Silver Dollar City easily ranks among the best regional theme parks in the country with its diverse mix of entertainment, food, and family rides. There’s plenty to like even if you aren’t interested by thrill rides. On the other hand, the park has a strong lineup of roller coasters. There are no duds in the mix, and you could make the case for many of them as the park’s best.
I live in St. Louis and have made several visits to Silver Dollar City in the past few years. It’s an easy four-hour drive across Missouri and is definitely worth the time and money. This list represents my thoughts on all the coasters in the park, and it wasn’t easy to decide on a few slots. The 4-6 choices were the most difficult to nail down and had slim margins among them. Let’s get to my picks!
7. Grand Exposition Coaster
Type: Zamperla Steel Family Gravity Coaster
Opened: April 2006
Top Speed: Unknown
Height: 10 feet
Inversions: 0
The best theme parks organize their coaster lineup in levels that guests can progress through, especially as kids. The first step is to have a solid kiddie coaster, even if it’s fairly small. It may have an extremely slow line, but the Grand Exposition Coaster plays an important role at Silver Dollar City. The track is only 262 feet long, so you take three laps during this brisk journey. If you’re hoping to ride with little ones or just want the coaster credit, avoid peak times here.
6. Wildfire
Type: B&M Steel Sitting Coaster
Opened: April 4, 2001
Top Speed: 66 miles per hour
Height: 120 feet
Biggest Drop: 155 feet
Inversions: 5
There’s a reason that Silver Dollar City uses Wildfire so often in its marketing; the shot of the coaster gliding above the trees is stunning! This is a case where there’s nothing particularly bad about this B&M steel coaster. Instead, it’s just the fact that the top five are so strong.
Wildfire might be the best coaster at a park like Six Flags St. Louis, especially if it used the terrain in a similar way. It just feels like a bit of a relic from the coaster wars of the ‘90s. The opening drop is much larger than the lift hill and leads well into several big loops. The coaster peaks at 66 miles per hour and is over before you know it. It really comes down to personal preference for me in placing Wildfire this far down the list.
5. Thunderation
Type: Arrow Dynamics Steel Mine Train Terrain Coaster
Opened: April 10, 1993
Top Speed: 48 miles per hour
Height: 81 feet
Inversions: 0
I remember visiting Silver Dollar City when I was young in the mid-‘90s and getting excited about their new coaster Thunderation. The park wasn’t as focused on thrills at that time, so it really changed the game. Thirty years later, it remains one of the best Arrow mine trains despite getting rougher lately. I love the way it packs the fun right at the beginning after you leave the station.
Thunderation’s highlight is a cool helix that looks amazing and includes a surprisingly steep angle on the turn. It’s also great to have the biggest drop happen near the end after the one lift hill; this isn’t Adventure Express at Kings Island! This mine train coaster packs a little more punch than you might expect (particularly in the back) as you speed through the woods; don’t sleep on this one!
4. Fire in the Hole
Type: RMC Steel Indoor Coaster
Opened: March 30, 2024
Top Speed: 26 miles per hour
Height: Unknown
Inversions: 0
When rumors surfaced that Silver Dollar City’s strange, beloved indoor coaster Fire in the Hole might close, I never expected its resurrection with this new version. Developed with Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC), this second edition does a lot more than pay tribute to the park’s first coaster. Instead, it basically recreates it with modern effects and a smoother track. Located in an entirely new show building, Fire in the Hole 2.0 updates this mix of a dark ride and coaster for a new generation.
The story line remains about the villainous Baldknobbers burning the town Marmaros, but everything looks fresh. The track also still includes three successive drops at the end, and it’s appropriate for both families and enthusiasts. There are a few thrills, but Fire in the Hole is really more of a well-themed dark ride than a true coaster. I’m amazed that the $30 million experiment worked out so well!
3. Powder Keg
Type: S&S Steel Coaster
Opened: April 8, 2005
Top Speed: 64 miles per hour
Height: 98 feet
Biggest Drop: 110 feet
Inversions: 0
Springing from the ashes of Premier Rides’ Buzzsaw Falls water coaster in 2005, Powder Keg outshines its stats and is arguably the park’s sleeper hit. Opening with a punchy launch of 0-53 miles per hour in 2.8 seconds, it shoots you into the woods for an experience you can barely see from the station.
Powder Keg includes a few big airtime moments including steep drops and the opening launch hill. It also uses the terrain well and offers a drop that’s larger than the coaster’s height. With more than 3,500 feet of track, Powder Keg is the longest coaster at Silver Dollar City. Don’t miss it!
2. Outlaw Run
Type: RMC Wooden Coaster
Opened: March 15, 2013
Top Speed: 68 miles per hour
Height: 107 feet
Biggest Drop: 162 feet
Inversions: 3
We’ve reached the top tier of Silver Dollar City’s coasters, and both are world-class rides that would easily be the best of many parks. You could make an argument that either should be number one, and it really comes down to what you enjoy. When it opened in 2013, Outlaw Run had the steepest drop of any wooden roller coaster and was the only to feature inversions. RMC was just making a name for itself, and this was my first experience riding one of their coasters when it opened.
I love the relentless pace of Outlaw Run, which stays aggressive right up to the two heartline rolls near the end. Like Powder Keg, it also has a much larger drop at 162 feet after a 107-foot lift hill. It’s felt a bit rougher in recent years, but there’s still so much to like with this coaster. The little drop before the big one also tricks you into not realizing what’s coming before it hits you. I haven’t experienced Outlaw Run yet in the dark, but I’ve heard it’s one of the best night rides anywhere.
1. Time Traveler
Type: Mack Rides Steel Xtreme Spinning Coaster
Opened: March 14, 2018
Top Speed: 50.3 miles per hour
Height: 100 feet
Biggest Drop: 90 feet
Inversions: 3
I’ve never ridden anything like Time Traveler; it isn’t the fastest or most intense coaster at Silver Dollar City. However, it provides my favorite experience in the park. It currently ranks as #2 on my full coaster rankings. Ride to Happiness at Plopsaland is the only other Xtreme Spinning Coaster from Mack Rides, so it’s rare. When you hear that it’s a spinning coaster with inversions, you might expect a nausea-inducing mess. That’s hardly the case with this smooth coaster’s controlled spins.
Time Traveler depicts the story of Charles Henry and his time travel experiments. His role as a clockmaker sets the stage for effective theming with a steampunk vibe in the queue and with the intricate ride vehicles. I love the way the line takes just a small group up the stairs to the station for the experiments. That area is brilliantly staged to keep you from seeing what happens when your ride begins. The cars immediately drop right from the station, and it’s a breathtaking moment.
Your experience will vary dramatically with each ride depending on your row. During my recent trip, we took all the inversions facing forward and had a pleasant time at the front. Our second ride was completely different and more intense because we took the loops from weird angles. It’s hard to explain what makes Time Traveler so cool. The launches and elements are good, but it’s really just that sense of joy that comes from everyone that rides it. Pure happiness!
What do you think of my list? How would you rank these Silver Dollar City coasters? Leave your thoughts in the comments section!
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