BRANSON, Mo. – Those familiar with Silver Dollar City were heartbroken to learn the amusement park would close one of its oldest and most beloved rides, Fire In The Hole, after this season.
But that was before the unveiling of plans for a new and improved Fire In The Hole indoor coaster by next spring.
The ride originally built in 1972 has been a staple at the park for 51 years, and will now be reimagined by Idaho-based Rocky Mountain Construction to bring pioneering innovation to life with custom engineering and manufacturing.
“Like Silver Dollar City, Rocky Mountain Construction is committed to creating custom-build ride experiences that haven’t been done before,” Darren Torr, president of RMC, said in a press release. “We loved the challenge of engineering, fabricating, and installing the one-of-a-kind Fire In The Hole, creating a new ride experience while honoring a legendary coaster. It feels fondly familiar, yet it will be daringly different.”
The new attraction comes at a whopping price tag of $30 million.
Much as the original ride, thrill seekers will experience a powered incline with three drops and a sudden splash ending. It will feature a custom soundtrack coming through high-resolution onboard audio, enhanced special effects using fiber optics, and lighting effects.
SDC says the new Fire In A Hole is a third-of-a-mile long and will be housed inside a five-story, temperature-controlled building. The ride will maintain its authentic Ozarks heritage storyline, which is based on an urban legend in Ozark Mountain history. The tale suggests the mining town of Marmaros was burned to the ground by a local vigilante group called the Baldknobbers, and guests are taken on a journey to save the charred town while surrounded by theatrical flames.
To date, 25 million guests hopped aboard the original Ozark adventure.
“Signifying our biggest investment in a single attraction, Fire In The Hole continues Silver Dollar City’s strategic, multi-phased growth plan offering families opportunities to play and stay together in the heart of the Ozarks,” Brad Thomas, president of the Silver Dollar City Company, said in a press release. “Spurring the creation of The Fire District, the custom-designed Fire In The Hole makes history as the heartland’s largest indoor coaster. As the District’s anchor attraction, it will be a favorite rite of passage for families where one generation introduces the next generation to this adventure and where the heroes of today spark the heroes of tomorrow.”
Guests who pre-purchase 2024 season passes will receive early line access to the new Fire In The Hole during the spring season.
