Silver Dollar City expansion signals growth in tourism for region

RELATED

Photo Gallery

Silver Dollar City officials have announced an expansion of the theme park and associated properties into Silver Dollar City Parks and Resorts – a move that state and local officials say could bolster tourism throughout the region.

A $500 million investment will start with the addition of a $100 million, seven-story hotel, plus planned additions to the theme park as officials look to develop 1,200 acres of land abutting the park to its west.

The announcement was made to media and park guests at an Oct. 17 on-site event.

Plans for the resort hotel call for 262 themed rooms, plus priority park access and ample amenities for guests, according to Silver Dollar City President Brad Thomas. The hotel also will include 17,000 square feet of meeting space.

Together, the changes that are planned will serve as a draw to the region, Thomas said.

“The half-billion dollars – $500 million – that we’re investing in the next 10 years will not only transform this place, this park, but hopefully have such an impact on our region and attract visitors right here in the Ozarks,” he said during an announcement to media and VIP guests.

The resort is slated to be completed by the end of 2026 – an aggressive construction schedule, Thomas said.

On the day of the big reveal, site prep could be observed. A team from Emery Sapp & Sons Inc. has been at work on the first phase of the project, lowering a mountain and clearing the land, according to an SDC official. The architect for the resort hotel is Atlanta-based Rabun Architects Inc., with general contractor D&S Builders LLC of Sevierville, Tennessee.

Upon its completion, the resort hotel will be the first of its type in the central U.S., drawing visitors from an area that has been defined as spanning from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Houston, Texas, and from Denver to Memphis, Tennessee, he said.

“If you look at our region, this is the very first theme park resort hotel that has been built in America’s heartland,” Thomas said during the announcement event.

Jonas Arjes, senior vice president of economic development for the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, characterized the expansion as a big deal for the region.

“Silver Dollar City’s ambitious expansion is a game-changer, not just for the park, but for the entire Southwest region of Missouri,” he said. “This investment signals a strong commitment to growth and job creation, promising to attract even more visitors to the area.”

In July alone, Arjes said, over 20% of SDC visitors also frequented popular Springfield destinations, including Bass Pro Shops, Buc-ee’s and Battlefield Mall.

“This demonstrates the ripple effect thta SDC has on the local economy, driving tourism and supporting businesses across the region,” he said. “We are confident that this expansion will enhance that impact.”

Mark Hecquet, president and CEO of the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc., said Silver Dollar City is a frequent point of interest for visitors to the Queen City.

“It’s clear that SDC’s growth contributes positively to our local economy,” he said. “Increased visitor numbers often led to higher hotel occupancy rates, more restaurant patronage and increased sales for local businesses. This positive ripple effect is essential for our community’s ongoing growth.”

Hecquet predicted the expansion will attract national and international visitors to the park, and Springfield and the region will be seen as more appealing for family vacations and weekend getaways.

Economic impact
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson was present at the theme park for the announcement, and afterward, he touted the benefits the development would have for the Show Me State.

“When you think of the economic impact this is going to have for our state, it’s just going to be second to none,” he said. “Nowhere in the middle of the United States is there a resort like this going to be built for anybody to have a destination to.”

Parson praised the Herschend family, founders of Herschend Enterprises, the parent company of Silver Dollar City, both for their vision in establishing the park 65 years ago and for their foresight in taking it to the next level with the resort announcement.

“Keep in mind this is a family-oriented, family business, when you talk about making a half-billion-dollar investment and what that’s going to do for tourism in general for our state, but what it’s going to do for Missouri to showcase all over the United States – and not only the United States, but all over the world,” Parson said.

Andrew Wexler, CEO of Herschend Enterprises, said the development would be funded entirely by the company over the decade of development.

After the resort hotel is established, he said, further plans will be unveiled in stages.

Wexler placed the cost of the hotel project at $100 million, and the rest of the planned investment will be in other areas, including improvements to the theme park.

Asked for a preview of what may be coming, Wexler declined to give specifics, but said, “We’re going to continue to create authentic experiences for families.”

He said this is an exciting time for the company.

“The Herschend family came here 70 years ago – 1950 – on a vacation, and they fell in love with this region,” he said. “What they have done is now made a contract or a covenant with this region to continue to create opportunities for families to come here and vacation and find that special place. This is just an extension of that covenant.”

Wexler said the theme park is drawing more people to Branson.

“As the draw radius expands, areas all around that region start to create opportunity,” Wexler said.

The opportunities will extend beyond southwest Missouri, he said, and will easily incorporate northwest Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma.

The city of Branson updates tourism tax revenue each month, and in 2023, the industry brought in $18.3 million in tax revenue, up 3.8% from the previous year.

The amusements category generated $3.8 million of this revenue, matching revenue from theaters and behind hotels and motels at $6.2 million.

Visitor growth anticipated
Wexler declined to share the company’s research on anticipated tourism numbers. However, in a news release from Silver Dollar City, Parson predicted a boom.

“We are excited to see this project bring thousands of new jobs and millions of new visitors to our great state,” he said in the release. 

In June 2023 reporting in Springfield Business Journal, Thomas estimated 2.1 million visitors to Silver Dollar City in the 2023-24 season, up from 2 million the previous year. When queried by email for this story, SDC officials did not provide a head count, saying they don’t have concrete numbers for the current season, but noting that they get more than 2 million visitors annually.

The park reported record attendance of 2.2 million in 2018.

Thomas said the park anticipates growth with the expansion.

“As we look at that investment and what we will be able to generate, we believe that this park will be able to do a whole lot more in attendance in the coming years,” he said. “As we continue to grow that number, we’ll continue to invest and continue to build, even beyond the 10 years.”

He added that the resort is going to be special in part because of how it showcases the beauty of the Ozarks.

“You can look out on the lake and you can look out on the hillsides – this resort has incredible views,” he said. “You put that with Silver Dollar City, you put that with our Showboat [Branson Belle], you put that with our water park – you place that with all the things there are to do throughout Branson. That’s the reason folks are going to visit, and that’s what gets us really excited.”

The new development abuts the park to the west, and the entrance to the hotel site is directly across from the Branson West water tower off State Highway 76. The top of a hill has already been leveled to make way for the new resort, and a window frame was set up to allow media and VIP guests to experience the view of Table Rock Lake below. 

Kirk Elmquist, executive director of the Branson/Lakes Area Tourism Community Enhancement District, was one of those present for the tour, with visitors conveyed to the site via extended-cab Jeep Wranglers operated by Pink Adventure Tours, another Herschend Enterprises product.

Elmquist was impressed.

“I think when you look at an organization like that and how they do things, it’s just phenomenal with the resilience of that organization and the constant and never-ending improvement,” he said. “It’s just inspiring to the tourism industry in our region.”

He said Silver Dollar City is one of the biggest drivers for the region’s tourism market.

“They definitely create a large opportunity for the rest of the tourism industry,” he said.

Elmquist said the Branson area offers a variety of attractions, from lakes-area natural amenities to live music to shopping and attractions.

“This is going to impact all the demographics, from young children through Grandma and Grandpa,” he said.