Silver Dollar City is super fun! I highly recommend a trip every now and then! There is certainly something for everyone! We absolutely love them and love to travel!

Silver Dollar City

Thinking of going to Silver Dollar City? It’s definitely time to go! Such a beautiful time of year in the mountains and there is something for everyone to love at their awesome park! We’ve got some hacks, tips & trips to make your Silver Dollar City experience amazing!

We recently had the privilege of going to the annual National Crafts and Cowboy Festival at Silver Dollar City. I cannot possibly tell you how much I enjoyed it, but I’m going to do my best! We had the most amazing time! I’m fairly certain they quite literally have something that would interest anyone. The staff at the park are incredibly good at their jobs and super fun to talk to.

What a Sight!

Upon entering the park, the first thing I noticed was the architecture of the buildings which are, of course, made to look like the old west. They have adorable fall displays everywhere and I was over the moon checking them all out and wishing I could re-create them at home for my decor! Absolutely gorgeous!

Talented Artisans

We spent pretty much the entire day watching the demonstrations and talking to the incredibly talented craftsmen, most of which were ‘regulars.’ They were so knowledgeable and could answer every question we had about their crafts. I was in awe of the various talents. I spoke to a white smith (no, not a black smith, I stated that correctly), glass blowers, a potter, sculptor, painter, sewers, basket weavers, authors, cooks, and so many other types of artisans! It was amazing!

Chief ZooKeeper spent quite a bit of time watching the Master Glass Blowers make their pieces. I loved their turkeys and snowmen, but Chief preferred the vases. They were all absolutely beautiful and we opted to have them ship a couple of pitchers made. They allowed him to choose the colors and made them right then! (They did say they couldn’t often do that on the spot, but they were caught up on their quota.) The pitchers turned out absolutely beautiful and it was awesome that we got to see them being made!

Another artisan we spent a lot of time with was the white smith. We watched him pour into molds and form different things. Then he came over and answered out 5 mile list of questions about how he became a white smith, what it meant to do it, his favorite place to have done it (turned out, his favorite place to have ever worked was right there!), and so many more questions! We had a great time talking to him and learned quite a bit!

Food, Food, Food!!!

If you aren’t into demonstrations, there is a ton of fabulous places to eat, shopping and plenty of awesome rides! There is even a train you can ride around the park! We were going to brave an 8 pound wrap but decided it was too much and got half, which I still couldn’t eat all of my half of the half!

They also had cast iron skillets that were huge and super impressive! Literally 5 feet wide, minimum! I know, a skillet would be measured in diameter, however most of us would have no idea how wide the diameter of a circle is. Don’t judge man. Move on. They told us how they season them and take care of them every day. We loved learning tricks of their trades!

Authentic Period Costumes

Also, I have to mention the costumes! While I’m sure they drive some of the employees crazy (especially women), the costumes are adorable! And I totally love that the women can wear boots with their dresses! If only that could be a modern world style!

If you aren’t able to make it this year, definitely plan to go next year! You won’t regret it!  Soon I’ll be going to check out the Old Time Christmas at Silver Dollar City. That one is a trip with my girlfriend and I seriously cannot wait!Be sure and check back as I’ll post about it as well!

Insider Tips I Learned From Experience & Other Park Regulars

AKA Silver Dollar City Hacks

1. Purchase and print your tickets before you go, skipping the line is an awesome perk!
2. For the most minimal crowd, plan your trip in the middle of the week.
3. Ditch the purse, trust me! Get a fanny pack (I have it on good authority they are back in! Shout out to Happy Soul for letting me in on that one! She’s my niece that gives me style tips!)
4. Take a refillable water bottle. You’ll want to stay hydrated, plus they have the cutest water filling stations ever!
5. Stay in Branson West, you’ll skip the traffic line entering the park and that is a huge plus!
6. Almost anything you purchase can be shipped home for you. We purchased some amazing blown glass and it arrived in perfect condition a week later at our door.
7. Fascinated with glass blowing? Springtime is the best time to go to get to see the glass blowers at their best as they can be more creative with what they design. In October, they were working on a ton of hand blown Snowmen.
8. They also did some turkeys that I went nuts over! Remember to budget extra, once you see them make them it’s almost impossible not to get one for your home!
9. Go early, you’ll want the extra time in the park!
10. Research what shows and attractions you can’t miss on their website then plan accordingly, otherwise you will get fascinated by something and miss some of the things that were important to you. Grab one of their papers on the way in, the app is not the best map. Hopefully they will improve it soon, but until then, it is good for knowing what is close by.

Know any pointers I missed? Let us know in the Comments section!