Silver Dollar City
Encyclopedia
Silver Dollar City is a theme park in the state of Missouri
. Opened on May 1, 1960, the park is located between Branson
and Branson West, Missouri
, on Highway 76. The park is an 1880's-themed experience that fits Branson's vision as a family-friendly vacation destination with down-home charm.
Silver Dollar City's operating season runs from mid-March until late December, with the park closed during the months of January and February. Silver Dollar City is owned by the Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation
, which owns, operates or partners in 25 properties in 10 states and includes the nearby water park, White Water
; water excursion and theatre, the Showboat Branson Belle
and water and land tour attraction Ride the Ducks
.
Silver Dollar City has developed into one of the most successful theme parks in the United States
. Situated at the site of one of the Ozarks
' oldest attractions, Marvel Cave
, Silver Dollar City figuratively sprang from the ground. The cave, which has been designated a National Natural Landmark
by the U.S. Department of the Interior, is important not only because of its subterranean features but also because of its role in the origins of Silver Dollar City.
The first oral record of Marvel Cave comes from the Osage Nation
, while the first written record dates from an 1869 expedition. Henry T. Blow of St. Louis
, a lead
mining magnate, explored the cave with six miners. They found no lead before returning to St. Louis, but convinced that the flat ceiling of one room was composed of marble
, they originally named the cave Marble Cave.
The cave remained undisturbed until 1882 when another group of entrepreneurs, led by Mr. T. Hodges Jones and Truman S. Powell of Barton County, entered the cave in hopes of finding lead. Jones and Powell found huge amounts of bat manure, or guano
, and the flat wall, which they also believed to be marble. Two years later Jones bought the property and, with several of his friends, formed the Marble Cave Mining and Manufacturing Company to mine the cave. The company planned a town, Marble City, on the rough hilltop near the cave and in 1884 recorded a plat
map at the courthouse in Galena, Missouri
. Although a few lots in the new town were sold, little development seems to have taken place.
By 1889 much of the guano had been mined from the cave, the marble wall proved to be limestone
, and no lead ore was found. The mining company, which had developed so quickly, ceased operation.
The history of the cave took another turn in 1889 when William Henry Lynch, a Canadian miner and dairyman, purchased the cave and a square mile around it for $10,000. Lynch, with the aid of his family, proposed to open the cave to sightseers. The Lynches began operation of the sightseeing venture in 1894 with a grand celebration and a few visitors. The venture was not immediately profitable and was closed until Lynch raised additional capital to reopen the cave sometime after 1900. The cave has remained open since, making it one of the oldest continuously running tourist attractions in the Ozarks.
salesman, Hugo Herschend, purchased a 99-year lease on the cave.
After Hugo Herschend's death, five years after he began managing the cave, his wife, Mary, took over the day-to-day operations of the venture. With the aid of her two sons, Jack and Peter, Mary Herschend was able to make vast improvements to the cave, including a train which pulled visitors a distance of 218 feet (66.4 m), from the depths of the cave up to the surface.
Once the train was in operation the Herschends felt the development of the cave was complete and immediately began to search for ways to expand their growing attraction. Anticipating additional tourists to the Ozarks, they wanted to create an attraction which would attract even more tourists to the cave.
several times daily.
The new attraction was named by Ozark Jubilee
script writer and publicist Don Richardson after the promotional idea of giving visitors silver dollars
in change (he was hired as the park's public relations director after the show ended). The scenic designer for much of the original attraction was Andy Miller, who had been the set designer for the Jubilee in nearby Springfield
. Opening day, May 1, 1960, included appearances by Uncle Cyp and Aunt Sap Brasfield
and announcer Joe Slattery from the Jubilee, three Springfield TV personalities, and 18,000 visitors. The first year, Silver Dollar City drew more than 125,000 people, four times more visitors than the number that toured Marvel Cave. "We discovered we were in the theme park business," Pete Herschend said.
