This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(October 2021) |
Herschend Family Entertainment(HFE) is a privately owned themed-entertainment company that operates severaltheme parksandtourist attractionswithin the United States, and as of 2021, one aquarium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
 | |
| Formerly | Herschend Enterprises (1950–1982) Silver Dollar City, Inc. (1983–2003) |
|---|---|
| Company type | Private |
| Industry | Amusement parks |
| Founded | 1950 |
| Founder | Hugo Herschend, Mary Herschend |
| Headquarters | |
Area served | United StatesandCanada |
| Website | www |
Founded by Jack and Pete Herschend ofBranson, Missouri,in its early years HFE was simply known asHerschend Enterprises.In the 1980s the name was changed toSilver Dollar City Inc.,and in 2003, the company gained the current name. HFE is currently headquartered inPeachtree Corners, Georgia.The company says its mission is to "Create Memories Worth Repeating” in a manner “consistent with Christian values and ethics.”[1]
History
editHFE traces roots back to Hugo and Mary Herschend fromChicago, Illinoisalong with sons Jack and Pete. The family vacationed in Missouri'sOzark Mountainsregion and fell in love with the nature the area offered. In 1951 Hugo obtained a99-year leaseon aBranson, Missouriarea attraction calledMarvel Cave.Hugo suffered a heart attack and later died in 1955, however Mary along with her two sons continued to improve the cave attraction by installing electric lighting and building concrete walkways. A cable train was installed in 1958 to ferry guests out of the depths of the cave upon the end of the tour. The attendance nearly doubled and a small frontier town was erected to entertain visitors as they waited for their cave tour. In order to increase attendance, a gimmick was used by naming the village "Silver Dollar City"and distributingsilver dollarsas change to every visitor in hope that when they would spend the rare coins they would tell people where they had got them from. The idea was a success, and the Herschend family soon found themselves involved in the theme park business.
In 1969, Silver Dollar City drew national attention when producerPaul Henningbrought the cast and crew of the popularBeverly Hillbilliestelevision show to the park to film five episodes.[citation needed]
In 2010, Herschend Family Entertainment was featured on the reality TV seriesUndercover Boss.
The company also co-owns and co-operates with partnersDolly Partonand her company The Dollywood Company, the dinner and theatre company Pirates Voyage Dinner and Show inMyrtle Beach, South Carolina,[2][3][4]and Dolly Parton's Stampede (formerly Dixie Stampede).[5][6][7]
In April 2021, Hershend announced its purchase of theVancouver Aquariumfollowing the latter's severe economic losses during theCOVID-19 pandemic.[8]
Current properties
editAmusement parks
edit
Fully or jointly owned by Herschend Family EntertainmentOwned/operated
edit| Name | Location | Year Opened | Year Acquired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dollywood | Pigeon Forge,Tennessee | 1961 | 1976 | Sold stake toDolly Partonin 1986 |
| Kentucky Kingdom | Louisville,Kentucky | 1987 | 2021 | Owned by the Kentucky State Fair Board but operated by HFE |
| Silver Dollar City | Branson,Missouri | 1960 | ||
| Wild Adventures | Valdosta,Georgia | 1996 | 2007 | Purchased for $34.5 million ($50.7 million in 2023 dollars[9]) |
Water parks
edit| Name | Location | Year Opened | Year Acquired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dollywood's Splash Country | Pigeon Forge,Tennessee | 2001 | ||
| Hurricane Bay | Louisville,Kentucky | 1992 | 2021 | Included with admission to Kentucky Kingdom |
| Splash Island | Valdosta,Georgia | 2003 | 2007 | Included with admission to Wild Adventures |
| White Water Branson | Branson,Missouri | 1980 |
Aquariums
edit| Name | Location | Year Opened | Year Acquired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adventure Aquarium | Camden,New Jersey | 1992 | 2007 | |
| Newport Aquarium | Newport,Kentucky | 1999 | 2007 | |
| Vancouver Aquarium | Vancouver,British Columbia | 1956 | 2021 | [10] |
Attractions
edit| Name | Location | Year Opened | Year Acquired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Talking Rocks Cavern | Stone County,Missouri | 1969 | ||
| Callaway Gardens[11] | Pine Mountain, Georgia[11] | 1952 | 2022[11] | Leased from Ida Cason Callaway Foundation |
Dinner shows
edit| Name | Location | Year Opened | Year Acquired | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dolly Parton's Stampede | Pigeon Forge&Branson | 1988 & 1995 | Chain ofdinner theaters,Formerly inMyrtle Beach&Orlando | ||
