort of a status quo between Silver Dollar City and Dollywood. The staff at both parks are equally friendly, the shows are equally high-quality and the famous cinnamon bread is unbelievably addictive, regardless if you’re ordering it in Missouri or Tennessee. Silver Dollar City and Dollywood also share the scenic location and high level of theming.

Charming. Authentic. Sensational. Delicious. American. Cosy. These are just some of the many words that describe our days at Silver Dollar City. I had to travel to a tourist town in the middle of nowhere and I had to be patient for many years. But finally, I’m able to say that I’ve visited one of America’s best theme parks. Definitely put a visit to Branson on your agenda if you like unique, high-quality theme parks. Perfection probably doesn’t exist, but Silver Dollar City comes very close.

What’s your favourite roller coaster at Silver Dollar City? What’s the best season to visit this park? And did you order more than one serving of cinnamon bread? Share your thoughts in the comments section at the bottom of this page.

This article reflects my personal experience at Silver Dollar City during a visit in November 2024.