In 1972 Genevieve Lynch, the last of William Lynch's daughters, died and she bequeathed the land under Silver Dollar City and Marvel Cave to the College of the Ozarks
and Branson Presbyterian Church. The Herschends continue to operate it.
In 1976, the Herschends purchased the Goldrush Junction theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
, which they renamed Silver Dollar City Tennessee. In 1986, Dolly Parton
bought into the park and it was renamed Dollywood
.
decided to pay a visit to Silver Dollar City to start off the 1969-1970 season
. The plotline involved Granny (Irene Ryan
) attempting to find a husband for Elly May (Donna Douglas
) back in the hills, while Jed (Buddy Ebsen
) socialized with hotel clerk Shorty Kellems (Shug Fisher
). They visited the blacksmith Shad Heller, soapmaker Granny Ethel Huffman, and woodcarver Peter Engler, and Miss Hathaway (Nancy Kulp
) was seen in the Ozark woods. The Hillbillies were from the area surrounding Silver Dollar City and Branson, and references to Jim Owens and his White River float trip business and some Missouri mountain locations were made throughout the show's nine-year run. Five episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies were eventually shot in the park.
In 1999, Silver Dollar City was the site for the 14th annual Stihl Timbersports Series Championships. Jason Wynyard, 26 of Auckland, New Zealand topped the field of 12 of the world's best axemen for the third year in a row. Four thousand spectators were on hand at the Echo Hollow Amphitheater to watch the most recognized logging competition worldwide. It was the fourth year that the Stihl Finals were hosted in Branson. "Timber" Tina Scheer of The Great Maine Lumberjack Show was the host.
On December 5, 2007 ABC's Good Morning America spotlighted the park’s Christmas festival, “An Old Time Christmas,” and declared it as one of the top five holiday events in the country. The park was featured as part of the show’s segment called “Good Morning America Lights Up the Holidays.”
On July 5, 2007, Silver Dollar City was featured in an episode of the soap opera As The World Turns
.
From June 22–23, 2009, the park hosted the American Coaster Enthusiasts' national summer convention, welcoming coaster enthusiasts from around the country.
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. Opened on May 1, 1960, the park is located between Branson
Branson, Missouri
Branson is a city in Taney County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was named after Reuben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s....
and Branson West, Missouri
Branson West, Missouri
Branson West is a city in Stone County, Missouri, United States. The population was 408 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Branson, Missouri Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Branson West is located at ....
, on Highway 76. The park is an 1880's-themed experience that fits Branson's vision as a family-friendly vacation destination with down-home charm.
Silver Dollar City's operating season runs from mid-March until late December, with the park closed during the months of January and February. Silver Dollar City is owned by the Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation
Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation
Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation is a privately owned themed-entertainment company that operates several theme parks and tourist attractions within the United States....
, which owns, operates or partners in 25 properties in 10 states and includes the nearby water park, White Water
White Water Branson
White Water Branson is located in Branson, Missouri and is known by most in the area as just White Water. It features a wave pool, a series of tubular slides, a ProSlide mammoth family raft ride, and a slide deck featuring 2 speed slides and 4 "Racing Lanes"....
; water excursion and theatre, the Showboat Branson Belle
Showboat Branson Belle
Showboat Branson Belle is a riverboat—more specifically, a showboat—on Table Rock Lake near Branson, Missouri. The lake is landlocked by the Table Rock Dam on one side and the Beaver Lake Dam on the other side...
and water and land tour attraction Ride the Ducks
Ride the Ducks
Ride the Ducks is a national duck tour operator, and an eponymous tourist attraction in U.S. cities such as Branson, Missouri, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, Newport, Kentucky, San Francisco, CA, Philadelphia, PA, and Stone Mountain Park, Georgia. It makes use of over 90 amphibious vehicles to...
.
Marvel Cave
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Situated at the site of one of the Ozarks
The Ozarks
The Ozarks are a physiographic and geologic highland region of the central United States. It covers much of the southern half of Missouri and an extensive portion of northwestern and north central Arkansas...
