Shows and Attractions Galore!

It’s easy to see why Branson is known as the live entertainment capital of the world! Visitors can choose from more than 100 different shows in 53 state-of-the-art theaters ranging from intimate 50-seat show rooms to 4,000 seat indoor theatrical palaces. The live shows in Branson appeal to visitors of all ages with music from nearly every era and style performed by rising young entertainers and legendary stars.

The musical variety you can expect to find includes Big Band, Broadway, country, swing, rock `n` roll, pop, bluegrass, jazz, gospel, classical and more. Music made famous by classical composers, cowboy poets, cinematic blockbusters, `50s heartthrobs, `60s pop bands, and today’s Top 40 artists can be heard from early morning until late at night in Branson. Several internationally known performers call Branson home, as do scores of ensemble production shows featuring large casts of singers, dancers and musicians.

Throughout the year, a number of major touring artists perform limited dates in concert. While Branson is known for its variety of live music shows, you’ll also find shows filled with magic, comedy, special effects, animals, acrobats, lumberjacks, trick-riders, water displays and pyrotechnics. Broadway-style productions, original musicals, dinner shows and themed productions provide even more diversity. Branson’s live entertainment is suitable for all ages and members of the family.

The quality of entertainment in Branson, the sheer variety of choices, and the up-close-and-personal-feel make it easy to see why Branson has earned the distinction as one of the Top 20 Family Vacation destinations in the country, according to the Associated Press.

In addition to the fabulous shows, there is a wide range of attractions and theme parks. Here are a few highlights:

The 1907 publication of The Shepherd of the Hills, Harold Bell Wright’s classic tale of the lives, hopes and dreams of the Ozark Mountain people, is retold each evening in the oldest continuously running outdoor drama in the country, set in the starlit outdoor theatre. At The Shepherd of the Hills Homestead, guests will enjoy historical tours, craftsmen, music and the 230-foot Inspiration Tower that offers breathtaking views of Table Rock Lake and the Ozark Mountains.

Branson’s IMAX® Entertainment Complex presents original IMAX® and first-run movies in a state-of-the-art stadium-style theater with a 6-story screen and 22,000-watt sound system. Movies are shown at multiple times each day all year long. In addition to the IMAX® theater, the complex includes McFarlain’s Family Restaurant, a food court, a live music theater, shops and three 35-mm movie screens.

The Track Family Fun Parks, with several locations in Branson, offer go-cart tracks, amusement games, miniature golf, bumper boats, laser tag, snack bars and other indoor and outdoor recreational opportunities for fun-seeking children and adults.

Branson Scenic Railway takes passengers on a narrated trip from historic downtown Branson across from Branson Landing through the rugged countryside south into Arkansas or north to Galena, Missouri. Ride aboard restored 1940’s dome cars while enjoying snacks or a romantic dinner on Saturdays.

The magnificent Showboat Branson Belle, an 1880s-style paddlewheel boat, with a 700-seat atrium dining theater, three-course lunch and dinner cruises and a spectacular show. Comedian and ventriloquist Todd Oliver is featured with his three live, talking dogs. The show Showstoppers! presents a talented cast of singers and dancers, with award-winning musical hits. There’s also time to stroll the Showboat’s four decks as it cruises scenic Table Rock Lake, noted for over 750 miles of beautiful shoreline surrounded by wooded hills.

There is fun on the water at Gage’s Branson Landing Marina & Shoppes. Branson Landing Cruises offers daily excursions aboard a luxurious 100’ yacht or authentic 100’ paddlewheel riverboat in the midst of spectacular Branson Landing and Lake Taneycomo waterfront. Or if you are in the mood for food and shopping in a casual waterfront atmosphere, visit Shorty Small’s restaurant or Shorty’s Pub, Denney’s Harley Davidson and Ben & Jerry’s famous ice cream parlor.

