originally posted on 2/17/2023
Photo: Courtesy of Silver Dollar City. View full-sized image.
Is it a roller coaster or is it a dark ride? For many people, it’s both.
Silver Dollar City (Branson, Missouri) has announced the farewell season for Fire in the Hole. Opened in 1972, it was the first coaster-like attraction at the park. More important, its historic attributes include that it was the first modern-day indoor roller coaster.
Back in the early 1900s, LaMarcus Thompson popularized the scenic railway-style coaster, which featured trains of riders that passed scenes and murals inside a building. Fire in the Hole took it to a new level when it debuted. It was an attraction that put Silver Dollar City “on the map.”
ACE asked Brad Thomas, president of Silver Dollar City Properties, about its importance.
“The ride is packed with innovative details,” he said. “In the early ‘70s, it was rare for a ride to have any type of theatrical lighting, much less actual stage sets, fire effects, voices and music! Adding to the overall adventure is the fact that this story is based on a real night in the history of the Ozarks — the night in the 1880s when the local vigilante group, the Baldknobbers, actually burned down the mining town that existed on top of the Marvel Cave mining operation.”
Fire in the Hole’s entrance gives the look of a mining town.
Photo: Jason Knutson. View full-sized image.
For those who have not experienced Fire in the Hole, it’s a classic adventure that puts 12 riders aboard two-car trains within a fire station. Visitors queuing are “volunteer” firefighters who embark on a journey through a burning town, all under a canopy of darkness. Sounds of insects and the blink of fireflies add to the ambience. Townsfolk and the Baldknobbers are featured in early-70s animatronics as the town around them burns.
Photo: Courtesy of Silver Dollar City. View full-sized image.
The ride uses a powered-rail conveyance system often seen in dark rides as it moves up the gradual incline. One of the final scenes is a covered bridge on fire. Riders take a right turn and find themselves on that very bridge, which features the first of three coaster-type drops. After climbing from that plunge, a tunnel sets the stage for an oncoming train. A second plunge there brings the vehicles to the final drop. After hearing a miner yell “Fire in the hole,” riders dive toward a splash pool, which sometimes provides a bit of refreshment for riders.
It's easy to see why many fans call this a true roller coaster with its three gravity drops, even though the bulk of the three-minute ride is taken in dark-ride fashion.
Riders board in a station resembling a fire station.
Photo: Steve Gzesh. View full-sized image.
More than half a century ago, this ride was particularly innovative, especially for a park of this size. In many respects, it set the stage for the Branson park to create unique and signature experiences.
“This ride is an epic part of our journey,” said Thomas. “The ride’s retirement though signals many more announcements in the future as we continue to build experiences and adventures that draw visitors from all over the USA to visit us in the heart of the USA.”
Its historic importance also lies in the fact that this ride opened three years before the original Space Mountain (Magic Kingdom, Lake Buena Vista, Florida).
This control panel shows the multistory layout of Fire in the Hole.
Photo: Curt Schimmel. View full-sized image.
Photo: Courtesy of Silver Dollar City. View full-sized image.
While Silver Dollar City has teased it respects the legacy that Fire in the Hole has built over the past five decades, the park hasn’t made official announcements of what lies ahead. However, it has been announced that the Silver Dollar City properties are just about to enter 10 years of significant investment.
While it is sad to see such a historic ride (albeit an aging one) retired, kudos go to Silver Dollar City for offering guests and fans the courtesy of a grand finale season for one last ride. So often, legendary attractions are closed with virtually no notice. The park has done the right thing with this announcement — and let’s face it, the lines will be huge this year. Silver Dollar City knows what it’s doing.
— Tim Baldwin, ACE News Editor
Photo: Courtesy of Silver Dollar City. View full-sized image.
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