Silver Dollar City stands out because it provides a lot more than just great rides and shows. The relaxing atmosphere within the rolling hills of Missouri keeps it fresh even on repeat visits. We’re not here to rave about the cool ambience of this park today; I already did that on last week’s podcast!
This article focuses on each attraction that we enjoyed on our day at Silver Dollar City during Spring Break. We experienced 17 during about eight hours in the park, though some were repeats. In this post, I’ll rate the 12 unique attractions from this visit on a 10-point scale. I’ve tweaked these numbers repeatedly while finalizing this blog. There’s something to like in almost any ride here; the trick is deciding how to evaluate them for the rating. Let’s dive into my latest trip to Silver Dollar City!
Fire in the Hole
Type of Ride: Herschend Steel Enclosed Power Coaster
Location: Hugo’s Hill Street
Highlights: Cool dark ride scenes, fun drops near the end
Rating: 7.5/10
We made sure to start our day with Fire in the Hole, which is enjoying its grand finale this year after 51 years. This combo of a dark ride and family coaster provides an odd story of the city of Marmoros and the vigilante Baldknobbers. I love the strange moments, particularly the iconic scene where Red Flanders can’t find his pants. You reach a broken bridge, dodge an approaching locomotive, and ultimately drop into a small splash as a voice (and most riders) chants “fire in the hole!“.
The largest drop is only 20 feet and trains only reach 27 miles per hour, but it still has some fun thrills near the end. I’ll miss Fire in the Hole but am excited for what’s to come. Herschend hasn’t made any official announcements, but you can easily spot the large show building for the highly anticipated sequel.
FireFall
Type of Ride: S&S Sansei Double Shot
Location: Fireman’s Landing
Highlights: The surprise of the initial launch; great views of Fireman’s Landing
Rating: 7/10
Our next stop is this drop tower, which is located in the attractive Fireman’s Landing section. It’s the only ride in this area with any thrills and remains something that most can do. Calling FireFall a drop tower isn’t really accurate since it shoots you upwards with two surprising launches. It feels similar to the way you move back upwards during the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. This was my first time experiencing FireFall, and I enjoyed the cool views of the surrounding areas from eight stories high. It offers a good mix of excitement without making you feel sick afterwards.
The Flooded Mine
Type of Ride: Indoor Float-Through (Interactive)
Location: Valley Road
Highlights: Old-school vibe, wonderfully simple theme song
Rating: 8/10
With Fire in the Hole on the way out, I hope the next attraction to go isn’t The Flooded Mine. We rode this slow-moving boat ride four times during our visit and even stayed on for two rides in a row near the end of the day. It began as just a dark ride but was upgraded with guns to make it interactive in 1990.
The premise has prisoners working in a mine trying to avoid a flood and possibly escape. We shoot at targets that feel more in the original Buzz Lightyear vein. The guns often don’t work so well, and the figures are simple, but The Flooded Mine offers so much charm. I wouldn’t mind seeing an upgrade similar to Ghost Town’s at Knotts Berry Farm to keep this fun ride in place for a long time.
Thunderation
Type of Ride: Arrow Dynamics Steel Mine Train Coaster
Location: Valley Road
Highlights: The eye-catching helix, the natural setting in the woods
Rating: 7/10
I have clear memories of visiting Silver Dollar City during the summer of 1994, and their big recent addition from the year before was a fun Arrow mine train. Thunderation felt like a step above Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in terms of thrills and ride elements at that point. I wasn’t as daring with coasters at that time, so this coaster had the right amount of excitement for me.
While it lacks the same theming and attention to detail as the Disney classic, there’s still a lot to enjoy on Thunderation. After leaving the station, you immediately turn and quickly proceed to a cool helix and through a tunnel. The lift hill actually occurs close to the end, but it still includes a solid 81-foot drop. It’s a quick ride and a step below the headliners; however, its woods setting leads to a lot of fun moments. It’s also a nice stepping stone if you aren’t ready for more intense coasters. Don’t sleep on this one!
Mystic River Falls
Type of Ride: RES and Barr Engineering River Rapids
Location: Riverfront
Highlights: The big final drop, excellent theming
Rating: 9.5/10
One of the main reasons I returned to Silver Dollar City was to check out their latest major addition. Mystic River Falls has the tallest drop of any raft ride in the Western Hemisphere, but the record is a small part of its success. The full experience stands above any similar attractions I’ve ridden in the past. The setting includes lot of cool small touches within the queue and during the rapids portions. The entire Riverfront area looks awesome and outshines the thrill factor.
We visited on a cloudy day where the high temperatures barely reached 70 degrees. I wondered if the water might be toned down, but that was definitely not the case. We were drenched repeatedly in the rapids section and then stuck in the worst (or best?) seats going backwards on the drop. I loved the cool elevator lift that slowly leads you to the imposing finale. Mystic River Falls is so much fun and should be a must ride especially if you visit on warmer days.
