Theme parks are places of constant change. They are always looking towards the future and what new thing is going to draw in guests. But they’re also places of incredible nostalgia. Many parks and their attractions have been around for half a century or more, meaning that multiple generations have experienced them. Oftentimes if a popular ride survives to a certain point, the idea of seeing it replaced seems all but impossible. But at the end of this year, the impossible will happen at Silver Dollar City when the 50-year-old dark ride/coaster Fire in the Hole closes forever . And while it may be blasphemy to say so, I think this is for the best.
I had never actually ridden Fire in the Hole, or even been to Branson, Missouri’s Silver Dollar City until very recently, but knowing that the 50-year-old ride was in its last year, I made a point to check out the storied attraction. While as a theme park fan, I can appreciate the attraction and understand the attachment that people have to it and why many may not want to see it go, I couldn’t help but feel that whatever Fire in the Hole was once upon a time, that time has come.