' oldest attractions, Marvel Cave
Marvel Cave
Marvel Cave is a National Natural Landmark located just west of Branson, Missouri, on top of Roark Mountain in Stone County. The cave was known by the Osage Indians in the early 16th century, after a tribe member fell through the cave's main entrance, a sinkhole. There is evidence that in 1541...
, Silver Dollar City figuratively sprang from the ground. The cave, which has been designated a National Natural Landmark
National Natural Landmark
The National Natural Landmark program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only natural areas program of national scope that identifies and recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in...
by the U.S. Department of the Interior, is important not only because of its subterranean features but also because of its role in the origins of Silver Dollar City.
The first oral record of Marvel Cave comes from the Osage Nation
Osage Nation
The Osage Nation is a Native American Siouan-language tribe in the United States that originated in the Ohio River valley in present-day Kentucky. After years of war with invading Iroquois, the Osage migrated west of the Mississippi River to their historic lands in present-day Arkansas, Missouri,...
, while the first written record dates from an 1869 expedition. Henry T. Blow of St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, a lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
mining magnate, explored the cave with six miners. They found no lead before returning to St. Louis, but convinced that the flat ceiling of one room was composed of marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
, they originally named the cave Marble Cave.
The cave remained undisturbed until 1882 when another group of entrepreneurs, led by Mr. T. Hodges Jones and Truman S. Powell of Barton County, entered the cave in hopes of finding lead. Jones and Powell found huge amounts of bat manure, or guano
Guano
Guano is the excrement of seabirds, cave dwelling bats, and seals. Guano manure is an effective fertilizer due to its high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen and also its lack of odor. It was an important source of nitrates for gunpowder...
, and the flat wall, which they also believed to be marble. Two years later Jones bought the property and, with several of his friends, formed the Marble Cave Mining and Manufacturing Company to mine the cave. The company planned a town, Marble City, on the rough hilltop near the cave and in 1884 recorded a plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
map at the courthouse in Galena, Missouri
Galena, Missouri
Galena is a city in Stone County, Missouri, United States. The population was 451 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Stone County. Galena is part of the Branson, Missouri Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. Although a few lots in the new town were sold, little development seems to have taken place.
By 1889 much of the guano had been mined from the cave, the marble wall proved to be limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
, and no lead ore was found. The mining company, which had developed so quickly, ceased operation.
The history of the cave took another turn in 1889 when William Henry Lynch, a Canadian miner and dairyman, purchased the cave and a square mile around it for $10,000. Lynch, with the aid of his family, proposed to open the cave to sightseers. The Lynches began operation of the sightseeing venture in 1894 with a grand celebration and a few visitors. The venture was not immediately profitable and was closed until Lynch raised additional capital to reopen the cave sometime after 1900. The cave has remained open since, making it one of the oldest continuously running tourist attractions in the Ozarks.
Herschend family
When William Lynch died in 1927, ownership of the cave passed to his daughters. Shortly thereafter, the name of the cave was changed to Marvel Cave. The Lynch family operated the cave for nearly fifty years until a Chicago vacuum cleanerVacuum cleaner
A vacuum cleaner, commonly referred to as a "vacuum," is a device that uses an air pump to create a partial vacuum to suck up dust and dirt, usually from floors, and optionally from other surfaces as well. The dirt is collected by either a dustbag or a cyclone for later disposal...
salesman, Hugo Herschend, purchased a 99-year lease on the cave.
After Hugo Herschend's death, five years after he began managing the cave, his wife, Mary, took over the day-to-day operations of the venture. With the aid of her two sons, Jack and Peter, Mary Herschend was able to make vast improvements to the cave, including a train which pulled visitors a distance of 218 feet (66.4 m), from the depths of the cave up to the surface.
Once the train was in operation the Herschends felt the development of the cave was complete and immediately began to search for ways to expand their growing attraction. Anticipating additional tourists to the Ozarks, they wanted to create an attraction which would attract even more tourists to the cave.