Tom and Huck’s RiverBlast
Type of Ride: Mack Rides River Battle
Location: Riverfront
Highlights: Battling with other guests outside the ride, cool interactive details
Rating: 7/10
We’ve reached the second stop in our water ride trilogy, and all three soaked us completely. Few guests were riding Tom and Huck’s RiverBlast given the weather, and that seemed like a good thing to avoid getting as wet. Unfortunately, one boy and his dad made sure to correct that assumption. What lifts this ride over the typical river battles is the excellent theming, which includes lot of cool details. You can aim your water blasters at targets, which interact with you in a variety of ways. Tom and Huck’s is my favorite of this type of attraction and goes well beyond what you expect.
American Plunge
Type of Ride: Barr Engineering Log Flume
Location: Hugo’s Hill Street
Highlights: The big drop, getting soaked on a hot day
Rating: 6.5/10
Let’s close out this group with this fairly simple log flume, which opened in 1980 in a place formerly held by the Jim Owens Float Trip. You pass a few simple figures to add personality to this ride, but it’s mostly about the big drop. After floating through a nondescript tunnel and by the scenes, it’s time for the main event! The plunge doesn’t disappoint and nearly reaches Splash Mountain’s heights with its 50-foot drop. It feels quite steep especially with no other sets like in the Disney ride. Be warned; American Plunge will totally soak you! I basically had a bucket dumped over my head after trying to avoid it. Still, it’s a solid log flume and worth your time especially on a hot day.
Magnificent Wave Carousel
Type of Ride: Zamperla Flying Carousel
Location: The Grand Exposition
Highlights: Excellent attention to detail, surprising thrills
Rating: 6/10
Silver Dollar City has two large areas with kids rides, and both have great theming. The Grand Exposition area incorporates steampunk aspects into the idea of a World Expo. One of its most impressive attractions is the Magnificent Wave Carousel, which places its swings within a structure that looks like a carousel. Surprisingly, the only time I really felt motion sick on our visit was after this ride. It spins faster than you might expect from a kids’ ride. Most people will be fine; I’m just noting this issue for riders that are very susceptible to motion sickness. I still enjoy this ride because of the views of the surrounding areas.
Elephant March
Type of Ride: Zamperla
Location: The Grand Exposition
Highlights: Relaxing ride for kids and adults
Rating: 5/10
We’ve reached the low point of our day with a ride that feels very similar to a certain elephant-themed Disney attraction. The big difference here is with the controls, which require you to hold down the button to move the elephants higher. It took me a while to figure out that just pressing it did nothing. Part of the issue was definitely operator error, but this doesn’t seem like the best approach for an exciting ride. Regardless, Elephant March looks good and still provides a fun time for kids of all ages.
The High-Low Silos
Type of Ride: Interactive drop tower
Location: Wilson’s Farm
Highlights: A different way to get interactive, smooth drop
Rating: 6/10
Our next stop is the Wilson’s Farm area, which includes the awesome RMC coaster Outlaw Run and the frightening Giant Barn Swing. We chose the interesting High-Low Silos, which provide a fun way to directly involved in your ride. You pull a rope to lift your seats about 30 feet off the ground and then enjoy a smooth drop to the ground. This reminded me of something you might see on Survivor or The Challenge, though on a much smaller scale. We were able to reach the top fairly easily, and that’s a good thing on a ride that’s primarily geared towards younger guests.
Time Traveler
Type of Ride: Mack Rides Xtreme Spinning Coaster
Location: Valley Road
Highlights:
Rating: 10/10
You could justify visiting Silver Dollar City solely to ride Time Traveler; when I update my favorite roller coasters blog, it will definitely make an appearance. I’d place this Mack Rides Xtreme Spinning Coaster ahead of even Outlaw Run. There’s so much to like with this ride! The steampunk theming in the queue sets the stage perfectly for the coaster, and the vehicles go well beyond what you might expect. I also enjoy how they hold most of the line downstairs and only send a small group to the loading area. This makes the experience click because it avoids the loud and hectic vibe of most coasters.
The actual ride is hard to describe because it’s unlike anything else I’ve experienced. The vehicles use a controlled spin so it’s very different from coasters like Primeval Whirl or Pandemonium. The inversions and launches are surprisingly smooth and generate more smiles than fear. I constantly felt like I was flying yet it never seemed jarring or out of control. The first drop out of the station is a huge surprise even if you know it’s coming, and the track combines so well with the hilly terrain. Time Traveler is a world-class roller coaster and should be the top priority on your next visit!
Grandfather’s Mansion
Type of Ride: Anti-Gravity House
Location: Midtown
Highlights:
Rating: 6.5/10
After the excitement of Time Traveler, we closed our day by strolling through the wonderfully strange Grandfather’s House. Located near the entrance, it’s basically a fun house but not with clowns or other scary residents. Instead, you say hi to grandpa in his upside-down room and check out other strange effects. The highlight is the anti-gravity room, which creates a strange conflict between your mind and what your body is experiencing. Don’t forget to visit this unique attraction before you end your day.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this look at some of the attractions that make Silver Dollar City such a cool place! I still need to get back and catch up with Powder Keg, Wildfire, more rides on Outlaw Run, and a lot more in the future. If you haven’t made the trek to Branson to visit this awesome park, add it to your list!
Related Articles: Silver Dollar City
Learn more about Silver Dollar City and all their rides and shows at the official website.
Listen to my March 2023 trip report on Episode 195 of the Tomorrow Society Podcast.
Check out some of the details of the park in this photo essay from August 24, 2016.
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