One of the fastest growing team building sports in America is indoor laser tag. You can find that and true Glow-in-the-Dark miniature golf at the Branson Family Fun Factory. Able to accommodate groups of up to 245 people, imagine the fun your attendees will have as they pass through the Dragon’s Nursery Room or the Under Sea Adventure Room!

If you would like to include a brush with the paranormal, arrange a 90 minute walking tour of the historic district and allow the knowledgeable guides with Ghost & Haunts Tour of Branson to entertain your group with tales of the strange and unexplained. A great way to learn the lore and legends of the Ozarks.

One of the newest additions to Branson, Mount Pleasant Winery provides beautiful private galleries filled with breathtaking original art, the perfect setting for private tasting sessions for your group. Sip, sample, experiment and learn a lot about getting these precious nectars from vineyard to bottle. Bottle your own dessert wine for a one-of-a-kind souvenir.

If your group has 60 to 70 minutes and would like to include a hilarious and educational, sight-seeing tour of Branson and the Lakes Area, be sure to include Ride the Ducks on your agenda. These amphibious vehicles offer unique vantage points on land and on the lakes – something fun and unusual that your attendees will long remember! It’s Quack-tastic!

THEME PARKS

Few destinations can boast that they offer several, entirely different theme parks. Yet, here in the lovely Ozark Mountains, your group will have these to choose from:

Silver Dollar City

This 50-acre, 1880s-themed park has been the number one attraction in Branson for the past 45 years.

Catch a show:
Enjoy 40 performances per day! There’s live entertainment around every corner: toe-tapping harmonies, hilarious comedy and traditional favorites.

Rides:
Take a turn on over 30 fun-filled rides for children of all ages, including the old-fashioned Frisco Steam Train, launching to 53 mph in 2.8 seconds on the PowderKeg, feeling the rush of a high-flying adventure on the Giant Swing, or exploring the grounds of The Grand Exposition.

Craftspeople:
Meet over 100 demonstrating craftsmen whose skills have been passed down from generations of dedicated artisans creating heirloom keepsakes right before your very eyes. The art of demonstration will reach new heights in the all-new Culinary & Craft School; home to the largest presentation of hand-crafted work in the area, showcasing functional as well as one-of-a-kind decorative pieces.

Shops:
Silver Dollar City offers a shopping experience like no other in America with sixty unique and inspirational retail shops.

Dining:
An innovative culinary approach blends home-style recipes and open-air demonstrations in a dozen different restaurants plus stands offering seasonal walk-away treats to satisfy every appetite.

Festivals: Silver Dollar City sponsors six incredible annual festivals which take advantage of the region’s beautiful seasons and celebrate Ozark Mountain heritage and culture:

• World Fest
• Bluegrass & BBQ
• National Kid’s Fest
• Southern Gospel Picnic
• National Harvest Festival
• An Old Time Christmas

Silver Dollar City Park Map

Celebration City

Play all day and party into the night at Celebration City, Branson’s biggest nighttime family attraction.

Rides:
Ramp up the thrill level with over 30 thrill rides including the 8-story-high wooden roller coaster, Ozark WildCat, enjoy lots of laughs on family rides like the vintage Carousel or take the plunge down Roaring Falls. Cheer each other on to victory playing midway games on the Coney Island-style Boardwalk or zoom around on the Route 66 Speedway go-kart track.

Shops:
Visit the Emporium filled with the latest in City-style gear, then the Baldwin Theater fashioned after a turn-of-the-century silent movie house where you can pose for a classic 1920s photo. Then head on over to Route 66 and reminisce over the latest trends in classic nostalgia items and Route 66 memorabilia!

Dining:
From burgers and super shakes at the Last Chance Diner or sweet and tangy BBQ at Kick’s 66 BBQ Grill, to the hand-tossed pizzas and salad bar at Mickey’s Pizza, these restaurants and concession stands are perfect for your family. Then top off your adventures with old-fashioned ice-cream treats from Kate’s Cookies N’ Cream!

