There is a well-loved theme park in the Midwest, by the name of Silver Dollar City in Branson Missouri. Many people in the region have annual passes and visit often. When I moved to Kansas, I quickly realized that this place was a big deal, so I set my sail and went on a Tuesday in May. It was a perfect Spring day. Going on a weekday before the summer crush helps avoid the much larger crowds. As I drove up, there was a split in the road. One direction led to paid parking; the other to a free lot. Naturally, I took the free route and was glad to find ready trams, which cruised us right up to the front gate. I then bypassed the ticket lines, and stepped right up to the self-pay ticket machine. Thankfully, this was all way easier than I expected. Kudos to the park designers.
As I entered, I was greeted by the vibrancy of flowers, the sounds of live music, and sightings of history. Three of my favorite things. Silver Dollar City is brimming throughout with all three. I instantly knew I was going to love it here. The day I visited, there was a Bluegrass festival. I sat at one of the many band stage venues, and listened to the Horse Creek Band – a group of exceptional musicians.
There are a myriad of charming shops along tree-shaded paths. I greatly enjoyed perusing their lovely wares. There are also zones designated for suspenseful rides, craftsmen demonstrations, children’s play areas, and eateries.
I stopped at the Lumbercamp Falls and ordered a skillet lunch. I normally eat light, and mainly vegetables. This potato dish was flavorful and filling. There is not an abundance of healthy options in the park, and I was told that many of the foods are cooked in lard. But there are some places that serve refreshing salads and sandwiches. Plus, free cups of water are offered throughout the park, and the water is known for being especially delicious. That was good to learn, as I love fresh, clean Ozark water. I noticed that the people who work here are friendly and quick to interact in an enjoyably chatty way.
It was fun walking through the different zones and exploring everything the park offers. But I realized I kept circling back to the gentle wooded paths that took me off to areas laced with cabins and buildings from a long-past era. Those verge on sacred spaces to me, as I can almost feel the strength of the remarkable people who lived such a raw, primitive existence. They were the ultimate perseverers!
Before I left, I searched for the park historian, and found Corey at the Marvel Cave. He told me that circa 1880, the Marmaros mining town was established on this site. I asked him what they mined. He said originally they had hoped to find marble, but never did. However, after thousands of years of bat usage, the caves were covered in endless mounds of bat guano. The mining company decided to haul it out for use as gun powder and fertilizer. Who knew that bat guano was used as gun powder?! What a fun piece of trivia to acquire. Cody is the cave guide and you can follow his explorations on his Facebook page. On my next visit, I am definitely taking the tour. Corey went on to say that after the mining endeavor closed, the abandoned land was purchased in the 1950’s for cave tours. It became so wildly popular that the owners decided to build an adventure park around it. Genius! Silver Dollar City is open seasonally – March through December, so don’t come in January or February. But do come. You will have a wonderfully memorable experience!