Doesn't it seem like those “hole in
the wall” type places are always the best? Such as that “hole in
a wall” diner that sells the best burgers in the county. Well what
about a “hole in the ground”? I know of a hole in the ground
that has become my favorite place on Earth.
It just so happens that Silver Dollar
City got its start as a literal hole in the ground- a cave
attraction. The cave, Marvel Cave, was discovered in the 1500s by
the Osage Indians. In the 1880s adventure seekers began exploring
the cave by lowering themselves down the 200 feet, by rope, into the
main chamber. In the early 1900s regular cave tours began. By the
1920s Marvel Cave was a well-established attraction.
The Herschend family visited the cave
in 1946 and fell in love with it. Then in 1950 they took over the
management and tours of the cave. In 1954 a traveling salesman's
story planted the idea in Hugo Herschend's mind to recreate an 1880s
mining town.
In 1960 Silver Dollar City opened. It
was named after a promotional idea of giving visitors silver dollars
as change. Little money was spent on advertising, but the word of
mouth was tremendous.
Each employee at the city is not called
an employee, but a citizen and dresses in a 1880s costume. In the
first year SDC brought in more then 125,000 visitors; four times more
then the cave was drawing.
In the first 50 years Silver Dollar
City has won several awards and has had 65 million guests from all
over the world.
"From natural wonder to international attraction, it all started with a hole in the ground."
