Dear Guests,
Many times we are asked for information about the Branson area and we love to share the knowledge we’ve gained over the years. The activities available are so numerous I know I am only touching on a few in each category. I know this is terribly long but just search through for your interests. We are trying our best to experience everything but we still have many vacations to go before we accomplish that.
Branson is a tourist town so unfortunately, most things are fairly pricey. For purchasing show tickets, usually you will do better on prices to call or visit the specific box offices and not buy through any of the ticket sellers. Often, there are strings attached when using those places. Some coupons are in the desk drawers at the cabins or can be found all over Branson on the maps and little magazines like Sunny Day, etc. I am also including a section of some free things below.
Attractions
Of course, first is Silver Dollar City - great fun for all ages! Big roller coaster, kiddie rides, and lots of craftsmen and shops. Also, food is everywhere and different shows play at many places throughout the park. Pick up a map and show guide for the daily schedule. We usually buy season passes and often get special deals which we will be glad to pass on. Ask us if we have anything available during your trip.
The Shepherd of the Hills is one of the original attractions of the area. The book is fiction but is based on actual places and some real people. The Homestead tour has interesting depictions from the book and the outdoor drama truly brings the story to life. While the drama can be very enjoyable without reading the book, I really do recommend reading it before seeing the drama.
Shows
There is a plethora of shows for every taste. We have not begun to see them all but our personal favorites are Pierce Arrow (Oak Ridge Boys style music and a hilarious comedian) and SIX (various music styles performed by 6 very talented brothers! They do not use instruments but do AMAZING things with their voices!)
The Baldknobbers and The Presleys are the two original shows in Branson and give you a good flavor of how it all started here. Both are good shows—we personally like the Presleys a little better.
Clay Cooper’s show is great for a pure country music sounding show.
Circle B Chuckwagon is a nice family show with a barbecue meal. Charles’ parents loved this show!
The Platters do a great job and are at a new theater The Icon this year. Some other shows look interesting there also and can have dinner included.
Dixie Stampede is very popular-horses, etc with a meal also.
The Showboat Branson Belle is very nice. It is a cruise on Tablerock Lake along with a meal and show. They do have a brand new show this season. If you heard of the performing dogs, they are no longer there but have moved to the Jim Stafford Theater.
Museums, Etc.
It doesn’t take long around the area to realize that Branson is the most patriotic place most of us have ever seen! They do a great job of honoring all Veterans therefore, it is not surprising that the Veteran’s Museum is very well done and enjoyable for anyone with a military background or that just enjoys military history. It is very emotional and touching in places. It may be a little much for the little ones.
The Butterfly Palace is popular especially for the little ones. We were there after Christmas last year and really enjoyed it. Our granddaughter loved it at the old location when she was smaller and this one has much more to offer. It is very educational and enjoyable.
The Wax Museum is fun to walk through and they added 2 new areas last summer—a Maze of Mirrors and a 3-D virtual reality “ride” through the “Castle of Chaos”. The Maze is a challenge (I would still be lost in there if Charles had not helped me out. LOL) The Castle ride was fun (a little cheesy but not terribly scary. Should be OK for most kids unless they are easily scared.) It takes about an hour to do it all.
Last summer our granddaughter and her friend really wanted to go to Ripley’s Believe it or Not. While there are some neat things to see, there is a LOT of reading at each exhibit and our 12 year olds got bored very quickly. We enjoyed it more than they did because we did the reading but grandparents have a longer attention span. LOL
Everyone wants to ride the ducks! And everyone should do it---once. Charles and I have ridden the ducks FAR too many times. Before my dad died, dementia had impaired his short term memory and he quickly forgot the amazing time he had riding the ducks. We enjoyed his experience so much that we took him on the ducks each time we brought him to Branson. Since then, we have brought other family members to the ducks--many times. If you all want to save your money, we can recite the entire tour for you. LOL Truly, it is a nice tour of the area and a fun ride on Tablerock Lake. There are 2 ride the ducks now, one downtown on the Landing that goes into Lake Taneycomo and the original one that goes onto Tablerock, starting near McDonalds on Hwy 76. It takes about 60-90 minutes.
