HISTORY: |
Branson’s entertainers began performing for audiences in the early 1950’s when country legend Red Foley moved to Springfield to host the "Ozark Jubilee.” In 1959, the Mabe Brothers began performing twice a week by the Lake Taneycomo waterfront. In 1960, a few miles east of Silver Dollar City, Bruce and Mary Trimble began staging an outdoor pageant based on the best-selling novel “The Shepherd of the Hills”; the production grew into the nation’s most popular outdoor historical drama and today boasts a cast of more than 80 actors, dozens of animals, pyrotechnical displays and authentic props and sets. In 1962, the Presley family began entertaining visitors in nearby Kimberling City. The Presleys built the first theater along Highway 76 (“The Strip”) in 1967, followed by the Mabe Brothers, now known as the Baldknobbers, who built their theater in 1968.
In 1970 Mutton Hollow Entertainment and Craft Village opened on west Highway76; today, the site is home to Celebration City, one of the Silver Dollar City attractions. In the early 70’s The Foggy River Boys, The Plummer Family, Dolly Parton, Buck Trent, and Porter Wagoner performed in Branson; soon after, Japanese fiddler Shoji Tabuchi began his meteoric rise to Branson fame. Roy Clark opened a theater in 1983 and hosted Mel Tillis, Box Car Willie, Ray Stevens, and Jim Stafford. In 1985, the Snadon Family purchased the Shepherd of the Hills homestead, adding the 230-foot tall inspiration tower in 1989.
The great yearly tradition of Ozark Mountain Christmas was born in 1988, seasonally transforming Branson into a holiday wonderland featuring spectacular lighting displays, multiple shows celebrating Christmas, theme parks in all their holiday glory and numerous special events.
Time magazine ran an article on their “discovery” of Branson in August of 1991that set off a chain reaction -- The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times and People soon followed. On December 8, 1991, 60 Minutes proclaimed Branson the “live music capital of the entire universe.” There were only 22 theaters in operation; today, Branson has more than twice that many, due in part to that turning-point proclamation. Many agree that 60 Minutes launched Branson into a new era of growth by revealing to the world the wonderful playground of fun and entertainment this small southwest Missouri town had become. Performers, visitors, developers and new residents flocked to see what was going on.
Throughout the 1990’s and into the new millennium, Branson not only saw tremendous growth in the number of theatrical offerings, but in the number of hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, housing developments, service businesses, and healthcare facilities, as well. In 1992, the $13 million, 4,000-seat Grand Palace opened and was the largest of all the theaters in Branson. Over the next decade, such stars as Andy Williams, Wayne Newton, Barbara Mandrell, John Davidson, Tony Orlando, Bobby Vinton, Mel Tillis, Glen Campbell, Mickey Gilley, Charley Pride , the Lennon Sisters, the Osmond Brothers, Pat Boone, Pam Tillis and The Oak Ridge Boys took up residence in Branson.
In 2005, Silver Dollar City’s new PowderKeg explosive-launch roller coaster was named best family thrill ride on the planet by thrillride.com. The Branson Convention Center and Hilton Hotel broke ground. The New Shanghai Theatre was built for the Acrobats of China, and The Branson League of Theater Owners and Show Producers raised over $120,000 with
In 2006, the Branson Landing opened, a $420 million, 95-acre lakefront development blending retail shopping, dining, luxury lodging, boardwalk, condominiums, a town plaza, several marinas, and nightlife into a dynamic, waterfront setting. Other exciting developments in Branson included the multi-million dollar TITANIC: The World’s Largest Museum Attraction, towering 100' over the 76 Strip, with a permanent collection of 400 items; Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater starring Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers, Paul Revere & the Raiders and other '50s and '60s rock legends; '57 Heaven, the world’s largest collection of 1957 automobiles; The Butterfly Palace and Rainforest adventure with more than 1,000 species of live tropical butterflies; and Chateau on the Lake Resort’s new $6 million European-style Spa Chateau, complete with 10 treatment rooms, in a picturesque setting overlooking Table Rock Lake.
Overlooking Lake Taneycomo and the Branson Landing, the new state-of-the art Branson Convention Center and adjoining 12-story Hilton Hotel opened in the fall of 2007. Groundbreaking also took place for the Sight & Sound Theatre, which features multi million dollar productions with Biblical themes such as "NOAH--The Musical", set to open in spring 2008. The long-awaited Branson Airport broke ground in July 2007 and plans to welcome its first scheduled flight in mid-2009. |
GETTING HERE: |
Branson is conveniently located within a day’s drive of more than 1/3 of the country’s population. The Springfield-Branson National Airport (SGF) is approximately 43 miles from Branson and serves all of Southwest Missouri with 70 daily flights connecting to eight international airports via six airlines. Choose from Allegiant Air, American Connection, American Eagle, Delta Connection, Northwest Airlink and United Express. These airlines offer direct flights to and from Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas/Ft Worth, Denver, Detroit, Las Vegas, Memphis, Minneapolis, Orlando, Tampa and St. Louis and one stop service to 476 domestic cities and 40 international destinations.
The first privately financed and operated commercial airport in the country will begin operation in Branson in the spring of 2009. Branson Regional Airport, located south of the city, will have a 7,140-foot runway to accommodate all types of commercial aircraft. |
