Fire in the Hole (Silver Dollar City)

Last updated
Fire in the Hole
Fire in the Hole at Silver Dollar City (exterior).JPG
Silver Dollar City
Location Silver Dollar City
Park section Hugo's Hill Street
Coordinates 36°40′13″N93°20′27″W / 36.670261°N 93.340698°W / 36.670261; -93.340698
StatusClosed
Opening date1972
Closing date2023
General statistics
Type Steel  Enclosed
Manufacturer Herschend Family Entertainment
DesignerHerschend Enterprises
Lift/launch systemTrains are powered, propelling themselves on uphill sections. Trains then freely roll over drops. Tires embedded in the track also move trains through certain sections.
Drop20 ft (6.1 m)
Length1,380 ft (420 m)
Speed27 mph (43 km/h)
Inversions 0
Duration3:15
Capacity1000 riders per hour
Height restriction36 in (91 cm)
Trains2 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 3 rows for a total of 12 riders per train.
Attraction transfer icon.svg Must transfer from wheelchair
Fire in the Hole at RCDB

Fire in the Hole was an enclosed roller coaster located at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. The three-story steel coaster was built in-house by Silver Dollar City in 1972. The ride is often considered a cross between a dark ride and a roller coaster. A similar ride, "Blazing Fury", was built at Herschend Family Entertainment's Silver Dollar City Tennessee, now known as Dollywood, in 1978. On February 13, 2023, Silver Dollar City announced 2023 would be the last season for the ride before it is closed permanently. On August 14, 2023, Silver Dollar City announced the new Fire in the Hole to open in 2024 in the new "Fire District" section of the park.

Contents

Theme

A bartender rescues a dance hall girl from the town's tavern. Fire in the Hole at Silver Dollar City (Main Street).jpg
A bartender rescues a dance hall girl from the town's tavern.
This Baldknobber is blasting riders with his cannon while a coyote eerily howls close by. The Baldknobber pictured was once hanging on a rope by his neck, but has changed to its current form in recent years. The cannon came from Silver Dollar City's musical production, "For the Glory." FITH-Baldknobber.JPG
This Baldknobber is blasting riders with his cannon while a coyote eerily howls close by. The Baldknobber pictured was once hanging on a rope by his neck, but has changed to its current form in recent years. The cannon came from Silver Dollar City's musical production, “For the Glory.”


Fire in the Hole is themed around the story of Marmaros, an Ozarks hill town. Marmaros was built near Marvel Cave and is the present day site of the theme park Silver Dollar City. Marmaros grew out of necessity. The miners attracted to the mining of guano from the cave along with their families began to grow in number. The investors designed a town with the intentions of becoming a resort village such as Eureka Springs, Arkansas, or Monte Ne, Arkansas. Investments became substantial and the town's population grew rapidly.

Marmaros’ existence relied heavily upon the mining operation of Marvel Cave. The town failed to attract tourists and began to slowly die out after mining ceased. Much of the town was later destroyed by fire, and what was left moved to a location south of the cave and is now submerged below Table Rock Lake.

The town was rumored to be burnt to the ground by a group of vigilantes known as the Baldknobbers. Obscure facts have turned into legend which makes deciphering the story virtually impossible. Some believe the burning of the village started out as a drunken fight in a local tavern. Others blame xenophobic outrage over William H. Lynch, a Canadian businessman who purchased Marvel Cave; Lynch would later open the cave as a tourist attraction. Evidence proves that the town did in fact burn, however the true story may never be established.

The original concept of the ride relied heavily upon Marvel Cave itself. During the planning phases of Fire in the Hole the ride was referred to as The Devil's Den. This was a name given to the cave centuries before mining operation had started. The ride was to include volcanoes and exploding geysers. However, modifications were eventually made and the ride took on its current form.

Fire in the Hole's dated production values and odd subject matter have made the ride a cult favorite, with some people even developing "callback lines" to shout at various points during the ride. Riders pass scenes of the town's residents trying to extinguish the flames before crossing a collapsing bridge, nearly getting run-over by a steam train, and crashing into a dynamite storage shack. In the ride's finale the coaster trains are sent hurtling over a drop into a pool of water with a splash down finish. The splash has been part of the ride since its conception. Water cannons within the splash down lake can be enhanced during the summer months to drench riders and turned off during the cooler seasons to only mist riders.

Scenes

A section of a scene that has been removed. The scene gave the rider the illusion of broken tracks over a deep chasm. When it appeared to the riders that they would be in peril a sharp right turn away from the cliff was made. Fire in the Hole at Silver Dollar City (unused track).jpg
A section of a scene that has been removed. The scene gave the rider the illusion of broken tracks over a deep chasm. When it appeared to the riders that they would be in peril a sharp right turn away from the cliff was made.

Throughout the ride, there are many scenes of Marmaros engulfed in flames. The scenes include a burning hotel, a camp of Baldknobbers, a blazing cabin, a collapsing bridge, and a Main Street which includes a saloon, undertaker, and blacksmith shop. A shootout takes place on Main Street between three Baldknobbers and the town sheriff. This results in the undertaker's windows being shot out and bullet holes in the water tower spraying riders.