| Pirates Voyage | Myrtle Beach&Pigeon Forge | 1992 & 2019 | Dinner Theatre first opened as a Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede but converted to Pirates Voyage in 2011. Pigeon Forge location opened in 2019. | ||
| Hatfield and McCoys | Pigeon Forge | 2010 | Dinner theatre | ||
| Showboat Branson Belle | Table Rock LakeinBranson,Missouri | 1995 | A dinner, show and cruise originally known asKenny RogersShowboat Branson Belle. |
Lodging
edit| Name | Location | Year Opened | Year Acquired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dollywood Cabins | Pigeon Forge | 2010 | Cabin style lodging in theGreat Smoky Mountains | |
| Dollywood's DreamMore Resort | Pigeon Forge | 2015 | Full Serviceresortandspa | |
| Dollywood's Heartsong Lodge and Resort | Pigeon Forge | 2023 | Full Serviceresortandconvention center | |
| Silver Dollar City campground | Branson | Log cabins and campground | ||
| The Lodge & Spa at Callaway Gardens | Pine Mountain[11] | 2006 | 2022[11] | Full Service resort and spa, conference & golf |
Sports Entertainment Franchise
edit| Name | Location | Year Opened | Year Acquired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harlem Globetrotters International Inc. | Atlanta, GA | 1926 | 2013 | Exhibition basketball team |
The Dollywood Company
editThe Herschends extended their brand in 1976 upon purchasing a small tourist attraction inPigeon Forge, Tennessee,called Goldrush Junction. The following year the attraction was renamed Silver Dollar City Tennessee as part of a development plan to transform the property into a theme park patterned after the original Silver Dollar City in Branson. For the Pigeon Forge park, theOzark Mountainstheme of the original Silver Dollar City was slightly reworked to represent theGreat Smoky MountainsandAppalachia cultureinstead, fitting the location in the foothills of the Smokies.
In 1986, singer and actressDolly Parton,who grew up near Pigeon Forge, became a co-owner, and the park's name was changed toDollywood,reflecting her involvement. At this point, the Pigeon Forge park was branched off into a separate division of HFE called The Dollywood Company, which oversees all the properties that Dolly Parton has interest in.[12]
Along with the Herschend family, Dolly Parton co-owns the Dolly Parton's Stampede (formerlyDixie Stampede[7]) dinner attraction chain, which has locations in Pigeon Forge (opened 1988),Myrtle Beach(1992), and Branson (1995). A location inOrlandoopened in 2003 and closed in early 2008.
In 2001 a new water park was opened adjacent to the Dollywood theme park calledDollywood's Splash Country.
Callaway Gardens
editFormer Herschend employee William R. "Bill" Doyle, III was hired as the President & CEO of Callaway Gardens in June, 2015.[13]
Doyle resigned effective July 8, 2019 after four years on the job to return to Herschend. He continued as a trustee of the Ida Cason Callaway Foundation and assisted in the search for a new president.[14]
Herschend began managingCallaway Gardensin 2020. Two years later, they purchased most of the assets, includingThe Lodge & Spa,Golf:Lake View Course & Mountain View Courseand conference center. Herschend will lease and manage the Ida Cason Callaway Foundation'sVirginia Hand Callaway Discovery Center,Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center,Ida Cason Memorial Chapeland the gardens. Callaway had about 500 employees.[11]
Past properties
editHFE built several water parks in the 1980s which have since sold to other companies such asWet 'n Wild,andWhite Water Bay.White Water Branson, built in 1980, was the forerunner and is still owned by HFE; while the White Water parks inOklahoma City(1981),Grand Prairie, Texas(1982),Garland, Texas(1982) andAtlanta(1983) have been sold.
The 4,000 seat Grand Palace Theatre opened in 1992 by the Herschends. The theatre was co-owned by singerKenny Rogers.Along with Rogers headliners wereGlen Campbell,Louise MandrellandBarbara Mandrell.In 1994 HFE entered into a ten-year contract with Radio City Entertainment. The Grand Palace Theatre would be the first to host theRadio City Christmas Spectacularstarring the world famousRockettesoutside ofNew York City’sRadio City Music Hall.The shows were successful and led to Radio City Entertainment launching tours of their shows in other cities throughout the United States.
HFE built the $10 million Grand Village Shops withKenny Rogersadjacent to The Grand Palace Theatre in 1993. Ozark wares and Englishbone chinafilled the twenty sixNew Orleansthemed shops. HFE later bought out entertainer Kenny Rogers and sold The Grand Palace in 1996 and The Grand Village in 2005.
