Silver Dollar City fans can breathe a sigh of relief. They won’t have to say goodbye for good to beloved roller coaster Fire in the Hole.
Just months after announcing that the historic coaster will close at the end of the 2023 season, the Branson, Missouri theme park on Monday revealed a new Fire In the Hole roller coaster will debut next spring.
It will be the largest indoor roller coaster in the park and in the Heartland. The new ride will be about one-third of a mile in length at 1,512 feet, about the same length as the original, and move at 8 feet per second. It will be housed inside a five-story climate-controlled building. The ride will also include three water-splashing drops and 14 show scenes, which past visitors will recall from the original ride.
It will still feature the classic soundtrack fans have known and loved for 51 years, but revamped by bluegrass Grammy-nominated artists Dailey & Vincent, made up of Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent.
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The original Fire In The Hole opened in 1972 and has served more than 25 million guests. Silver Dollar City’s President Brad Thomas said this new generation of the ride is the park’s largest investment to date at $30 million.
The new version will be constructed by Idaho-based Rocky Mountain Construction. RMC also built the park’s Outlaw Run ride as well as coasters like ArieForce One, which opened this year at Fun Spot America Atlanta, and Iron Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.
The new Fire In The Hole’s debut will coincide with the opening of The Fire District. The new district will feature a new store — Flander’s Dry Goods, tied to the storyline of the park’s Red Flanders — and a new pretzel dog dining area. The dining area will include more than 140 seats. A new street will also be added to the Fire District.
Andy Westfall, head of construction at Herschend Creative Studios, said the concept of a new version of the ride has been in the works for 3 to 4 years.
Contributing: Marta Mieze, Springfield News-Leader; Eve Chen, USA TODAY
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