Silver Dollar City Announces New Family Coaster Opening in 2027

Branson, Mo. (KFMO) - Silver Dollar City is adding a new family coaster that will take guests back more than a century into the history and mining heritage of the Ozarks.

The park announced Friday that Miner’s Mountain Express - America’s Most Legendary Family Coaster - will open in Spring 2027. The new attraction will be located in Daredevil Pass, a newly created section of the park connecting WildFire, PowderKeg and American Plunge.

Guests will board runaway mine cars and race across the Ozarks, dodging boulders, crossing rugged terrain and plunging past a flooded mine shaft as they search for a lost entrance to Marvel Cave. 

The attraction is based in part on the real history of the Marble Cave Mining Company, which operated on the site during the 1880s. The cave was eventually renamed Marvel Cave after prospectors discovered there was no marble.

Silver Dollar City President Brad Thomas says the new attraction combines authentic Missouri mining history with a family coaster experience. The project also includes a partnership with the Doe Run Mining Company.

One of the most noticeable features of the attraction will be a 15-story headframe from a working Missouri mine that will stand over the ride.

The coaster will feature more than a half-mile of track, making Miner’s Mountain Express the longest family coaster in the Midwest, according to Silver Dollar City.

The project also includes a partnership with the Doe Run Mining Company.

Chris Hogan, Geology Superintendent with Doe Run Mining Company, explains how the partnership with Silver Dollar City came together.

Thomas says the park appreciates the opportunity to work with Doe Run and incorporate authentic mining equipment into the attraction.

Hogan explains why the particular headframe was selected for Miner’s Mountain Express.

Silver Dollar City says Miner’s Mountain Express is designed to go beyond the numbers associated with a traditional coaster. The attraction will feature weathered mining structures, rugged rockwork, authentic equipment and other details inspired by the Ozarks and the region's mining history. The ride will follow the natural contours of the Ozark Mountains above Marvel Cave.

Marvel Cave is a United States Registered Natural Landmark that was explored by the Osage centuries ago. The cave later became the inspiration for the creation of Silver Dollar City.

"For Miner’s Mountain Express, we asked ourselves how families could step into the park’s own origin story, which literally began with a hole in the ground called Marvel Cave," said Erica Rutledge, senior creative director at Herschend Creative Studios.

The ride will also incorporate a fictional character into its story legendary mining foreman Jedidiah "Jed" Campbell.

According to the attraction's storyline, Campbell's belief that "Where there’s a will, there’s a way" inspires families to continue searching for the lost entrance to Marvel Cave.

Silver Dollar City says the story emphasizes perseverance and determination rather than luck.

Miner’s Mountain Express is a custom collaboration between Silver Dollar City and MACK Rides of Waldkirch, Germany, the family-owned manufacturer that also worked on the park's award-winning Time Traveler coaster.

Much of the construction, immersive theming and storytelling is being handled by Silver Dollar City's own Maintenance & Construction team, designers and craftsmen, working alongside Herschend Creative Studios.

Miner’s Mountain Express is part of a $150 million investment in Silver Dollar City’s next chapter.

The investment also includes the new Silver Dollar City Resort, which is scheduled to open in 2027.

The park says the two projects are designed to expand Silver Dollar City into a larger multi-day destination while continuing to highlight the Ozarks heritage that has been part of the park's identity for more than six decades.

Miner’s Mountain Express is scheduled to open in Spring 2027.