BRANSON, Mo. – Silver Dollar City has never lacked for rides, entertainment and culture.

Now it has even more.

Families have no worries here about the wholesome nature of Silver Dollar City – and the great fun during the Star Spangled Summer of 2015.

This year, Silver Dollar City opened Fireman’s Landing, an $8 million area with 10 new family adventures. Fireman’s Landing added six family rides and four interactive play zones with a salute to the spirit and training activities of community volunteer firefighters.

It’s hot stuff.

Hundreds of firefighters from across the country gathered in May in Branson for the grand opening ceremonies of Silver Dollar City’s Fireman’s Landing. Uniformed firefighters led a parade through the streets of the 1880s theme park to Fireman’s Landing, where the grand opening activities included a call to volunteerism with firefighters leading kids in the “Firefighter’s Pledge” to serve.

Fireman’s Landing is a previously undeveloped part of the park. Centered around “Fire Station #3,” rides include FireFall, an 8-story fire tower free-fall drop ride; Fire Spotter, with soaring balloons for spotting fire dangers; Fire Wagon Frenzy, a bouncing ride for bucket brigade volunteers; Lucky’s Dizzy Dogs, a bouncy ride on racing Dalmatians; Up The Ladder, a smaller tower drop ride; and Fireman’s Flyer, a low-flying swing ride.

Attractions include Firehouse Splash Yard, with squirting water jets and pump hoses. Inside Fire Station #3 (enclosed and temperature controlled for season-long comfortable play), are Firefighter’s Fire Drill, with buckets, pumpers, foam ball cannons and targets for showering mock fires; Firefighter’s Fire Escape, an obstacle course of tubes, mazes and slides, and Firefighter’s Junior Fire Escape, a soft play area for toddlers.

The summer festival, which kicks off on June 6, includes Wacky Science with television’s David Willey, champion cloggers and several cartoon characters – including Team Umizoomi, SpongeBob and Patrick, Blue from Blue’s Clues and The Backyardigans – who will be on hand Thursdays through Saturdays.

This summer, the theme park will present The Globetrotter Experience, a new show, with the world-famous basketball team June 6 – July 19. The Globetrotter Experience includes thirty-minute shows three times daily for six weeks. The team, with an 89-year tradition, became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Silver Dollar City parent company Herschend Family Entertainment in 2013. The team has played over 25,000 games on six continents in 122 countries and territories.

Of course, Silver Dollar City also has a mine tour, great food, almost constant live entertainment, gift shops and more.

And – it’s only 200 miles from Tulsa.

Star-Spangled Summer runs June 6 – July 19, with the park open daily through the summer, adding extended park hours and night rides June 6 and July 18-19. For information, call 800-831-4FUN(386) or www.silverdollarcity.com.