Silver Dollar City was voted America’s best theme park again. Do you agree?

Natalie Wallington
·2 min read
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Missourians have done it again: For the second year in a row, the Silver Dollar City theme park in Branson has been crowned the best theme park in the U.S. by readers of USA Today.

The sprawling park combines historical reenactments and live performances with modern-day attractions like roller coasters and water rides.

Theme parks were nominated for this award by a panel of 10 experts, mostly travel writers and content creators who specialize in theme parks and roller coasters. The 20 finalists were then chosen by USA Today’s “10Best” editors and put up for a public vote.

Readers could vote once per day per category over the course of four weeks. The votes were then tabulated, with Silver Dollar City coming out on top in 2023 and 2024.

“Silver Dollar City, with its 1880s mining town theme, attracts some 2 million visitors annually with its combination of entertainment, festivals, 100 resident craftsmen, and more than 40 rides and attractions,” the editors wrote.

“The park is also home to Time Traveler, the world’s fastest, steepest, and tallest spinning coaster.”

The 100-acre park started as the site of a natural limestone cave. Its proprietors built a small historic town around the entrance for guests to visit, and gave out silver dollars as change in its shops.

This unique practice caused news of the attraction to spread through word of mouth when guests spent their silver dollars on gas or other necessities on their way home. Today the park doesn’t hand out real silver dollars, but the historic name remains.

Here are the runners up for America’s best theme park this year:

  • Second place: Knoebels Amusement Resort, an old-school park in Elysburg, Pennsylvania that’s free to enter — guests pay for tickets to access each ride.

  • Third place: SeaWorld Orlando, the flagship location of a marine park chain steeped in controversy for its treatment of resident aquatic animals.

  • Fourth place: Hershey Park, a chocolate- and candy-themed amusement park in its namesake Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Do you have more questions about things to do in Missouri or Kansas? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.