Silver Dollar City builds first "liquid coaster"

Group, 2000

BRANSON, Mo.--In 1999 Silver Dollar City presented the world its first "liquid coaster." "The creative concept is that guests embark on a johnboat ride from an old logging camp to an abandoned Ozarks sawmill and logging operation, where they are propelled along log sluices toward a gigantic, active buzzsaw," explains Jason Blain, Silver Dollar City's director of corporate design and development. The ride continues as the boat shoots out of the water as a rail coaster, drops nine stories at over 50 miles per hour, heads straight for a bank of trees, rounds sharp turns, races up a conveyor track into the treetops, and plummets headfirst down a six-story plunge before returning to the mill house.

BuzzSaw Falls will be different from any ride in existence in the world, according to 30-year veteran coaster designer Dal Freeman, working as a special projects coordinator for Premier Rides, the company that designed and built BuzzSaw Falls for Silver Dollar City. The liquid coaster is free-- floating in a raging flume for a water "luge" experience "as close as you can come to riding the rapids," he said. Then it threads on rails for an exciting "runaway" coaster ride.

This ride showcases the history of pioneer 1800s Ozark logging operations in a family thrill ride. And it's perfectly themed for this park.

Silver Dollar City is unique in the landscape of theme parks. It was built as a re-created Ozarks village that features over 100 resident craftsmen who demonstrate their work daily featuring America's heritage crafts ranging from glass blowing to woodcarving. The town square area includes a blacksmith working at the forge, a general store and post office, an authentic homestead, and a log cabin church. It successfully brings together the sights and sounds of the 1890s with the thrills and excitement of the 1990s.

During the Christmas season, Silver Dollar City's Old Time Christmas festival, a living nativity presentation, an angel garden giving the story of angels throughout the Bible, and nativities from all over the world depicting the birth of Christ present the meaning of Christmas to visitors.

Young Christians' Weekend and hymn singing at the Wilderness Church are part of a purposeful goal of Silver Dollar City's Christian owners to provide "great entertainment in a distinctively Christian atmosphere." Silver Dollar City's mission statement ends with this phrase: "All in a Manner Consistent with Christian Values and Ethics."

To support various community programs, The Silver Dollar City Foundation was formed in 1996. It is the Foundation's goal to assess the community's needs, the resources available, and then to fill in the gap... A vital part of our mission is bringing families, neighbors, and communities closer together all in a manner consistent with Christian values and ethics. Ultimately leading people into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ" states John Baites, president of the foundation.

Silver Dollar City was the recipient of the 1999 Applause Award-the theme park industry's top award of excellence. Each year this award is presented to the park or attraction whose management, operations, and creative accomplishments have inspired the industry with foresight originality, and sound business development. As deciding factors, judges noted Silver Dollar City's five world-class special events, creative attractions and entertainment shows, food selection, unique turn-of-the-century crafts colony, the innovative ride concept introduced in BuzzSaw Falls, and the trademark friendliness of Silver Dollar City employees.