Silver Dollar City Branson MO by Mtsplash

[Mtsplash]

Ok before you look at the pictures I think you should reed some history first.

Silver dollar City (=SDC) is a park in branson MO themed as an 1880s ozark mountain mining town.


Legend has it that in the 1500s indians from the area while hunting fell in a a hole in the ground (cave) that they thought to be a cursed place. Explorers in the 1800s went inside to find an amazing cave. One explorer thought that the limestone was marble so he told a mining company about it. when they found no marble they decided to mine the bat quano (poop) they got $700 a ton.
In 1880 the cave started giving tours. The first cavern in the cave is 200 ft high and 400 ft wide (its incredible). The first tourists had to climb down a ladder (long ladder).
In the '50s a couple from chicago came planing to buy the cave and start a tourist business. There names were marry and hugo hershend.
The hershends started making improvements to cave such as a big tower to replace the dangerous ladder, and they even blasted a tunnel for a cable train to carry guests out.
In the late '50s hugo and marrys children took over. pete and ??? hershend were there names. They envisioned a showcase of tradtional ozark crafts and an 1880s mining town. they built it in the late '50s and they became a theme park in 1960.
the name came from something they did when they gave you change. in change insted of normal dollars they would give you silver dollars.

And thats how it all started.


The reason we were there was Music!!!! SDC was doing the yearly bluegrass and BBQ festival. My brothers some friends and I have a band that entered a youth in bluegrass contest. (we did not place but it was fun). And my dad also known as (Tiki god) is in a Bluegrass band called monroe crossing who was playing there for the festival.

Anyway here are some photos of the parks wonderfull theming.


Here is the parks website



They have an area called "tom sawyers landing"

then there is an area called geyser gulch.

The new ride this year was the giant barn swing.

Then they have an area called midtown that is very cool.

there they have the grandfathers mansion...
Witch has a cool "tippy room" as the two kids I was babysitting said.

Then There is an italian restaraunt called Marrys springhouse.
"marry" was one of two people who started SDC. (marry and hugo hershend)


They also have the "swingin bridge"

OK I gotta go I will have more tonight!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mtsplash]

Ok here are some more.




OK this net picture comes with very interesting story if I do say so myself.

This ride is called Lost River Of The Ozarks, it opened in 80s.
Before it was an attraction originaly going to be in a disney park. Disney told SDC that it would be imposible...... But SDC figured out the tech' and built it. it was called "Rube dugans diving bell". It was a simulater ride were you would go into a submarine tipe thing and dive to the bottom of "lake silver".
Unfortunatley this attraction was replaced by LROTO .
Lost river has nice themeing on the outside but when you go into the "cave" its just a warehouse with a waterfall coming from the cieling.
Its depressingly lame..........


Here is one of the stages they use for the "Bluegrass & BBQ" festival.


This is the original area that they call Main street.


they have two fully themed rides this is one of them.
Its called the Flooded Mine

the theme is that a prison mine was flooded and lots of prisoners are getting out so the warden needs your help. You get to ride an oar boat with guns to shoot at stuff and rack up points. Its really fun!!!!



They have an area there that my dad and I like to call disney rippoff land.
its called Grand exposition. Themed to an 1882 carnival.


Look its dumbo!!!!

and they even have the tea cups!!!!!

Is it just a coinsidence that you have to be under 55 in' tall to go on this ride and that DL opened in '55???? I think NOT


Thats a funny sign


this roller coaster called "Wildfire" is in my opinion the Best non themed roller coaster ever.



this weel ran an actual flour mill.

OK thats it for More on wensday.

[Alchimedes]

Nice looking park, well taken care of.

[Ginarella]

Great TR and photosLooks like fun!

[Mom2dzneboys]

Wow...how Branson has changed. I havent' been for years. Great report!!

[CoasterMatt]

um... Wildfire has a theme, and a fully developed backstory, so I don't know where the "unthemed rollercoaster thing" is from.

[TikiRoomLiz]

The park looks so clean and nice with all the trees there. By far my favorite picture is the one with the roller coaster and the sun shining above it ... great shot!

[Hakuna Makarla]

Awsome!! more pics please!!!

[RonNYC]

That's great! I was at Silver Dollar City this past Wednesday. Having grown up in the area, a yearly visit was mandatory growing up but I hadn't been in 12 years.

Your pics are great and really capture the flavor of the park.

Looking forward to the next bit. Do you have pics of Marvel Cave coming up?

[DLRP_bopazot]

nice TR thanks for sharing your thoughs about Silver Dollar City .

How about the food . I heard the food is great at Silver Dollar City .

How was Powder Keg their newest coaster from last year ?

[Mtsplash]

Originally Posted by CoasterMatt

um... Wildfire has a theme, and a fully developed backstory, so I don't know where the "unthemed rollercoaster thing" is from.

well you are right that there is a theme, But when you are on the ride the theme is not aparent.

Originally Posted by TikiRoomLiz

The park looks so clean and nice with all the trees there. By far my favorite picture is the one with the roller coaster and the sun shining above it ... great shot!

Thanks! it is a nice park.

Originally Posted by Hakuna Makarla

Awsome!! more pics please!!!

Look here wednsday night.

Originally Posted by ron10036

That's great! I was at Silver Dollar City this past Wednesday. Having grown up in the area, a yearly visit was mandatory growing up but I hadn't been in 12 years.

Your pics are great and really capture the flavor of the park.

Looking forward to the next bit. Do you have pics of Marvel Cave coming up?

you were there the same day I was!!! did you see any bands?
I was gonna get some cave photos but with babysitting I did not have time.

Originally Posted by DLRP_bopazot

nice TR thanks for sharing your thoughs about Silver Dollar City .

How about the food . I heard the food is great at Silver Dollar City .

How was Powder Keg their newest coaster from last year ?

the food is GREAT!!!! the BBQ at the Bluegrass and BBQ festival is AWESOME!!!

Powderkeg is cool very smooth. I like wildfire and fire in the hole better

[aimster]

Looks like a nice park. Kind of reminds me a little of old Opryland back in its heyday.

[DisneyIPresume]

Thanks for alerting me to this thread! It actually surprises me. I was expecting something a lot less sophisticated but it actually looks quite nice. It almost reminds me somewhat of Knott's Berry Farm back in the old days before Cedar Fair came in and ruined the place!

[Mtsplash]

OK here is the last part of the report.

Here are some random ones!




FYI there is another dark ride there called Fire in the hole.
Its actualy an indoor roller coaster. The theme is that you are fire fighters and you are going out to put out the fires that a local vigil anti group called the "baldknobers" started. In the ride you see the burning town and then you try to cross a bridge thats burning...Of corse thats when the roller coaster starts and you go down a short hill. Then you see a train coming at you (very much like in mr toad) you go down a hill then at the top you here "FIRE IN THE HOLE" and you go down one more drop into water!!



Here is the theater where my dad (tiki god) was playing.



here is where they had AWESOME BBQ!!!


The End..

[Mtsplash]

Originally Posted by DisneyIPresume

Thanks for alerting me to this thread! It actually surprises me. I was expecting something a lot less sophisticated but it actually looks quite nice. It almost reminds me somewhat of Knott's Berry Farm back in the old days before Cedar Fair came in and ruined the place!

Hello!
Yes its very nice there!!!