Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri

The Silver Dollar City amusement park is located in Branson, Missouri. Silver Dollar City was founded by a family from Chicago; the family leased a cave in the Ozarks to develop a summer cave touring business in the 1800's. By the 1920's, the cave became one of the top tourist attractions in the Ozarks. The cave was then sold again in 1946 to the Herschend family. The Herschend family then improved access to the cave and surrounding above ground areas.

In 1954, a man named Charlie Sullivan visited the cave. Sullivan informed the family that the area around the cave had once been a mining town in the late 1800's. After searching the property, the family found remnants of foundations of the buildings. The idea to recreate the old mining town was then born.

The Herschend family began construction on the buildings in 1955. The structures were built to be as authentic as possible, and the family insisted on preserving the natural beauty of the area, specifically the trees on the property. The replicated town has an ice cream parlor, blacksmith shop, general store and a doll shop. The family had two log structures built in the 1800's moved to the sight. The McHaffie homestead and the Wilderness Church are two of the many buildings and structures popular among visitors to Silver Dollar City.

In 1960, the Herschend family opened the village to the public for the first time. They called the park Silver Dollar City after the promotional idea of giving silver dollars back to patrons as change. The gimmick worked and word of mouth spread about Silver Dollar City. The first year alone, the park attracted 125,000 visitors. The theme park was well on its way to becoming one of the most popular attractions in the Branson area.

The park showcases American heritage crafts by more than one hundred resident craftsmen. The craftsmen demonstrate how to make candles, carve wood, blow glass, and work with leather and knife making. Guests to the theme park are invited to witness true craftsmen at work and can purchase the wares as souvenirs.

Silver Dollar City is a sprawling fifty-five acre theme park that has many exciting rides for visitors to enjoy. The Powder Keg is an explosive launch rollercoaster that goes from 0 to 53 miles per hour in 2.8 seconds. The Wild Fire rollercoaster is multi-looping and speeds riders up to 66 miles per hour around its many twists and turns. Rollercoaster's are not the only rides in the park. Silver Dollar City also has a steam train, water rides, and other thrilling rides to experience.

Silver Dollar City over the years has become one of the top tourist destinations in Branson, Missouri. Guests to the theme park will love the variety of rides, attractions, shows and restaurants. Silver Dollar City allows its visitors to travel back in time to the 1800's, and experience firsthand how life was lived in days gone by.