Missouri theme park earns shout-outs for food, rides & more. See how it ranked
A landmark destination in Branson has received a lot of honors for being one of the most entertaining sites in the United States, from its food options to daily guest experiences.
Theme park Silver Dollar City is consistently rated as one of the top amusement parks in the country by USA Today, and 2025’s rankings are no different. The park that combines historical reenactments and live performances with modern-day attractions like roller coasters and water rides finds itself in many USA Today top 10 rankings.
Theme parks are nominated for different awards, like best roller coaster and best restaurant, by a panel of 10 experts, mostly travel writers and content creators who specialize in theme parks and roller coasters. The 20 finalists were then chosen by USA Today’s 10Best editors and put up for a public vote.
Here are the awards Silver Dollar City, three hours southeast of Kansas City, received from the panelists and readers.
Best theme park restaurant
USA Today honored the theme parks with more than just pizza and cotton candy available at concession stands with its top 10 list of the best theme park restaurants.
“The nation’s top parks are catering more and more to sophisticated palates with restaurants boasting high-quality food in unique environments,” USA Today said.
Silver Dollar City comes in at No. 2 on the list, as the Rivertown Smokehouse at Silver Dollar City makes its debut on the rankings. The establishment sits on the edge of Silver Dollar City, right next to the waterfront and features “lip-smacking” barbecue options.
“Whether you opt for the triple pork sandwich, burnt end salad, or a full rack of baby back ribs, you’re sure to get your fill here,” USA Today said. “Don’t forget to try some of their amazing sides as well, including a smoked creamy double mac & cheese, molasses baked beans, and confetti corn salad.”
The No. 1 restaurant was The Alamo at Knoebels theme park in Elysburg, Pennsylvania.
Best roller coaster
Thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies gave credit to the rides that satisfied their needs on USA Today’s top 10 list of the best roller coasters. A popular ride at Silver Dollar City found itself on the bottom half of the list in 2025.
Time Traveler, the world’s fastest, steepest and tallest roller coaster, was named the sixth-best ride in the country by USA Today readers and panelists. The theme takes riders “back in time on a track that conforms to the terrain of the Ozark Mountains.”
The ride reaches speeds up to 50 mph and features a 95-foot-tall vertical loop that winds like a clock.
It was the runner-up for the best roller coaster in 2023 and missed the top 10 in 2024. The top roller coaster for 2025 was Phantom’s Revenge at Kennywood theme park in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania.
Best theme park
USA Today readers also voted on the top 10 best theme parks in the country, and No. 1 should come as no surprise. Readers took everything a theme park has to offer into account and once again named Silver Dollar City as the best.
“Silver Dollar City, with its 1880s mining town theme, attracts some 2 million visitors annually with its combination of entertainment, festivals, 100 resident craftsmen, and more than 40 rides and attractions,” USA Today said. “The park is also home to Time Traveler, the world’s fastest, steepest, and tallest spinning coaster.”
It’s a three-peat for Silver Dollar City, as it was named the best theme park in the U.S. in 2023 and 2024. It was also the top theme park in 2020, the second-best in 2021 and 2022 and the fourth-best in 2018 and 2019.
Knoebels, SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida, Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida and Kennywood round out the top five.
This story was originally published May 14, 2025 at 1:52 PM.
