Silver Dollar City (Branson, MO – U.S.A.) has announced the last day of operation for their classic Fire In The Hole-dark ride. The attraction will be replaced by an all new Fire In The Hole next season, for which construction is already well underway. Guests of the park can enjoy the original ride for just a few more weeks.
The park will say goodbye to the original classic on December 30th and has started several contests on the social media channels of the park in which followers can win a seat on the final ride of the attraction. Fans of Silver Dollar City are invited to leave a comment on one of the park’s posts on Instagram or Facebook. Comments that generate the most likes will win a seat.
Silver Dollar City announced in February of this year that the attraction from 1972 would close after 54 years of operation. Construction of a new improved Fire in the Hole was already on its way on a different location in the park. Later in the year it was revealed that the new version would follow a similar storyline to the original, but receive a complete new ride system and modern scenery.
Fire in the Hole’s theme is based on the history of the town of Marmaros, a former village near the location of Silver Dollar City. The village relied on mining in the nearby Marvel Cave, and was left when the mining ceased. The ghost town was later destroyed by fire, which is rumored to be a caused by group of vigilantes known as the Baldknobbers. Scenes in the attraction include the Marvel Cave and the burning village.
The ride system for the original Fire in the Hole was a wooden rollercoaster. Though largely a gentle ride, the attraction featured a few drops and even a splash near the ending. The new improved Fire in the Hole is scheduled to open next season and will feature a steel roller coaster system by American manufacturer Rocky Mountain Construction. Cars for the new ride were revealed at the 2023 IAAPA Expo in Orlando just a few weeks back.
