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[rubedugans]

I agree, it was a different place not solely dedicated to the next thrill ride each year, and hand made items were the norm...but rides and cheaper goods bring in money.

[qwed94]

well you dont need handmade goods for todays youngsters.  If you want to bring  out the "FUN" factor in kids. You must have rides. Rides, Rides, Rides.  As far as toys are concerned----kids today like games, not toys, GAMES.  I also really enjoy the history of SDC and especially SFSL.   I really didnt get to visit SDC much in my childhood (I do remember the diving bell pretty well), and a few other things. I do remember SFSL from first year to present. (Having lived so close to SFSL all my life. 15 min drive). I spent lots of time at SFSL. I understand how you all feel about the SDC of old.  I feel the same way about the SFSL of old. (At that time it was called Six Flags over Mid America). 

Im not trying to steal a SDC thread though.  I do remember some of the old days SDC and I miss what I remember.  I would like to see some of that back.  Good news is---When our children is the age we are now.  They will look back at how SDC (was today) and say "I wish SDC was now, like it was then". ----- JUNIOR you are right. "Time Marches On".

[Gilligan]

Well, qwed, I do remember the first year SF opened.  I was in high school, and a better time couldn't be had, so I understand how you feel about it.  It was the best date you could go on! What I remember most is the white, white concrete.  It was immaculate.  And, you could get a huge sandwich, pickle, chips, and drink at the sandwich shop for a couple of dollars.  We used to split the sandwiches to save money because they were so big (and yummy).  I remember sitting on the steps waiting for the concerts to start. Those were good times!!

[clancomyn]

About the closest thing I've found to the old SDC was Rawhide, an 1880s western town in Phoenix, Arizona. Granted, I haven't been to the "new" Rawhide -- the old one, on Bell Road in Scottsdale, was sold back in 2005 before the housing market bubble exploded in the Valley. The town was moved lock, stock and barrel to the Gila River Indian Reservation south of Phoenix on Interstate 10:

http://www.rawhide.com/

I first visited Rawhide in the early 1980s, and whenever I was in Phoenix (my second home growing up), multiple visits to Rawhide were always on the agenda. To be quite honest, I aways preferred it to SDC -- Rawhide today still has no "mega thrill rides", but the "classics": stagecoach rides, burro rides, etc. Rawhide has been around since the 1970s, and is still holding up well.

Old Tucson Studios is also another possibility:

http://oldtucson.com/

If you've seen any number of TV or movie westerns, you've seen Old Tucson:

http://oldtucson.com/films-producers-directors/film-history/


Regards,

Todd

[okiebluegrass]

Not to steal a thread, but with SDC still a week away from opening, I was thinking about taking my wife to see Persimmon Hollow Village in Broken Arrow. Anybody ever been there or know anything about it.http://www.persimmonhollowvillage.com/

[Okie Hillbilly]

Let us know how Persimmon Hollow is. I have seen their commercials, but we've never been. It could be a day trip for us.

[okiebluegrass]

Unfortunately, there will never be an SDC like it used to be political correctness and lawyers have taken it away from us 

[Preachin_Bill]

I'd like to point out that rides will get people there and interested.  There was a time when my life at SDC revolved around riding thunderation 4,323 times every day.  The city grew on me because we kept going and coming back and now they have a lifer in me who will bring all of his children to the park every year.  I imagine that will happen a lot because of new thrill rides.

Don't get me wrong, I hate seeing things go and that's only been for the last 20 years.  Some of you on here probably have thirty and forty years of memories and have seen things gone.  I'm just glad it is still so old-school and full of great themes.  They still use guns in skits, etc.  There's still religion.  There's still patriotism. Most parks in the country can't say that.

[okiebluegrass]

Bill - I remember the times before thunderation when you stood in line at Fire in the hole, the mine ride, and Jim Owen's float trip. Anybody know of any sort of craft village within a few hours of Branson that I might check out. I never did make it to Persimmon Hollow because I got so sick. I am wanting to check out the Ozark folk center. Phoenix is a little too far for me to drive from OKC. I wanted to check out the Orr family farm, but it was mostly destroyed in the May 20 (Moore) tornado

[Old Guy]

pardon me if I digress, but as I have mentioned in old posts here there are many ties between Silver Dollar City and rawhide Arizona. The stagecoach is from Silver Dollar City, the Entertainment Group that preformed all of the comedy Street shows was started by Silver Dollar City entertainers. yours truly designed and built the old rawhide blacksmith shop, Cemetery, and some of the performance areas in the old Park.we even purchased old costumes from Silver Dollar City's costume shop

[Junior, too!]

Keith Shull,, one of the Juniors at the diving bell in '79 and '80, was also a performer at Rawhide. He still lives in Arizona.

[okiebluegrass]

I thought that it some of that stuff looked familiar 

[Pudgy Jones]

Since Shad lived in Arizona for many years, is that the reason for the connection?

[Junior, too!]

Shad lived in Arizona as a very young man, way before SDC.

[clancomyn]

pardon me if I digress, but as I have mentioned in old posts here there are many ties between Silver Dollar City and rawhide Arizona. The stagecoach is from Silver Dollar City, the Entertainment Group that preformed all of the comedy Street shows was started by Silver Dollar City entertainers. yours truly designed and built the old rawhide blacksmith shop, Cemetery, and some of the performance areas in the old Park.we even purchased old costumes from Silver Dollar City's costume shop

Now that brought a smile to my face! Thank you for sharing that.