Silver Dollar City begins development of 1,200 acres of land on the west side of the park into Silver Dollar City Parks and Resorts.

The centerpiece of the planned $500 million development is a seven-story resort hotel with 260 themed rooms as well as priority park access and numerous amenities, according to Brad Thomas, president of Silver Dollar City. The hotel will have 17,000 square feet of meeting space.

The investment will also include new expansions to the theme park to make it a draw for the region, Thomas said.

“The half a billion dollars – $500 million – that we are investing over the next decade will not only transform this place, this park, but will hopefully have a major impact on our region and attract visitors right here in the Ozarks “Thomas said.

The resort is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026.

Thomas said the resort hotel will be the first of its kind in the central United States

The announcement was made to the media in the park today, followed by the first tours of the construction area.

Also present at the announcement were Missouri Governor Mike Parson, as well as Silver Dollar City founders Jack and Peter Herschend and Andrew Wexler, CEO of Silver Dollar City parent company Herschend Family Entertainment.

“This investment underscores Silver Dollar City’s commitment to tourism and economic growth in the Ozarks and the state of Missouri,” Parson said in a news release. “We are excited that this project will bring thousands of new jobs and millions of new visitors to our great state.”

Locals had gotten wind of the development before the big reveal, and a resident whose property borders the site told the Springfield Business Journal before the announcement that earthmovers had been moving dirt for several weeks.

Thomas confirmed that construction is actually already underway.

“It’s a challenging construction schedule, but we’re excited about it,” he said.

Officials hinted at the announcement in August 2023, when media guests learned about the second generation of the park's historic Fire in the Hole indoor roller coaster, a $30 million project that had already been planned and built for two years Time of announcement.

Thomas said at the time that the park had recently purchased more land and had 1,200 attached acres available for future development to be announced later.

This is a developing story. For more information, visit SBJ.net.