Can’t Make It to a Disney Theme Park? Try This Missouri Alternative

I took my kids on a trip to Walt Disney World when they were little, and, of course, it knocked our socks off with all of the rides, characters, and magic making. However, it wasn’t a very relaxed vacation, as a Disney visit also comes with a lot of planning, stress, and expenditures. If you can’t make it to Disney—or if you’d like a more relaxed theme park experience—check out Silver Dollar City in the vacation getaway of Branson, Missouri. After one visit, you’ll see why it has been voted the number one theme park in the nation for the last three years in the USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. 

The most striking part of Silver Dollar City is the natural beauty. The scenery even extends underground in Marvel Cave, which was the first attraction that brought visitors to this special spot nearly 150 years ago. Above ground, Silver Dollar City is covered with a towering leafy canopy, which offers relief on even the hottest summer days. I’m not sure there’s a shadier theme park in the whole nation.

Plus, the forested hillsides make for spectacular views from the tops of the rollicking roller coasters, especially in the fall. My favorite time to visit the park is when the green leaves give way to blazing oranges and yellows and the air gets crisp enough for a light jacket.

Once those colorful leaves fall from the trees, Silver Dollar City doesn’t get any less beautiful—as long as you visit at night. When my kids were young, one of our favorite annual traditions was visiting Silver Dollar City’s Old Time Christmas festival, when over 6 million lights cover practically every surface of the park, from the tree tops to the building facades. No matter how old you are, you’ll feel like a kid again under the warm glow of the state's largest Christmas tree. Add some gooey caramel apples and sugary hot chocolate for the ultimate way to nip the winter chill.

Luckily, Silver Dollar City isn’t just pretty to look at. It offers serious rides, too. Whether you enjoy the gentle twirl of the teacups at the Royal Tea Party or the wild thrills of the world’s tallest, fastest spinning roller coaster (the Time Traveler), you’re in for a good time. In the decades since I was a kid who was impressed by the quick rush of the log flume’s plummet, Silver Dollar City has consistently invested money and research into adding more rides and experiences with broad appeal for nearly every visitor, from toddlers to teens to grandparents.

While it is a theme park, the true heart of Silver Dollar City isn’t actually the rides; it’s the craftspeople and music shows that represent the Ozarks culture with authenticity. Of course, we Missourians can all laugh at the hillbilly banter, but the true culture of southern Missouri lives in the fiddle music, intricate woodcarvings, and sweet cinnamon bread. You can admire real craftsmanship as over 100 artists blow glass, spin wood, and shape clay to create works of art out of everyday objects and musicians use fiddles, banjos, and guitars to fill the park with an Ozarks twang.

The craftsmanship extends to the food at Silver Dollar City, which is on par with Disney. I could eat my way through the park, from the Tater Twists to the Lumbercamp Falls Skillet. Around every bend, there’s a cart serving up fresh-squeezed lemonade, savory roasted corn, or oh-so-messy-but-delicious funnel cakes. We almost always leave with a bag of Phoebe Snapp’s Taffy (of which, over 75,000 pounds are sold each year) and try to guess the flavor by the color before getting a pleasant surprise. Eating is as much a part of the experience as the rides.

I could wax poetic about the joys of Silver Dollar City all day long, but I think you get the picture. This Disney dupe has all of the good things about other great theme parks, including shows, food, and rides. But, the true magic comes from the natural beauty and the emphasis on authentically capturing the culture of the Ozarks. For a more relaxed vacation, skip Disney and head to Silver Dollar City to get your theme park fix.