The Complete Guide to Silver Dollar City (2024)

There are wonderful rides at Silver Dollar City, including some truly world-class, groundbreaking roller coasters. The food is among the best in all of parkdom. Its festivals and well-produced shows are lively and engaging. But what truly sets the Branson, Missouri park apart are its theme and backstory.

Designed as a circa-1880s mining village (inspired by the site's real-life history), all of the rides, attractions, eateries, shops, and employees hew to the compelling theme. A bevy of talented artisans and craftsmen ply their trades, just as they would have a century-and-a-half ago in the Ozarks, and invite visitors to watch them at work.

This comprehensive guide to Silver Dollar City will help you plan the perfect trip to this Branson gem.

The Top Roller Coasters in Silver Dollar City

• Time Traveler: This thrilling coaster debuted in 2018 as the world’s fastest, steepest, and tallest complete-circuit spinning roller coaster. (Don’t worry about motion sickness that spinning coasters sometimes induce; Time Traveler’s innovative controlled-spin technology makes the revolutions loads of fun but gentle.) With its vertical drop right out of the station and dual magnetic launches, Time Traveler is quite a giddy experience.
• Outlaw Run: This is one of the first modern-day wooden coasters to include inversions. Making our list of the 10 best woodies in the nation, Outlaw Run reaches speeds of 68 mph, has a 720-degree barrel roll, and a near-vertical drop of 162 feet.
• WildFire: A robust steel coaster that drops 155 feet, hits 66 mph, and includes five inversions.
• Powder Keg: A compressed air launch coaster that blasts from 0 to 53 mph in 2.8 seconds.
• Thunderation: An especially spirited mine train coaster that drops 81 feet and clocks in at 48 mph.
• Fire in the Hole: A tame indoor attraction that includes dark ride scenes of a town engulfed in flames.

The Top Attractions

Beyond the roller coasters, there are plenty of other attractions to experience such as The Flooded Mine, an interactive dark ride; Grandfather’s Mansion, a funhouse with wacky illusions and stunts; and American Plunge, an old-fashioned log flume ride. Be sure to hop aboard the Frisco Silver Dollar Line Steam Train, but beware of the train robbers.

Among the park’s themed lands are the Grand Exposition (which takes its cue from the 1893 World’s Fair held in Chicago) and Fireman’s Landing, both of which are filled with spinning rides and other attractions for families and younger children.

Those interested in the region's mining history can tour the cave that started it all: Marvel Cave. Silver Dollar City was built around the entrance to this cave and tours are included with admission. Tours last 60 minutes and start with a 300-foot descent into the Cathedral Room before taking visitors along a strenuous subterranean trail.

In 2020, the park opened Mystic River Falls, a $23-million river raft ride. Set in the new land, Rivertown, the attraction features a four-story+ waterfall drop that the park claims is the tallest in the Western Hemisphere for an attraction of its kind. The land also includes Rivertown Smokehouse, the park’s largest restaurant.

Festivals and Shows

The park offers an array of festivals, all of which are included with general admission. The most impressive festival at Silver Dollar City is An Old Time Christmas when 6.5 million festive bulbs light up the park. There is also a nightly light parade, Broadway-style musical productions, and seasonal treats such as wassail. Most of the park’s rides remain open for the event.

A more recent addition to the park’s calendar is Harvest Festival. Rather than presenting Halloween-inspired haunted mazes, the family-friendly, fall event features “Pumpkins in the City,” a collection of illuminated jack-o-lanterns and other colorful displays. Sweet and savory items such as a caramel apple shake and pumpkin tomato bisque are also added to the menu.

Other festivals include:

• Street Fest:Musicians and other performers take to the city’s streets along with food carts for this springtime event.
• Bluegrass BBQ:Later in the spring, the sounds of bluegrass music (including national acts) and the smells of slow-smoked BBQ fill the air at the park.
• Southern Gospel Picnic:In the late summer, gospel music acts take the stage.
• Country Music Days: In mid-September, headliners perform on the park’s main stage.

The Best Food to Try

The food is truly outstanding at Silver Dollar City and much of it is wildly unique. Take the skillet dishes, for example, which are prepared in ginormous iron skillets and stirred with wooden paddles. The park’s signature succotash skillet—which includes sautéed corn, squash, okra, and chicken—is well worth a try.

Other standouts include:

• To-die-for cinnamon bread served with a gooey glaze hot out of the oven
• Peanut brittle, made fresh at Brown’s Candy Factory
• BBQ brisket, slow-smoked to yummy perfection
• Apple dumpling with freshly-made cinnamon ice cream

Where to Stay Nearby

Silver Dollar City operates a nearby campground, which offers log cabins that sleep up to six guests, RV sites, and campsites. There is a complimentary shuttle to and from the park.

As a popular tourist destination, Branson is loaded with hotels and other lodging options. One to consider is Chateau on the Lake, an upscale resort that features spacious rooms and suites, a striking atrium, and a spa.

Getting There & Admission Information

Silver Dollar City is located in the Ozark Mountains in Branson, Missouri. The nearest airports are Branson Airport (BKG), Springfield-Branson National Airport (SGF), and Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA). The most convenient way to get to the park will be to drive.

Ticket Options

Passes to the theme park include admission and unlimited access to the rides and shows. Two- and three-day passes as well as combo passes that include the water park are available. Silver Dollar City offers discounted tickets for seniors (65 and older) and children (age 4-11). Children 3 and under are admitted free. Season pass tickets and group-rate passes are available. Check for special offers, such as reduced-price tickets for after-5 p.m. arrivals and discounts for members of the military. The park also offers packages that bundle park tickets with hotel accommodations as well as other attractions.

Seasonal Closures

Although it is a seasonal park, Silver Dollar City only shutters for the months of January and February. It generally opens in mid-March and remains open through the end of December with An Old Time Christmas, its holiday celebration. During the shoulder seasons, the park features a lot of festivals and special events, including name-act concerts.

Tips for Visiting Silver Dollar City

• To help manage the time you spend in lines, consider downloading the Silver Dollar City app, which lists ride wait times. When the park is really crowded, as it often is, consider purchasing a TrailBlazer pass. It allows users to go to the front of the lines on select rides.
• To get a head start on your day and beat some of the crowds at the more popular rides, head to Molly’s Mill. The restaurant opens for an all-you-can-eat breakfast 30 minutes before the rest of the park opens.
• In addition to loads of great dining options, the park offers a Culinary & Craft School where you can learn how to prepare dishes yourself. Make reservations for the small-group classes.
• Marvel Cave tours are included with general admission. Take the 60-minute tour and discover the Cathedral Room and other sights. Because the temperature is always cool underground, it can be a particularly nice respite on a hot, humid day. For the adventurous, there are special lights-out lantern tours.
• Head over to McHaffie’s Homestead, one of the park’s original attractions. An actual log cabin that dates back to the mid-1800s, it offers a sense of what 19th-century mountain life was like. Musicians and storytellers perform at the homestead, and there's a petting zoo in its barnyard.