I remember when Silver Dollar City was just a hole in the ground. Actually, that hole in the ground, Marvel Cave, is the reason why Silver Dollar City exists.
A Little History
The cave was first viewed as a tourist attraction in 1894. William Henry Lynch and his two daughters, Miriam and Genevieve, opened the cave as a tourist site. In 1950, Hugo and Mary Herschend, and their sons Jack and Peter, leased the cave. By 1960, the Herschends opened an 1880s Ozark Mountain Village, a Silver Dollar City theme park.
The Herschends wanted to give folks something to do while they were waiting for friends who were taking the cave tour. Silver Dollar City grew up around Marvel Cave, which is still at the park entrance.
Tour Marvel Cave like the first explores, by lantern light.
The Cave Today
The cost of the Marvel Cave tour is included with your admission ticket to Silver Dollar City. Shows, rides and cave tours (except Lantern Light Tours) are free with your park admission. Tours start about every 30 minutes and last about an hour.
Marvel Cave is a wet, living limestone cave. Many of the formations are still alive and growing. The cave has the largest entrance room and is one of the deepest caves in the country. I suggest you take this tour.
Lantern Light Tours
Trained cave guides lead the tour, sharing historical stories and anecdotes. Dressed in period costumes, guides will delight you with little known nostalgia and geological highlights in the 90-minute tour.
Lantern Light Tours are $9.33 + tax for adults and $4.65 + tax for children ages 8-11 children under 8 are not permitted on Lantern Light Tours. Tour size is limited.
TRIP TIP: Make your reservations early, when you first enter the park, at the Cave Information Desk located in the Hospitality House. After a hot summer day at Silver Dollar City, this naturally cool cave tour is the perfect finale to a great day.
Much of the tour is a walking tour. Check the web site or call if you have health concerns. See areas of the cave last toured in the late 1950s. Highlights of the re-opened trail include the bat wall and the only known “Spanish ladder” left in the cave. (circa 1541)
Don’t pass up the Welcome Center . The free Branson map has lots of coupons and discounts. Described as the “Live Music Show Capital of America”, Branson features a wealth of offerings that appeal to groups, which includes more than 100 live shows per day and a variety of impressive attractions. Get all the up-to-date information at the Welcome Center.
See More
- Where to stay – Chateau On The Lake A Heat Retreat – Take a Break from Summer
- Striped Pot stories by Patsy Bell Hobson.
- It’s Back! Silver Dollar City’s Moonlight Madness
- Summer in the City, Silver Dollar City
- All New Showboat Branson Belle
