Idaho’s Beloved Silverwood Is Getting New Owners Soon

Silverwood Theme Park in Idaho has been a cornerstone in family entertainment since the late 80s. Over the years, it's expanded to what it is today, a Mecca for people that love roller coasters. Then add to that a giant water park. 

Now there's a big change ahead, at least in ownership. 

According to Seattletimes.com,
‘Founded in 1988 by Gary Norton and operated by his family since then, Silverwood and its attached Boulder Beach water park will be operated by the Georgia-based Herschend going forward.
Parent company Silverwood Inc. and Herschend have signed “an exclusive term sheet” and announced the acquisition in a news release Wednesday.’ 

The new owner Herschend Currently has over 40 family-oriented entertainment properties under its wing including the Harlem Globetrotters, Silver Dollar Parks and Resorts, and Dollywood, just to name a few. 

This is not quite a done deal yet; both parties are working on finalizing the paperwork and then completing the transaction. 

I can remember packing up the family and going to Silverwood. When we made our trip there, they were just getting going. They had two roller coasters, one was the “Corkscrew”. They had their steam train which ran around the perimeter of the huge property.  

They also had an airfield right in the middle of the park at that time where if you wanted to, you could fly in. They offered musical entertainment on different stages, food, and the weekend we went there they also had an air show with fireworks at the end of the evening. 

It seems like Silverwood has grown exponentially since then. But let's face it; it's been over 3 decades. Their success speaks for itself. 

For several years, my oldest son Jared has had a seasons pass to Silverwood where he and his family would go almost every weekend. 

Idaho theme park Silverwood sold to national group that owns Dollywood | The Seattle Times 
Herschend 
Herschend To Acquire Silverwood