New theme park
Following Hugo's death in 1955, Mary, Jack and Pete began building the 1880s Ozark village. Mary was committed to authenticity and preservation—there would be no cheap storefronts. She also insisted on preserving the natural beauty of the area, particularly the trees. The Herschends built the Ozark frontier town on the land surrounding the site of the cave. Silver Dollar City originally was the site of five shops, a church, a log cabin, and a street production reproducing the feud between the Hatfields and McCoysHatfield-McCoy feud
The Hatfield–McCoy feud involved two families of the West Virginia–Kentucky back country along the Tug Fork, off the Big Sandy River. The Hatfields of West Virginia were led by William Anderson "Devil Anse" Hatfield while the McCoys of Kentucky under the leadership of Randolph "Ole Ran'l" McCoy....
several times daily.
The new attraction was named by Ozark Jubilee
Ozark Jubilee
Ozark Jubilee is the first U.S. network television program to feature country music's top stars, and was the centerpiece of a strategy for Springfield, Missouri to challenge Nashville, Tennessee as America's country music capital...
script writer and publicist Don Richardson after the promotional idea of giving visitors silver dollars
Peace Dollar
The Peace dollar is a United States dollar coin minted from 1921 to 1928, and again in 1934 and 1935. Designed by Anthony de Francisci, the coin was the result of a competition to find designs emblematic of peace. Its reverse depicts an eagle at rest clutching an olive branch, with the legend...
in change (he was hired as the park's public relations director after the show ended). The scenic designer for much of the original attraction was Andy Miller, who had been the set designer for the Jubilee in nearby Springfield
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...
. Opening day, May 1, 1960, included appearances by Uncle Cyp and Aunt Sap Brasfield
Uncle Cyp and Aunt Sap Brasfield
Laurence Lemarr Brasfield and Neva Inez Fisher Brasfield , better known as Uncle Cyp and Aunt Sap, were an American country comedy duo with acting careers beginning in the late 1910s that spanned vaudeville to network television...
and announcer Joe Slattery from the Jubilee, three Springfield TV personalities, and 18,000 visitors. The first year, Silver Dollar City drew more than 125,000 people, four times more visitors than the number that toured Marvel Cave. "We discovered we were in the theme park business," Pete Herschend said.
In 1972 Genevieve Lynch, the last of William Lynch's daughters, died and she bequeathed the land under Silver Dollar City and Marvel Cave to the College of the Ozarks
College of the Ozarks
College of the Ozarks is a private, Christian liberal-arts college, with its campus at Point Lookout near Branson and Hollister, Missouri, United States. It is south of Springfield on a campus, overlooking Lake Taneycomo...
and Branson Presbyterian Church. The Herschends continue to operate it.
In 1976, the Herschends purchased the Goldrush Junction theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Pigeon Forge is a mountain resort city in Sevier County, Tennessee, located in the southeastern United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 5,875....
, which they renamed Silver Dollar City Tennessee. In 1986, Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
bought into the park and it was renamed Dollywood
Dollywood
Dollywood is a theme park owned by entertainer Dolly Parton and the Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation. It is located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Dollywood has 3,000 people on its payroll, making it the largest employer in that community....
.
Pop culture
The park gained much public notice when the Clampett family of CBS-TV's The Beverly HillbilliesThe Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr....
decided to pay a visit to Silver Dollar City to start off the 1969-1970 season
Season
A season is a division of the year, marked by changes in weather, ecology, and hours of daylight.Seasons result from the yearly revolution of the Earth around the Sun and the tilt of the Earth's axis relative to the plane of revolution...
. The plotline involved Granny (Irene Ryan
Irene Ryan
Irene Ryan was an American actress, one of the few entertainers who found success in vaudeville, radio, film, television and Broadway....
) attempting to find a husband for Elly May (Donna Douglas
Donna Douglas
Donna Douglas is an American actress best known for her role as Elly May Clampett, in the long-running television series The Beverly Hillbillies.-Early life:...
) back in the hills, while Jed (Buddy Ebsen
Buddy Ebsen
Buddy Ebsen was an American character actor and dancer. A performer for seven decades, he had starring roles as Jed Clampett in the long-running television series The Beverly Hillbillies and as the title character in the 1970s detective series Barnaby Jones, and played Barnaby Jones in the movie...