To increase rider capacity a large section of track was removed in 1982. After the first dip (Collapsing Bridge) the ride would turn right and later reconnect in front of the second one (Train Collision). At the scene where the cabin is burning, there is a moon and some stars above one of the old track areas. Also, at the sign for “Kinney Bridge”, to rider's left is a large open area where scenes once existed.

The removed scenes included one with a group of Baldknobbers having the following conversation: "All right boys remember, don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes." A gun fires. "Ow! You damn knocked me (or you damn knock-kneed...) Oh, excuse me kids." After that scene, the ride encounters the Baldknobber dumping the barrel on the riders (now moved to another part of the ride). This was followed by a sign reading, "Danger, Track out ahead". Coming out of the tunnel, riders saw what appeared to be the track mangled, hanging off a cliff. Just as they headed out over it, the cars cut back sharply on the real track. The track then reconnected with the existing track headed for the train hill.

Theme song

A song was created in 1972 to accompany the ride. It plays throughout the ride and on the exterior of the building. While waiting in the exterior queue-line one can hear it along with conversations between two men exclaiming the heroic deeds of firefighters.

New ride

On August 14, 2023, Silver Rollar City announced that a new Fire in the Hole constructed by Rocky Mountain Construction would open in the spring of 2024. The new ride will feature scenes from the old ride like Red Flanders and Kinney Bridge. Brad Thomas, President of the Silver Dollar City Company, proclaimed that the new ride would be "the Heartland's largest indoor coaster" and "the [Fire] District's anchor attraction". The old ride remained open to the end of the 2023 season. [1]

Incidents

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dollywood</span> Theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Dollywood is a theme park that is jointly owned by Herschend Family Entertainment and country singer-songwriter Dolly Parton through her entertainment company, Dolly Parton Productions. It is located in the Knoxville metropolitan area in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, near the gateway to The Great Smoky Mountains. Hosting nearly 3 million guests in a typical season from mid-March to the Christmas holidays, Dollywood is the biggest ticketed tourist attraction in Tennessee. It has won many international awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lagoon (amusement park)</span> Amusement park in Farmington, Utah, U.S.

Lagoon is a family owned amusement park in Farmington, Utah, United States, located about 18 miles north of Salt Lake City. It has eleven roller coasters, six of which are unique; Colossus the Fire Dragon, the last Schwarzkopf Double Looping coaster still in operation in the United States ; Roller Coaster, one of the oldest coasters in the world operating since 1921; Wicked, designed by Lagoon's engineering department and Werner Stengel in cooperation with ride manufacturer Zierer; BomBora, a family coaster designed in-house; Cannibal, built in-house with one of the world's steepest drops, and Primordial, an interactive dark ride coaster/3-D shooter game attraction built mostly inside a massive artificial mountain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Thunder Mountain Railroad</span> Roller coaster at Disney parks

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is a mine train roller coaster located at Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Park (Paris). In Tokyo and Paris, the attraction is named Big Thunder Mountain. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is also the name of the fictional rail line the roller coaster depicts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GhostRider (roller coaster)</span> Ride at Knotts Berry Farm in California

GhostRider is a wooden roller coaster at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California. It is located in the Ghost Town section of the park, south of the main entrance. Manufactured by Custom Coasters International, GhostRider is the tallest and longest wooden coaster on the West Coast of the United States, measuring 4,533 feet long and 118 feet tall. The ride follows an L-shaped double out and back pattern, with a station themed to a mining building. There are three trains, each themed to a different precious metal, though only two are in use at any given time.

Journey to Atlantis is the name shared by three Water Coasters located at SeaWorld theme parks. These attractions, while different from one another, tell a similar story of a trip to the mythical land of Atlantis. Each one combines roller coaster elements, such as chain lift hills and steep drops, with boat-based attraction elements, such as splash-down landings. All three attractions were designed by Mack Rides of Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Expedition Everest</span> Steel roller coaster built by Vekoma

Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain, also known as "Expedition Everest", is a steel roller coaster built by Vekoma at Disney's Animal Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. The ride is themed around the Yeti protecting the Forbidden Mountain next to Mount Everest. It is the only roller coaster at Disney's Animal Kingdom, and the tallest roller coaster at any Disney theme park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silver Dollar City</span> Amusement park

Silver Dollar City is a 61-acre (25 ha) amusement park in Stone County, Missouri, near the cities of Branson and Branson West. The park is located off of Missouri Route 76 on the Indian Point peninsula of Table Rock Lake. Silver Dollar City opened on May 1, 1960. The park is an 1880s-themed experience. Silver Dollar City's operating season runs from March until December, with the park closed for two months. Silver Dollar City is owned by Herschend Family Entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twisted Colossus</span> Roller coaster at Magic Mountain

Twisted Colossus is a steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. Originally designed and built by International Amusement Devices, the roller coaster opened as Colossus, a dual-tracked roller coaster, on June 29, 1978. It was the tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster in the world and the first with two drops greater than 100 feet (30 m). Colossus became well known after appearances in film and television, including the box-office hit National Lampoon's Vacation and the made-for-TV movie Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park. For 19 years, it was the park's main attraction until the opening of Superman: The Escape.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Wild One (roller coaster)</span> Wooden roller coaster