Evening Extravaganza:
End your evening with a blast at “Ignite the Night”! The Midwest’s largest spectacular features fantastic fireworks, colorful lasers and dazzling water illusions all set to your family’s favorite music! This multi-million dollar nighttime special effects show presents a stunning finale to the day’s fun.

Celebration City Park Map

White Water

If you bring your bathing suit, head on over to White Water, the area’s largest outdoor water park, open May through September.

“Branson’s Beach Within Reach” offers its biggest ride ever – Kalani Towers, a 7-story, 6-slide, multi-experience thrill ride. Higher than White Water’s previous largest slide by over two stories, the new ride is 75 feet high, with two 300-foot drop slides for top-speed body sliding and four additional 312-foot lane slides for four-lane speed racing.

White Water offers rides ranging from fast-paced to truly relaxing, and Cool Cabanas for poolside comfort. Rides include fast-paced slides such as the popular double speed-slide Raging River Rapids and the raft ride, Tropical Twister. Surfquake, the 500,000-gallon wave pool, gives guests the opportunity to ride on tubes or body surf the breaking waves. For leisurely floating, the Lazy River is a gently moving “river” for tubing or swimming. Adventure areas within the park include Rain Tree Island designed for families, Splash Island for kids with toddler-sized slides and sprays in a shallow pool, and Little Squirts’ Waterworks for smaller kids, with spouts and sprays on a non-slip surface. With two million gallons of water-drenched indulgence, White Water is an aquatic oasis and features the largest selection of water rides and water attractions in the Ozarks.

White Water Park Map

MUSEUMS AND EXHIBITS

There are more museum options in Branson than ever before: museums that offer guided and self-guided tours, gift shops, snack bars and group admission prices. Here’s what you can expect to find:

• ’57 Heaven Classic Car & Lifestyle Exhibit At Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater – The world’s largest collection of 1957 automobiles and memorabilia displayed in hometown America, complete with drive-in movie, gas station, barber shop, Cadillac dealership and more.
• America’s Presidency – a museum and gallery of American History and American Presidents
  Bonniebrook Historical Society Museum – Rose O’Neil’s famous Ozarks home houses Kewpie dolls, illustrations and clothing.
• Branson’s Dinosaur Museum Haunted House & Monster Asylum – Dinosaurs invade Branson! Monsters, Ghouls, & Creepy Things Haunt Hwy 76! Two attractions, one location feature over 50 life-sized dinosaurs and cutting edge animatronics.
• Hollywood Wax Museum – 170 life-like celebrity figures, open 365 days a year.
• Ralph Foster Museum at College of the Ozarks – The “Smithsonian of the Ozarks” contains large collections, including artifacts tracing the history of the region.
• Ripley’s Believe It or Not! – Interactive exhibits, odd artifacts, open year-round.
• Roy Rogers-Dale Evans Museum & Happy Trails Theater – Mounted figures of Trigger and Buttermilk, family photographs, clothing and other personal items chronicle the life of the famous duo inside a charmingly themed museum. Hear Roy’s son, Dusty Rogers sing many of his father’s famous songs in a tribute show at the Happy Trails Theater.
• Titanic: The World’s Largest Museum Attraction – Featuring re-creations of first-class staterooms, third- class austere accommodations, the Grand Staircase, plus an interactive area for passengers to experience the touch of an iceberg. Visitors can view over 400 priceless artifacts and historic treasures, and can share the personal, heroic and tragic stories of its passengers.
• Tractor Museum at College of the Ozarks – Tractor parts and collector’s items.
• Veterans Memorial Museum – More than 2,000 exhibits including the world’s largest war memorial bronze sculpture featuring 50 life-size statues storming a beach. The names of the men and women killed in action in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Persian Gulf, and recent conflicts of the 20th Century are displayed on the museum walls.
• World’s Largest Toy Museum – The toys we had, the toys we wish we’d had.

THEATRES AND LIVE SHOWS