Fire In The Hole at Silver Dollar City opened in 1972, I think even the biggest fans of this ride will admit that it is a strange one. Designed and manufactured in-house by Silver Dollar City. Love it or hate it, one thing is sure. It is a unique experience.
Fire in the Hole is a Roller Coaster or a Dark Ride?
It certainly feels like a dark ride early on. You go from scene to scene with animatronics. Yet it is a roller coaster train you are sitting in. The first time we rode this I was thinking “This isn’t a Roller Coaster, it’s a dark ride.” Well, that thought lasted till we got to its first of three drops. If you are sitting in the back the drops are violent. The kind of violence that would only happen in a ride being built by Silver Dollar City in 1972 as their first roller coaster. So is Fire in the Hole is a Roller Coaster or a Dark Ride? Yes.
Fire in the Hole Experience
Once you leave the station you enter what is mostly just the dark ride experience. The story goes that a town in the Ozarks called Marmaros is being burned down by a bunch of no-goods called the Baldknobbers. You are the fire department going around the town and helping out. The ride is mostly a smooth experience with the exception of the three hills throughout which as absolutely nuts. If you want a mild ride then sit in the front. If you like the idea of almost dying then sit in the back. I only sit in the back.
A Cult Hit?
Say what you want about Fire in the Hole but it is certainly unique. For this reason, it has gained a cult following. The animatronics are not great. But they are charming at the same time. It feels like a family ride then tries to kill you. This weird nature makes this one that you keep having to revisit convinced you had a fever dream and made it all up. This is one of my favorite rides to be there when someone experiences it for the first time.
Final Verdict
Movies that are cult favorites are impervious to reviews. Probably the same thing applies here. I did like this ride but it isn’t something I loved. More I loved the strangeness more than the ride itself. Silver Dollar City has come a long way since this opened as their first roller coaster. Silver Dollar City has a great collection of coasters. However, Fire in the Hole is my least favorite of them. If you go to the park you need to experience this. On a scale of one to ten, I give this cult classic a five and a half out of ten.
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