) socialized with hotel clerk Shorty Kellems (Shug Fisher
Shug Fisher
Shug Fisher , born George Clinton Fisher, Jr., was an American character actor, singer, songwriter, musician and comedian. During a 50-year career, he appeared in many Western films, often as a member of The Sons of the Pioneers in Roy Rogers serials...
). They visited the blacksmith Shad Heller, soapmaker Granny Ethel Huffman, and woodcarver Peter Engler, and Miss Hathaway (Nancy Kulp
Nancy Kulp
Nancy Jane Kulp was an American character actress best known as Miss Jane Hathaway on the popular television series The Beverly Hillbillies.-Early life:...
) was seen in the Ozark woods. The Hillbillies were from the area surrounding Silver Dollar City and Branson, and references to Jim Owens and his White River float trip business and some Missouri mountain locations were made throughout the show's nine-year run. Five episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies were eventually shot in the park.
In 1999, Silver Dollar City was the site for the 14th annual Stihl Timbersports Series Championships. Jason Wynyard, 26 of Auckland, New Zealand topped the field of 12 of the world's best axemen for the third year in a row. Four thousand spectators were on hand at the Echo Hollow Amphitheater to watch the most recognized logging competition worldwide. It was the fourth year that the Stihl Finals were hosted in Branson. "Timber" Tina Scheer of The Great Maine Lumberjack Show was the host.
On December 5, 2007 ABC's Good Morning America spotlighted the park’s Christmas festival, “An Old Time Christmas,” and declared it as one of the top five holiday events in the country. The park was featured as part of the show’s segment called “Good Morning America Lights Up the Holidays.”
On July 5, 2007, Silver Dollar City was featured in an episode of the soap opera As The World Turns
As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
.
From June 22–23, 2009, the park hosted the American Coaster Enthusiasts' national summer convention, welcoming coaster enthusiasts from around the country.
Districts
Silver Dollar City is divided into ten distinct districts.- Park Entrance
- Main Street
- Homestead Ridge
- Midtown
- Valley Road
- The Grand Exposition
- Riverfront
- Wilson’s Farm
- Hugo’s Hill Street
Demonstrations
- Brown's Candy Factory
- Carrie's Candles
- Duplicating Lathe
- Hazel's Blown & Cut Glass
- Heartland Home Furnishings
- Hillcreek Pottery
- Mountain Leather
- Mountain Outfitter's Knives
- Sullivan's Mill
- Valley Road Woodcarvers
- Wilderness Road Blacksmith
Rides & Attractions
- American PlungeAmerican PlungeLocation: Silver Dollar CityStatus: OpenOpened: Jim Owen’s Ozark Float Trip 1969-1980,American Plunge 1981–Present DayDrop: 50 feet Max speed: 35 miles per hour Ride Length 1,200 feet...
- Riders experience a 50 feet (15.2 m) drop at speeds of 35 miles (56.3 km) per hour. Riders sit down in a wet boat and straddle the seat, while using footrests and keeping a tight grip on the bars on the side. - Birdle's Cabin
- Electro Spin - Riders sit facing outward with chests against a padded panel while riding a rotational vehicle the spins at high speeds on a 50 feet (15.2 m) U-shaped track.
- Elephant March - Riders sit in an elephant shaped vehicle that revolves around a central machine. The vehicles also ascend and descend at the press of a button, which is controlled by the rider.
- Elsie the Milk Cow - A fake cow with udders that allows guests to pull and retrieve their own "milk."
- Fire-in-the-HoleFire In The Hole (Silver Dollar City)Fire in the Hole is a three story steel enclosed roller coaster at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. The ride was built in-house by Silver Dollar City in 1972. The ride is often referred to as a cross between dark ride and roller coaster...
