Herschend Family Entertainment

HFE traces roots back to Hugo and Mary Herschend from Detroit, Michigan along with sons Jack and Pete. The family vacationed in Missouri's Ozark Mountains region and fell in love with the nature the area offered. In 1951 Hugo obtained a 99-year lease on a Branson, Missouri area attraction called Marvel 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 distributing silver dollars as change to every visitor in hope that when they would spend the rare coins they would tell people where they had gotten them. 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 producer Paul Henning brought the cast and crew of the popular Beverly Hillbillies television show to the park to film five episodes.

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

The company also co-owns and co-operates with partners Dolly Parton's company The Dollywood Company, the dinner and theatre company Pirates Voyage Dinner and Show in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Dolly Parton's Stampede (formerly Dixie Stampede).

In April 2021, Herschend announced its purchase of the Vancouver Aquarium following the latter's severe economic losses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In March 2025, Herschend announced its purchase of Palace Entertainment from Parques Reunidos, bringing parks like Kennywood and Lake Compounce into the chain, along with many other properties.