American Adventures, a children's theme park opened alongsideWhite Water Atlanta.The park was sold toSix Flagsin 1999.
In 1994, The Dollywood Company constructed a large music theatre in Pigeon Forge called Music Mansion. Headlined by James Rogers,[15]the highly successful theatre was operated by HFE until 2001, when it was sold toAnita Bryant.In 2005 the theatre was sold again and converted to a WonderWorks location. A Music Mansion Theatre was planned for Myrtle Beach, but never materialized.
In 2003 the Dollywood Company opened a new Dixie Stampede location inOrlando, FloridaalongInterstate 4.The location operated until early 2008, when the property was sold toSimon Property Groupfor an undisclosed amount. The building was torn down, and an extension of the Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets was built on the land. HFE has plans to build another Dixie Stampede in the region at some point, though specific plans have not been disclosed.[16]
In 2004 HFE purchased theHawaiian Fallswater parks located inDallas,GarlandandThe Colony, Texas.In 2006 all three parks were sold.
In 2004 HFE purchasedRide the Ducks.In 2017, HFE sold Ride the Ducks toRipley Entertainmentand shut the operations down in 2018 after thedeadly sinking in Branson.
Due to unreliable peak season water access, Ride The Ducks inMemphisclosed in 2007. 2 years later, Ride The Ducks inBaltimoreshut down due to safety concerns.[citation needed]
Celebration Cityin Branson closed on October 25, 2008.
Herschend also briefly operatedSix Flags Darien Lakefrom 2012 to 2014, installing the famousMoose on the LoosePony Tack ride.
References
edit- ^"Our Commitment".Herschend Family Entertainment.RetrievedJanuary 20,2022.
- ^Zay, Libby (June 6, 2011)."Dolly Parton's 'Pirates Voyage' replaces 'Dixie Stampede' in Myrtle Beach".Gadling.RetrievedJuly 24,2017.
- ^Moore, Cassidy (September 23, 2010)."Curtain to close on Myrtle Beach's Dixie Stampede".MyrtleBeach.RetrievedJuly 24,2017.
- ^Palisin, Steve (December 20, 2013)."Pirates Voyage all settled in former Dixie Stampede location, enjoying holiday shows".Myrtle Beach Sun News.RetrievedJuly 24,2017.
- ^Boyd, Christopher (January 8, 2008)."Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede dinner theater in Orlando sold, closed".Orlando Sentinel.Archived fromthe originalon March 11, 2010.RetrievedJuly 19,2021.
- ^Blake, Scott (January 8, 2008)."Orlando's Dixie Stampede shuts down".Florida Today.Archived fromthe originalon January 19, 2008.RetrievedJuly 19,2021.
- ^abJones, Maggie (January 9, 2018)."Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede gets name change, now called Stampede".USA Today.RetrievedJanuary 9,2018.
- ^Griffin, Kevin (April 15, 2021)."Facing closure, Vancouver Aquarium sold to U.S. entertainment company".Vancouver Sun.Archivedfrom the original on April 16, 2021.RetrievedJanuary 7,2023.
- ^1634–1699:McCusker, J. J.(1997).How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda(PDF).American Antiquarian Society.1700–1799:McCusker, J. J.(1992).How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States(PDF).American Antiquarian Society.1800–present:Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis."Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–".RetrievedFebruary 29,2024.
- ^"Vancouver Aquarium's Future Assured Under New Ownership".
- ^abcdefRice, Mark (April 6, 2022)."Ownership changing at Callaway Resort & Gardens, largest employer in Harris County".Columbus Ledger-Enquirer.RetrievedApril 6,2022.
- ^"About Dollywood: Company Information: Dollywood".Archived fromthe originalon December 17, 2007.RetrievedDecember 18,2007.
- ^Adams, Tony (June 5, 2015)."Callaway Gardens hires new CEO with resort, theme park background".Columbus Ledger-Enquirer.RetrievedApril 3,2022.
- ^Wooten, Nick (June 18, 2019)."Callaway Resort & Gardens President & CEO resigns".Columbus Ledger-Enquirer.RetrievedApril 3,2022.
- ^"Welcome to James Rogers Online".Jamesrogersonline. Archived fromthe originalon February 9, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 23,2012.
- ^Orlando Premium Outlets' owner buys Dixie Stampede - OrlandoSentinel
External links
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