- The park's first, and oldest, roller coaster. Guests ride in a dark building with scenes that tell of a town set ablaze by the Bald Knobbers overnight. Riders then are shifted quickly to avoid trains, fires, and broken bridges. The ride is notable for being the site of the park's only fatality to date. - Flooded Mine - Guests ride in a dark building that resembles an old broken down mine. The prisoners of the mine have escaped during a flood, and the warden needs the guests' help in shooting them down. Guests have laser powered guns that count how many times they hit specified targets.
- Frisco Silver Dollar Line Steam Train - Guests experience a slow moving train ride through the park. In the middle of the ride, guests experience a show where uneducated train robbers try their best to get on the train, but guests are saved just in time by the conductor, who was tricked into searching for "yankees."
- Geyser Gulch - Two large buildings for the young at heart. Kids run throughout the building located by the "lake" and shoot each other with water guns, while dodging balls being thrown by other kids or through tubes. There are also water sprinklers outside the building where children can run through.
- The GIANT SwingThe Giant Barn Swing (Silver Dollar City)The Giant Barn Swing is a Screamin' Swing style amusement ride designed by S&S Power at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. Assembly for this ride began in January 2007, and it was opened on April 14, 2007.- Rider experience :...
- The Grand Exposition CoasterGrand Exposition CoasterThe Grand Exposition Coaster is a steel roller coaster at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. It is believed to be a replacement of Runaway Ore Cart....
- A small, 20 feet (6.1 m) roller coaster, with speeds up to 20 miles per hour. - Grandfather's Mansion - Guests walk through a large fun house.
- Half Dollar Holler
- Happy Frogs - Riders sit in a frog shaped vehicle that revolves around a central machine. The vehicles also ascend and descend at the press of a button, which is controlled by the rider.
- High-Low Silos - Guests sit with a companion and pull themselves up a 20 feet (6.1 m) cable and drop at low speeds as soon as they let go.
- Homestead Animal Barnyard - A petting zoo with animals such as goats, chickens, hens, and other farm animals.
- The Ladybugs - Riders sit in a bug shaped vehicle that revolves around a central machine. The vehicles also ascend and descend at the press of a button, which is controlled by the rider.
- Lost River of the Ozarks
- Magnificent Wave Carousel
- Marvel CaveMarvel CaveMarvel Cave is a National Natural Landmark located just west of Branson, Missouri, on top of Roark Mountain in Stone County. The cave was known by the Osage Indians in the early 16th century, after a tribe member fell through the cave's main entrance, a sinkhole. There is evidence that in 1541...
- The cave offers two types of tours. The Traditional Cave Tour is a one hour guided tour through a half mile of lighted passageway. Throughout the tour geological and historical information is explained. The Lantern Light Tour is a one and a half hour guided tour through a little over a half mile of unlit passageway. - McHaffie's Homestead
- Oak Trail School
- PowderKegPowder Keg: A Blast into the WildernessPowder Keg: A Blast Into The Wilderness is a steel roller coaster at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. It was built in 2004 and opened in 2005...
Riders experience a 0 to 60 miles per hour "blastoff" in just 3.00 seconds. - Racing Regatta
- Royal Tea Party
- Swinging Bridge
- The Mighty Galleon
- Tom & Huck's River Blast
- ThunderationThunderationThunderation is an outdoor steel roller coaster at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. The third and fifth cars of the roller coaster used to point backwards...
- Wilderness Church
- WildFireWildfire (Silver Dollar City)Wildfire is a roller coaster located at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. The ride was built by Swiss manufactuer Bolliger & Mabillard and is the tallest and fastest ride at Silver Dollar City. Wildfire features five inversions: an Immelmann loop, a loop, a cobra roll and a...
- Wings of Wonder
Festivals
Throughout the operating season Silver Dollar City hosts six different festivals:- World-Fest (April - May): An international event showcasing different cultures and performers from around the world.
- Bluegrass & BBQ Festival (May): Is a celebration of bluegrass musicBluegrass musicBluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
and BBQ from across the nation. - National Kids' Fest (June - August): Is a summer festival featuring shows and activities that appeal to children.
