Is Silver Dollar City closing Fire in the Hole? Historic ride enters final season

Silver Dollar City, Missouri's famous amusement park, has announced that it will close its iconic ride Fire in the Hole after 51 years of operation.

On February 13, the Branson-based park shared that this will be Fire in the Hole's final operational season, with "preparation of unprecedented growth slated for the next ten years."

In a statement issued via a press release, the president of Silver Dollar City Attractions, Brad Thomas, said:

"More than 25 million guests have been entertained by the Fire In The Hole adventure since the attraction opened a half-century ago. Today’s riders include grandparents who remember riding when they were kids, and now they share the fun and unique experience with THEIR grandkids!"

As per ABC7, the theme park officials revealed that the plot of the attraction is based on the real-life mining town of Marmaros, which was built above Marvel Cave and was home to citizens of the long-ago Ozarks.

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Silver Dollar City will hold special promotions for Fire in the Hole's last season

As per ABC7, the amusement park will be planning special promotions and events for the final season of Fire in the Hole. The press release clearly states that the "original" ride will be seeing a departure, which could mean that the iconic ride might be rebuilt instead of being removed from the attraction. However, no details about the same were shared.

In the press release, Brad Thomas said:

"This Grand Finale season of the original Fire In The Hole is paving the way for continued growth and new adventures at Silver Dollar City. There will be exciting announcements in the future."

The ride was introduced in 1972, 12 years after Silver Dollar City opened, and is famed for its fire-brigade-themed ride that has several twists and turns throughout until it gets dropped into a burning town where people voluntarily become firefighters. They rescued citizens by fighting flames before getting soaked.

The park authorities said that they are aware of the place that Fire in the Hole holds in people's lives, and that what comes next must uphold the expectations of the audience while maintaining the ride's legacy.

Duane Marden, the founder of Roller Coaster Data Base, said:

"Fire in The Hole is a true classic from years past; a unique ride that's a must-ride every park visit. Custom-built, enclosed roller coasters are an uncommon thing and Silver Dollar City has operated Fire In The Hole longer than any other. I'm grateful that Silver Dollar City is giving guests fair notice to enjoy this classic ride for one final season."

The authorities of the theme park have planned on kick-starting the special event on March 11, 2023, and will run it till year-end.