There are lots of fun, charming, and exhilarating theme parks out there for enthusiasts and entertainment lovers alike. These parks span from coast to coast, offering rides, theming and some viral food options for families living all over America. Only one of those theme parks can win the title of America’s Best Theme Park, however, and this year it went to one very special park in my neck of the woods.
Silver Dollar City Wins America’s Best (Again)
That’s right, the adorably named Silver Dollar City theme park located in Branson, Missouri has won a poll and landed the title America’s Best Theme Park once again. If you are someone who keeps tabs on this sort of thing, you should know this isn’t the first or second time this has happened. In fact, it’s the fifth year in a row Silver Dollar City has earned the title from the yearly popular USA Today poll. (Not to be confused with other polls on the subject.)
It’s no surprise really. Silver Dollar City sees a lot of foot traffic every season. The parks are extremely clean, and sport a confident mix of high-octane roller coasters and fun, family friendly rides like the recently redone Fire in the Hole. The famous cinnamon bread there is also divine and a reason to visit by itself.
For anyone in Missouri or the surrounding states, the Ozarks are beautiful and Branson in general has a lot of family-friendly attractions. Though, for me, Silver Dollar City would be the reason to go. It’s clean, fun, perfectly themed and refreshing, and it’s no surprise at all it’s landed tops 5 years in a row now.
What Did Silver Dollar City Need To Beat To Land The Title? (Plus, One Surprise)
There are some heavy hitters on this list. Rollercoaster beast Cedar Point landed on the Top 10, as did the holiday-themed Holiday World located in the charmingly named Santa Claus, Indiana. A whopping three Pennsylvania theme parks made it this year, and one, Knoebels Amusement Park, still has free park entrance and a ticketed system, much like the original ABC-funded Disneyland. Here’s the Top 10 for the year:
- Silver Dollar City
- Knoebels
- LostIsland Theme Park
- Kennywood
- SeaWorld Orlando
- Kings Island
- Busch Gardens Williamsburg
- Holiday World
- Cedar Point
- Hersheypark
You’ll note the heaviest hitters, including Universal Orlando, didn’t make the list this past year. This is honestly the biggest surprise to me, as Epic Universe just opened almost one year ago at Universal Orlando and has been to me the crowning achievement in theme parks over the last several months. In previous years some bigger parks including LEGOLAND California, and even the Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World have made the list, so this was a surprising exclusion this year, particularly given SeaWorld in Orlando made it.
All in all, though, if you are planning a road trip, this makes for a good list.