- Southern Gospel Picnic (August - September): Gospel music is showcased during this festival along with picnic style dinners.
- National Harvest Festival (September - October): Is a salute to an old time harvest celebrationHarvestHarvest is the process of gathering mature crops from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper...
featuring visiting craftsmen. - An Old Time Christmas (November - December): Is a traditional holiday Christmas Celebration with special shows, foods, and other attractions. In addition, the park is decorated with nearly 4 million Christmas lights and a five-story special effects Christmas tree.
Recurring shows
- Cajun Connection
- Horsecreek Band
- Old-Time Story Time
- Pure Heart
- The Homestead Pickers
- Sons of the Silver Dollar
Stages, multipurpose buildings and theaters
- The Gazebo
- Carousel Barn
- Dockside Theater
- Riverfront Playhouse - The “Deep Woods” area increased the park's size by 25%. The district eventually introduced the 600 seat Court House Theatre in 1979. The inaugural production was The Chicken Thief, a comedy depicting the trial of a strange man named Melvin. The theatre’s name has changed over the years from Courthouse to Gaslight and on to its current name. Past shows have included Timothy Turnbuckle’s Traveling Time Machine, Hoedown, and Hatfield’s Haint.
- The Frisco Barn
- McHaffie's Homestead Front Porch
- Silver Dollar Saloon - The saloonBar (establishment)A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
opened to the public in 1973 with can-canCan-canThe can-can is a high-energy and physically demanding music hall dance, traditionally performed by a chorus line of female dancers who wear costumes with long skirts, petticoats, and black stockings...
dancers and singing bartenders. Carry Nation brought her temperance union to the City to shut the house of ill repute down for good. Unfortunately for Ms. Nation, she didn't succeed. The show has changed throughout the years to include Mean Murphy, the saloon’s arch enemy; Miss Tilly, the loveable yet dim-witted dance hall girl; and Choctaw Charlie and his Wild West show. The show is billed as “Good clean fun.” There is no cursing, chewing or spitting at the Silver Dollar and root beerRoot beerRoot beer is a carbonated, sweetened beverage, originally made using the root of a sassafras plant as the primary flavor. Root beer, popularized in North America, comes in two forms: alcoholic and soft drink. The historical root beer was analogous to small beer in that the process provided a drink...
is served as an alternative to beerBeerBeer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
. - Echo Hollow Amphitheatre is an amphitheatreAmphitheatreAn amphitheatre is an open-air venue used for entertainment and performances.There are two similar, but distinct, types of structure for which the word "amphitheatre" is used: Ancient Roman amphitheatres were large central performance spaces surrounded by ascending seating, and were commonly used...
with seating for 4,000. The amphitheater opened in 1983 as a dinner theatre encouraging guests to stay once Silver Dollar City closed for the day. Featured shows within the amphitheater have included Harmonies from the Hollow, Echo Hollow Jubilee, Hotrods and Hair-dos, and GAC Country Nights. Each spring Silver Dollar City’s Young Christian Youth Rally is held at Echo Hollow. This Rally features ministers, speakers and musical guests like NewsboysNewsboysNewsboys are a Christian pop rock band founded in 1985 in Mooloolaba, Australia. They have released 15 studio albums, six of which have been certified gold...
, KutlessKutlessKutless is a Christian rock band from Portland, Oregon formed in 1999. Since their formation, they have released six studio albums including their latest, It Is Well. The band has also released a live album, Live from Portland. Currently, they have sold almost 2 million records.-Biography:Formed in...
and Sixpence None the RicherSixpence None the RicherSixpence None the Richer is an American rock/pop band that formed in New Braunfels, Texas, eventually settling in Nashville, Tennessee. They are best known for their songs "Kiss Me" and "Breathe Your Name" and their covers of "Don't Dream It's Over" and "There She Goes". The name of the band is...
. The amphitheater also hosts nationally known musical artists such as, Gladys KnightGladys KnightGladys Maria Knight , known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian, and author...