The Wild One is a wooden roller coaster at Six Flags America in Prince George's County, Maryland. It features a 450° spiral helix and a series of bunny hills that produce a significant amount of air time. The wooden coaster was previously known as Giant Coaster when it was located at Paragon Park in Hull, Massachusetts. It operated there from 1917 to 1984. It is the oldest coaster in any Six Flags park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Raven (roller coaster)</span> Wooden roller coaster at Holiday World

The Raven is a wooden roller coaster at Holiday World & Splashin' Safari's Halloween section in Santa Claus, Indiana, United States. It began to be designed and built in 1994 by the now-defunct roller coaster manufacturer Custom Coasters International, with the help of designers Dennis McNulty and Larry Bill. The roller coaster opened on May 6, 1995. The Raven takes its name from Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Raven" and features sudden drops and turns which mimic the flight of a raven. From 2000 to 2003, The Raven was voted the world's "Best Wooden Roller Coaster" at the Golden Ticket Awards, which are presented annually by Amusement Today magazine. It was named an "ACE Roller Coaster Landmark" by American Coaster Enthusiasts on June 23, 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colossus the Fire Dragon</span> Roller coaster

Colossus the Fire Dragon, also known as Colossus, or simply Fire Dragon, is a Schwarzkopf double-looping roller coaster that opened at Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington, Utah, United States in 1983.

Wildfire (Silver Dollar City) Steel roller coaster

Wildfire is a steel roller coaster located at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the $14-million ride opened to the public on April 4, 2001. It is themed as a flying machine developed by a fictional 1880s Ozark inventor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marvel Cave</span> Large cave in Stone County, Missouri

Marvel Cave is a privately owned cave located just west of Branson, Missouri, in Stone County. It is one of the main attractions of Silver Dollar City and is registered as a National Natural landmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Backlot Stunt Coaster</span> Amusement ride

Backlot Stunt Coaster is a launched roller coaster located at three Cedar Fair amusement parks. The first two installations opened at Kings Island and Canada's Wonderland in 2005 under the name Italian Job: Stunt Track, while the third opened at Kings Dominion in 2006 as Italian Job: Turbo Coaster. All three were themed to the climactic chase scene at the end of the 2003 film The Italian Job. Special effects were incorporated throughout the ride to reproduce the scene, although some of the effects were removed in later years. The Italian Job theme was also dropped in 2008 following Cedar Fair's acquisition of the amusement parks from Paramount.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apocalypse: The Ride</span> Wooden roller coaster

Apocalypse: The Ride, formerly known as Terminator Salvation: The Ride, is a wooden roller coaster located at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. Manufactured by Great Coasters International, the roller coaster opened to the public on May 23, 2009. It is located in The Underground section of the amusement park on a plot of land formerly occupied by the Psyclone (1991-2007), Shockwave (1986-1988) and Sarajevo Bobsleds (1984-1986). It was the first wooden coaster to feature onboard audio, and its Terminator theme was short-lived following a corporate restructuring by Six Flags in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jolly Roger Amusement Park</span> Ocean City, Maryland, United States

Jolly Roger Amusement Park is an amusement park located in Ocean City, Maryland. The park features two locations in Ocean City: one at the pier on the Ocean City boardwalk and one further uptown at 30th Street. Both locations feature numerous thrill rides, including a looping roller coaster at the pier, bumper cars, a ferris wheel, a carousel, and kiddie rides, among others. The parks also contain typical carnival-like games and eateries. The 30th Street location additionally features two eighteen-hole mini-golf courses, Splash Mountain, a full-service waterpark with many slides and activity pools, and 10 go-kart tracks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scorpion Express</span> Mine train themed roller coaster

Scorpion Express was a mine train themed powered roller coaster at Chessington World of Adventures in Greater London, England. It opened with the theme park in 1987 as the Runaway Train. The original ride was closed in 2012 for refurbishment and reopened on 14 March 2014, with the same track layout but new name and theming. Scorpion Express is set in a small mining village, featuring an animated metalwork scorpion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Time Traveler (roller coaster)</span> Roller coaster in Missouri

Time Traveler is a spinning roller coaster located at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. The roller coaster was manufactured by Mack Rides in collaboration with the park's in-house team. The original concept for the roller coaster was conceived from a prototype train tested on another roller coaster, Blue Fire, at Europa-Park in Germany. Time Traveler opened in 2018 and is themed to a fictional backstory about time travel involving characters Charles Henry, a clockmaker, and his daughter. The roller coaster reaches a height of 100 feet (30 m) and a maximum speed of 50.3 mph (81.0 km/h).

References

  1. "Silver Dollar City Reveals Record-Setting Indoor Family Coaster New Multi-Million Dollar FIRE IN THE HOLE Debuts Next Spring". www.silverdollarcity.com. 2023-08-14. Retrieved 2023-12-23.

Official website