Ranked: The Top 7 Roller Coasters at Silver Dollar City

Welcome back to another “Ranked” article here on Laughing Place. I recently had the chance to visit one of my biggest bucket list parks – Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. This rocketed up to quickly become one of the most beautiful theme parks I’ve ever visited, with impeccable old-time Americana theming, excellent roller coasters, and some of the most amazing views you could ever get from any theme park.

Silver Dollar City is home to seven roller coasters, and there’s not really a dud among them, so this will be one of the tougher rankings I’ve done so far. But without any further ado, let’s countdown the Top 7 roller coasters at Silver Dollar City!

7. Grand Exposition Coaster

Okay, so I’m cheating here a little, as I didn’t actually ride the Grand Exposition Coaster. However, I have rode an identical coaster at Silver Dollar City’s sister park, Dollywood. For what it is, it’s a fun little ride, with some cute theming to boot. But as the kiddie coaster, it’s naturally going to fall last on the list.

6. Fire in the Hole

Fire in the Hole is Silver Dollar City’s oldest and most unique coaster. More a dark ride than anything, this charming ride from 1972 takes you on a tour through a town past some quaint, but somewhat dated showpieces. Towards the end of the ride, there are a few drops powered through nothing but gravity, qualifying this as a legitimate roller coaster. Fire in the Hole is almost identical to Dollywood’s Blazing Fury attraction, but what sets this version apart is the added water splashdown during the drops. While fun and unique, there’s nothing here to best the coasters higher up on the list.

5. Thunderation

All good regional amusement or theme parks need an old-school Arrow Mine Train coaster, and Thunderation is absolutely one of the better ones. The station is situated on the edge of a hill, so instead of starting with a lift hill, the ride kicks off with some speed, leading into some fun and intense helixes. Following that, the ride goes up one lift hill, before ending with another fun helix. This is one of the park’s older coasters, so it sadly is a bit rough and rackety, but I suppose that does add to its charm.

4. Wildfire

Wildfire is a classic Bolliger & Mabillard looping coaster, with a fun first drop and multiple intense, yet smooth inversions. What really sets Wildfire apart from some of its sister coasters is the absolute jaw-dropping natural scenery. The ride is perched on a hill-side, set against the beauty of the Ozarks. On or off the coaster, the view is absolutely stunning.

3. PowderKeg

In a park full of unique attractions, PowderKeg might just be the most unusual. Originally opening as a water coaster, a few years later, the water elements were removed, keeping the lift hill and subsequent drop. Added onto the beginning of the ride is an intense launch into a long section through the woods. The modifications were actually made by a different coaster manufacturer than who originally built it, so if you’re a coaster nerd like me, you can actually spot a point where the track style changes. The uniqueness of the coaster adds to its charm, but don’t be fooled. This is an intense and smooth ride, particularly the launch, which I really enjoyed!

2. Outlaw Run

Outlaw Run is one of the earliest creations from the absolute legends at Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC), but this is a little different from some others. Instead of using an all steel track, Outlaw Run uses a wooden topper track, where a layer of steel is placed on top of the wood base. The ride can still do all the crazy maneuvers RMC is known for, but it feels a little more out of control, and dare I say, rough. I think the roughness held this back from being a top RMC coaster for me, but the first drop and the airtime throughout are still absolutely incredible.

1. Time Traveler

Going into my day at Silver Dollar City, I expected Time Traveler to come out on top, and I was not disappointed! Time Traveler is truly a unique ride, being the first-ever extreme spinning coaster from MACK Rides. Even if you’re put off by that idea, the spinning is quite controlled, more so rotating. The feeling of going upside down sideways, or while rotating, is something you can’t get anywhere else (well, except for the similar coaster in Europe). Add to that an incredible 90 degree drop out of the station, and some great steampunk-inspired time travel theming, and you have the best, most well-rounded and unique coaster at Silver Dollar City!

I hope you all enjoyed this ranking of my Top 7 roller coasters at Silver Dollar City. If you want to see some more theme park rankings, feel free to check out some of my other “Ranked” articles listed below: