From Silver Dollar City's Marvel Cave to Nazareth, Focus Is On Faith
by Randall Murphree
October 26, 2006
(AgapePress) - - Sherry Nickel Herschend might be characterized as a 21st Century "thoroughly modern Millie," but the Ozark mountain girl grew up, fell in love and got married in a Branson, Missouri, cave more than 50 years ago."I had a wonderful love affair with that cave, even before I met and married Jack," she said. A native of the area, Sherry followed in her mother's footsteps, literally, as a cave guide at Marvel Cave, a regional tourist attraction run by the Lynch family until it was leased by Hugo Herschend -- Jack's dad -- in 1950.
Herschend proceeded -- with his wife Mary, Jack and second son Pete -- to promote tourism to the cave and soon began building around it a first-rate family theme park named Silver Dollar City. Sherry was only 15 when she began working as a guide at Marvel Cave.
"Jack and I used to run through the cave exploring," she said, "and we fell in love in the cave." They were married in the cave's Cathedral Room in June 1954. In its earlier history, the cave's large rooms were often the setting for square dances, concerts and events of all sorts. Cave tours now depart from the corner of Silver Dollar City's Hospitality House.
Herschend Family Entertainment today operates or partners with 20 properties in eight states, including operating Atlanta's Stone Mountain attraction and partnering with Dolly Parton in the Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Early on, the Herschends determined that their business would operate according to Christian moral principles and they articulated that commitment in their corporate mission statement.
From Branson to Nazareth
Through the years, the Herschends have extended their reach via countless charities and special projects that have merited gifts of funding, professional expertise and personal involvement. At the top of Sherry Herschend's list of worthwhile causes is the First Century Nazareth Village in Israel. The re-created village opened in 2000 on a tract of farm land that had miraculously escaped modern development for 2,000 years. The authentic first-century village is surrounded by modern Nazareth, a city of 70,000.
"I've always had a passion for Israel," Sherry said. "I started going on tours there with Pat Boone in the early 1970s. A lot of tours were not going to Nazareth. I thought, 'This is where Jesus spent 30 years of his life, and people aren't even touring it!'"
She and Boone talked about a re-creation of First Century Nazareth Village for more than two decades before their dream came to fruition. When they discovered that another group was undertaking such a project in Nazareth, they were quick to join the effort.
"Carey Summers was our CEO at Silver Dollar City," Sherry remembers. "I asked him to go to Israel and find out two things: one, if it was a God-sized project; and two, if it was of eternal significance."
Those two criteria must be met any time Sherry considers putting her time, talent, influence or money into a new project. "I'm so involved in so many things," she admits, "but my passion, my biggest passion, is Jesus and making people know Him."
First Century Nazareth Village has experienced its share of challenges from adequate funding to safety for tourists. Nazareth has traditionally been one of Israel's safest tourist sites. Using the greatest caution to insure safety, the village has never had to shut down.
The village has 14 full-time employees and uses local volunteers to re-enact daily life in Nazareth at the time of Jesus -- a wine press, children playing period games, lookouts in the guard tower, harvesting olives, shepherding flocks. These activities are beautifully illustrated and explained in The Nazareth Jesus Knew, a book produced by the village.
Sherry said about 60,000 school children have visited the site and international tour groups come regularly. The Israeli government, highly dependent on tourist dollars, has been a good friend to the village.
One of the things Sherry is most excited about is the mix of visitors the village hosts. "When a Jewish country pays for the buses to send Muslims, Jews and Christians, you know something special is going on," said Sherry. "And they're learning about Jesus!"
Though it is a totally separate entity to Silver Dollar City, Sherry Herschend's involvement has clearly been a Godsend to the Israeli tourist site. Summers said the First Century Nazareth Village has benefitted greatly from Silver Dollar City's business experience as well as from Sherry's personal service on the board.
"We hope Silver Dollar City goes down in history as the company that shared Jesus Christ with enough people to make an impact on the world," Summers said. "Nazareth Village is helping do that."
Earlier articles in this series:
Silver Dollar City -- Where Flowers Bloom, People Care
Silver Dollar City -- Where Cowboys, Crafts and Christmas Fill the CalendarCave Spawns Silver Dollar City, Family Theme Park, as Leader in Branson Tourism
Randall Murphree, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is editor of AFA Journal, a monthly publication of the American Family Association. He visited Silver Dollar City near Branson, Missouri, over Labor Day weekend. This is the fourth in a five-part series of stories about the people behind Silver Dollar City. For more information on events, schedules and days of operation during the theme park's Christmas festival and other special events, call 800-831-4FUN or visit SilverDollarCity.com.
