Mystery Mine

Mystery Mine is a steel roller coaster located at Dollywood amusement park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Manufactured by Gerstlauer, the Euro-Fighter model is heavily-themed as a haunted mining operation from the 19th century. The roller coaster was Dollywood's largest single investment in the park's history at the time, costing $17.5 million to construct.[1] A large portion of the track is located indoor, where the ride utilizes a series of special effects. It was the first Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter installation in the United States and had the steepest drop of any coaster in North America at the time of its opening. The ride was installed by Ride Entertainment Group, who handles all of Gerstlauer's operations in the Western Hemisphere.[2][3]

Mystery Mine
Entrance to Mystery Mine
Dollywood
LocationDollywood
Park sectionTimber Canyon
Coordinates35.795583°N 83.530059°W / 35.795583; -83.530059
StatusOperating
Soft opening dateMarch 31, 2007 (2007-03-31)
Opening dateApril 13, 2007 (2007-04-13)
Cost$17.5 million
General statistics
TypeSteel – Euro-Fighter
ManufacturerGerstlauer
DesignerWerner Stengel
ModelEuro-Fighter (Custom)
Track layoutTerrain
Lift/launch systemChain lift hill x2
Height85.3 ft (26.0 m)
Length1,811 ft (552 m)
Speed43.5 mph (70.0 km/h)
Inversions2
Duration2:30
Max vertical angle95°
Capacity1000 riders per hour
Height restriction48–76 in (122–193 cm)
Trains7 trains with a single car. Riders are arranged 4 across in 2 rows for a total of 8 riders per train.
TimeSaver Pass available
Must transfer from wheelchair
Mystery Mine at RCDB
Pictures of Mystery Mine at RCDB

Ride experience

The ride's story and themes are introduced in the queue as guests enter. Visitors pass old newspaper articles and signs condemning an old abandoned mine shaft, and the queue winds around a rocky area before climbing stairs to the boarding area. During this time, guests occasionally hear recorded audio stating, "If the canary ain't tweetin'...you'll be sleepin'!" Quick-paced banjo music can also be heard playing in the background.

After boarding, the 8-passenger car launches quickly out of the station. A miner's evil laugh echoes down the first small drop as the car rushes toward the first curve. A wall full of cawing crows and a caged canary watch the car as it passes. As it turns the corner, passengers come face to face with a giant spinning rock crusher. The cart quickly drops beneath the grinder and whips around a hairpin curve. As the car slows to a stop, a crow caws loudly from somewhere above and a small lever labeled "mine gas" cranks into the on position.

The car ascends approximately 85 feet (26 m) up a vertical wall of track at a 90-degree angle. Graffiti litters the sheet metal walls on both sides. After reaching the top, the car drops down a short hill outside the ride building. A sign advertises "Burnt out bridge ahead!", and the car swerves across the trestle. A steep drop then sends the vehicle careening up a vertical U-turn. The car proceeds to swing around a few small helices before plunging back into the abandoned mine building, where it slows down. A spotlight turns on illuminating the canary cage seen earlier. A lightning special effect flashes from the shaft ahead, as the canary turns over on its perch, to indicate it died. The car begins to ascend the mine shaft at as crows peer out from behind the broken boards surrounding the shaft. A window effect above riders shows the storm going on outside the shaft. Another flash of lightning strikes the top of the simulated tower protruding above, which collapses onto the window.

Now in darkness, the car stops at the peak of the hill. A lit fuse is heard in the distance and soon becomes visible, snaking along both sides of the car. A green lantern suddenly illuminates, sitting on top of a mound of dynamite in boxes, hooked to the quickly approaching fuse. As the lit portion reaches the dynamite, simulated flames shoot out as the car drops at a beyond-vertical drop of 95 degrees and into a barrel roll followed by a half loop. The car slows enters the final brake run as it returns to the station.

Awards
  • On July 2, 2007, Theme Park Insider awarded Mystery Mine its "Best New Theme Park Attraction" award for 2007.
  • Mystery Mine was ranked 48th on the Amusement Today Top 50 Best Steel Coasters list for 2007.
  • Amusement Today ranked Mystery Mine as the #2 new ride for 2007, behind Cedar Point's Maverick.

Ride Elements
  • Two vertical lifts
  • 95 degree drop
  • Heartline roll
  • Turn-over loop
  • Part of Mystery Mine's back section, preceding the 95 degree drop
  • More of Mystery Mine's back section, preceding the 95 degree drop
  • Mystery Mine's finale
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References
  1. Press, Associated (8 July 2006). "Dollywood to add new coaster". Spartanburg Herald-Journal. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  2. "Gerstlauer busy in 2011". Park World Magazine. 29 December 2010. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
  3. "Projects". Ride Entertainment Group. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
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