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Silver Dollar City Announces Largest Single Branson Project To Date

New Theme Park "Celebration CityÔ" to Highlight 20th Century America

(Branson, Mo. 7/24/02) The Silver Dollar City Corporation (SDC) is announcing Celebration CityÔ , a new forty million-dollar, multi-faceted theme park for Branson, Missouri. The park will highlight some of the most colorful and entertaining eras of 20^th Century America and is scheduled to open in late Spring 2003 on a 112-acre parcel just off Highway 76, formerly the site of Branson USA.

"Celebration CityÔ will be unlike any other theme park anywhere – giving Branson something all-new for 2003," said Mel Bilbo, CEO and President of the Silver Dollar City Corporation. Bilbo, who leads the corporate vision to become America’s Favorite Storytellers, says they aren’t ready to reveal all the design plans for the property, but will confirm that Celebration CityÔ will carry on the Silver Dollar City tradition of theming on a grand scale while bringing the past to life.

The park will highlight some of the most colorful and entertaining eras of 20th Century America and its features will include a soaring wooden roller coaster 10 stories high and a spectacular evening laser production show. Celebration City is scheduled to open in late Spring 2003.

Our lives were forever changed by the new frontiers of 20^th Century civilization and technology," said Bilbo, referencing impactful and life-changing time periods that included the onset of electricity, the development of the automobile, and later, the creation of spectacular high technology. "The premise is to celebrate America every day by presenting multiple layers of themed entertainment to include more than two dozen rides, games, restaurants and shows, then culminating at night with a tremendous outdoor laser production show."

Matching the excitement of the nighttime skies being beamed to full color will be another Celebration CityÔ icon and a great American tradition: a massive wooden roller coaster soaring 10 stories tall. Wooden coasters enjoyed monumental popularity throughout much of the 20^th Century. "Coaster aficionados will tell you there is nothing that compares to the clickety-clack of the wooden track and the thrill of the ride," said Bilbo.

One of Silver Dollar City’s objectives with this development is to help ‘grow’ Branson’s tourism industry. "This new venture, focusing on families with kids, will help to define the next phase of tourism for the Branson area," said Bob Montgomery, who has been selected to run the new park. Montgomery brings extensive expertise in theme park development having worked on numerous Lego attractions around the world. "The Silver Dollar City Corporation has great confidence in this area’s future," says the recently-relocated Ontario native, adding that Silver Dollar City shares a leadership role with the community to concentrate new products and marketing energies toward families.

With thousands of internet, on-site and phone surveys conducted during concept development, Silver Dollar City’s co-founder, Peter Herschend, supports the fact that the company actively sought input from guests and potential guests before making any definite plans for the property. "True to the legacy of our mother, Mary Herschend, who started her ‘tourist commentary’ five decades ago, our research proves people are seeking convenience, variety and value in vacation planning, and quality entertainment in a family atmosphere." Pete shares his co-founder role with his brother, Jack, whose love for the environment is evident with Jack overseeing the planting of more than 1,000 trees at the site, promising the natural beauty that has become a hallmark at all SDC property locations in Missouri, Tennessee and Georgia.