, Peter, Paul and MaryPeter, Paul and MaryPeter, Paul and Mary were an American folk-singing trio whose nearly 50-year career began with their rise to become a paradigm for 1960s folk music. The trio was composed of Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey and Mary Travers...
, Nitty Gritty Dirt BandNitty Gritty Dirt BandThe Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is an American country-folk-rock band that has existed in various forms since its founding in Long Beach, California in 1966. The group's membership has had at least a dozen changes over the years, including a period from 1976 to 1981 when the band performed and recorded...
and Ricky SkaggsRicky SkaggsRickie Lee "Ricky" Skaggs is a country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, and banjo.-Early career:...
. - The Boatworks Theater
- The Opera House - The 1,000 seat performance venue opened in 1994 with the Broadway-style production Listen to the River. Since its opening the theatre has played host to other large scale in-house productions including American Spirit,, a patriotic musical; For the Glory, a Civil War drama; Headin’ West, a musical drama about Western expansion; and A Dickens’ Christmas Carol, a high-energy, musical telling of Charles Dickens’ Christmas classic.
- Pickin' Shed
- Red Gold Heritage Hall - To commemorate Silver Dollar Citys’s 40th anniversary this 25000 square feet (2,322.6 m²) multipurpose building opened in 2000. Themed after a turn-of-the-century tomato canning factory, the hall is capable of hosting exhibitions and shows with seating up to 1,800 guests. Festival food fills the building during events and the town of Bethlehem is recreated each Christmas season.
Former rides
- Buzz Saw Falls - This was a roller coasterRoller coasterThe roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
that incorporated a water type boat for the vehicle. The ride was largely promoted, however it was constantly plagued with mechanical difficulties. It was closed in 2003 and construction began to modify the ride into Powder Keg, which opened in 2005. - Rube Dugan's Diving Bell - This was an attraction that simulated a Jules VerneJules VerneJules Gabriel Verne was a French author who pioneered the science fiction genre. He is best known for his novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea , A Journey to the Center of the Earth , and Around the World in Eighty Days...
-style fantasy submarine ride, the first simulation ride of its kind. Disney World engineers told Silver Dollar City that it would be hard to do but secretly advised them on how to create the attraction. It was removed in the mid-1980s to make room for the Lost River of the Ozarks, a ride that could run more people through per hour. Slim PickensSlim PickensLouis Burton Lindley, Jr. , better known by the stage name Slim Pickens, was an American rodeo performer and film and television actor who epitomized the profane, tough, sardonic cowboy, but who is best remembered for his comic roles, notably in Dr...
was the voice of Rube Dugan. http://geysergulch.tripod.com/divingbell.html - Jim Owens Float Trip - This was an outdoor boat ride around a man-made river with animatronics. Silver Dollar City removed this ride after the 1980 season and remodeled it into the American Plunge log flumeLog flumeA log flume is a flume specifically constructed to transport lumber and logs down mountainous terrain to a sawmill by using flowing water. These watertight trough-like channels could be built to span a long distance across chasms and down steep mountain slopes...
. - Stagecoach - In the early years of the park, an authentic stagecoach took guests on a bumpy ride around the perimeter of the town square pulled by sturdy draft horses. It was removed five years after the park opened.
- Runaway Ore Cart - This was a small children's roller coaster that was removed after the 2004 season.
- Tom Sawyer's Landing - Added to the park in 1984, this play area featured rope towers and rides with Becky's Carousel as its center piece. Silver Dollar City's craftsmen hand carved each horse on the carousel. The most notable aspect of the structure were the large rope nets upon which visitors bounced and climbed.
- Huck Finn's Hideaway - This was a large play house built several stories above the ground on stilts. Visitors entered the attraction via a tiny spiral staircase built into a fake hollow tree. They had to crawl on hands and knees across a narrow bridge from the top of the hollow tree to the tree house.
- Waterworks Waterboggan
External links
- Silver Dollar City (Official Website)
- Dollywood (Official Website)
- (A fan website for SDC)
- The Food of Silver Dollar City