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Herschend Family Entertainment company history timeline

1951

In 1951 Hugo obtained a 99-year lease on a Branson, Missouri area attraction called Marvel Cave.

1958

A cable train was installed in 1958 to ferry guests out of the depths of the cave upon the end of the tour.

1959

Word of mouth helped increase the cave's popularity, and in 1959, 65,000 people visited Marvel Cave.

1960

The Herschends welcomed 125,000 visitors to Silver Dollar City and the cave in 1960.

1963

In 1963 the Herschends added to the artistic allure of Silver Dollar City by planning and hosting the first craft festival there.

1966

In 1966, 450,000 people visited Silver Dollar City, resulting in revenue of $3 million.

1972

According to HFE's business history, Mary received the Missouri Tourism Award presented at the first Annual Governor's conference on Tourism in 1972.

1976

The Herschends' company undertook its first expansion out of state in 1976, acquiring Gold Rush Junction Park, a run-down theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

1980

The company opened White Water water park in Branson in 1980.

1986

In 1986, Jack and Peter Herschend entered into their first corporate partnership when they initiated a working relationship with country music star Dolly Parton.

1995

Adding variety to the mix of tourist attractions and choices in Branson, the Herschends had a 750-seat paddlewheel boat built in 1995, which it launched on nearby Table Rock Lake and christened the Showboat Branson Belle.

Silver Dollar City attendance reached 1.7 million people in 1995.

1997

Payton, Crystal, "The Story of Branson's Silver Dollar City," Spring-field, Mo.: A Lens & Pen Production, 1997.

2000

In 2000 Silver Dollar City gained worldwide recognition when it earned the annual Applause Award.

2001

Company expansion continued in 2001.

2003

In 2003, the Herschends officially changed the company name to the Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation (HFE) because this name more accurately reflected the company's diverse holdings, which at the time numbered 19 properties in six states.

2004

After a successful three-year partnership with Ride the Ducks International, HFE purchased the company in 2004.

2005

"Herschend Family Entertainment Enters 2005 Season with Expansion Plans," http://www.thrillride.com , April 12, 2005.

2010

In 2010, Herschend Family Entertainment was featured on the reality TV series Undercover Boss.

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Founded
1950
Company founded
Headquarters
Norcross, GA
Company headquarter
Founders
Jack Herschend,Pete Herschend,Hugo Herschend,Mary Herschend
Company founders
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Cedar Fair1983$1.8B2,200152
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Herschend Family Entertainment history FAQs

Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Herschend Family Entertainment, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Herschend Family Entertainment. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Herschend Family Entertainment. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Herschend Family Entertainment. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Herschend Family Entertainment and its employees or that of Zippia.

Herschend Family Entertainment may also be known as or be related to Herschend Enterprises (1950–1982) Silver Dollar City, Inc. (1983–2003), Herschend Family Entertainment, Herschend Family Entertainment Corp. and Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation.