Visiting Silver Dollar City: An Old Time Christmas

Silver Dollar City isn’t a new thing for me. Growing up 40 minutes from Branson, Missouri meant several trips as a kid, a teenager and even as an adult. However, Matt didn’t grow up anywhere near Branson, so when my grandparents gave us two free tickets to Silver Dollar City, I was stoked to share this experience with Matt for the first time! Plus, it’s the most wonderful time of the year to visit SDC – it’s their Old Time Christmas festival which means over 5 million lights, over 1,000 decorated trees and oh-so-much celebrating! 

So, What’s Silver Dollar City All About?

Silver Dollar City is a theme park with rides & rollercoasters, but it’s more than that – it’s artisan crafts, it’s amazing homestyle/southern food, it’s festivals (Christmas, bluegrass, Worldfest & more) and more than anything else it’s a place to make memories.

Since I have been visiting SDC for just about 25 years, some of the magic of it gets looked over, but taking Matt for the very first time was like living my very first time all over again! 

Some of the Crafts and Buildings

Watching them blow glass was exciting. It’s amazing to see what they create!

Glass etching

 

This little Wilderness Church is darling and log-cabin style. Plus it’s where my grandparents got married so that’s pretty cool too!

 

Sunset from the window of the church

Inside the church

Don’t Miss: Candle Dipping, Brown’s Candy Shop (their taffy is to die for & you can sometimes get a free peanut brittle sample), Shows, The Food (I’ve never had anything less than amazing here), The Shops, Marvel Cave & Metal-Working.

It’s Still About the Rides & Rollercoasters Too

I mean, you can’t not ride the rides. There are bigger rides, kid rides, rollercoasters that go fast & upside down and smaller rollercoasters.

Thunderation is the very first rollercoaster I ever went on & it’s also the very first rollercoaster Matt & I rode together! It’s a fun wooden rollercoaster that you have to keep your hands up the whole time, of course.

Wildfire is a fun, twisty & turny upside-down rollercoaster with a 155 foot drop, reaches 66 mph, and offers a pretty spectacular view of the Ozarks before the first big drop.

Grandfather’s Mansion isn’t technically a moving ride, but it is a crazy walk-through ride. This “mansion” is filled with weird, funky, odd things. One of those things is the slanted room that leaves you standing like this (^) when you’re trying to stand upright.

Don’t Miss: Outlaw Run (This is the world’s first wooden rollercoaster with a double barrel roll and it is one of the craziest, funnest rides I’ve been on. I rode it after dark and it was insane because I couldn’t anticipate what was coming next!), Fire in The Hole (This is one of those crazy, quirky rides that make you sound ridiculous when you describe it. This small roller coaster is enclosed and tells the story of the town that used to stand where SDC is now located, but was burned to the ground by the Baldknobbers. It used to terrify me as a kid, but now it’s a classic, must-ride) & Powder Keg (The draw to this rollercoaster is that it shoots from 0 to 53 miles per hour in less than three seconds.)

Old Time Christmas Festival

My very first photo with Santa at 9 months old was taken at SDC (along with many others), but this was by far my favorite Christmas at Silver Dollar City!

This is their massive Christmas tree that looks decorated during the day, but at night is lit and the lights change with the music that plays every so often.

I LOVE wassail and Matt had never had it before, so we were sure to stop here. 

Main Street is all decorated with lights, garlands, bows & more.

 

Just a few of the millions of lights. Apparently they start putting these up in July!

The view from a shop window at some of the Christmas lights.

 

The Christmas Parade! This was the first time I’ve ever remembered seeing the Parade of Lights.

This is the main tree lit up at night and the colors are changing to music. It’s quite a show!

You can’t look at the Christmas lights without sipping on hot cocoa. So, of course, we opted for the LOADED cocoa with chocolate chips, whipped cream, candy canes and marshmallows! P.E.R.F.E.C.T.I.O.N.

This beautiful tree was my favorite. It just glowed with beauty!

The crew in front of the Christmas Tree

Silver Dollar City isn’t cheap to visit, but be sure to check for discounts and sometimes you get lucky enough to get free tickets (people sometimes give their extra passes out at the gate). The food (although it’s delicious) isn’t cheap but you can get your hand stamped to re-enter the park and pack a cooler in your car. Be sure to wear sunscreen in the summer & good walking shoes all times of the year.

Silver Dollar City is simply a MUST if you’re in the Branson area.

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