Near Wal-Mart on Hwy 76 is a dual museum—a Dinosaur Museum and a Haunted House. We have not visited either one yet but they seem to be busy and are geared to children so I wouldn’t think they would be too scary.
There are numerous putt-putt courses and go-cart tracks on the strip and on Green Mountain Drive. (Yellow Route). There is a nice indoor putt-putt course inside the Grand Country on Hwy 76. There are some shops and a great buffet inside also. The indoor waterpark is only open to their guests—sorry.
Playtime Pizza, off Gretna Rd (near Branson Meadow Shoppes) appears to be a Chucky Cheese type place. (We’ve never been there—too much stimulation for us!!)
The Branson Fun Factory, near the Welk Theater on Hwy165 has Lazer Tag, etc. (haven’t been here either. –Maybe our grandkids will never find out about it! LOL)
Near the new Wal-Mart on Bee Creek Rd, there is an athletic complex called the Rec-Plex. We’ve not been there but sounds like there is a lot to do.
There are some great hiking trails around the area. I bought a book by a local author that gives great detailed information on all the trails. I plan to get another one to leave in the cabin for guests to use but they can be purchased at several places around Branson. They are $20 and I found mine in old downtown Branson at the Downtown Branson Association Office. I have not tried all the trails yet but I am working on it. The book is great as it gives times and level of difficulty for each hike. The Old Soldier’s Cave trail is an interesting one.
At the Notch cabin, there are some hiking trails around the cabin and the condos. At the Oakmont cabins, I like to walk around the golf course and Phase 1, where the other cabins are. It is not really a “trail” but mostly follows the old golf cart paths. Both can be good stimulating walks!
Dogwood Canyon sound like a great place to visit! There are trails to hike and a wildlife tram ride through the woods. We have heard many good things about it and it is something we hope to do soon.
At Big Cedar Lodge, there are some hiking trails also..
Ziplines!!!
The new craze! They are showing up everywhere! I found this site telling about ziplines all over the area.
Ziplining has been on my bucket list for some time…so last summer my friend and I did it!! It was great!
There are several ziplines around the area now but the one we did is The Branson Canopy Tours on Hwy 65 north of Branson. They seem to be very safety conscious and we felt very safe.
We really want to do the Vigilante off of the Shepherd of the Hills Tower this year.
PERSIMMON HILL FARMS I found this website by accident one day and have not been able to check this place out, but it sounds very interesting. It is a berry farm with a restaurant and store to purchase their products. You can also pick the berries that are in season. They have blueberries, blackberries, gooseberries, and maybe others. I have fond childhood memories of picking blackberries and would love to do it again. Anyway, it is a short drive out of Branson and may be one of those activities that is hard to work into a schedule, but is something very different from the other Branson activities.
Golf
We are not golfers and personally know nothing about the courses. I am including some links but unfortunately that is all I know. Sorry…
Payne Stewart Golf Course
Holiday Hills
Thousand Hills
Branson Creeek Golf
Murder Rock
Free Stuff
The Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery is an interesting stop. You can feed the fish and see some exhibits inside the Center. There are snakes, etc—yuck!! I didn’t go in that part!!
The Dewey Short Visitor Center has always been an interesting place to visit, but this year they are opening a brand new center with more things to see about Tablerock Lake and the dam. We are looking forward to checking it out. It sounds like quite an extensive project so it should be very nice. Rangers there can answer questions and give out information.
The College of the Ozarks is a little known treasure of the area. It is located in Hollister, only a few minutes from the strip and is well worth a visit. It is a unique college in that the students work off their tuition there at the college. It has been a successful institution for many years and a source of pride for the area. There are self guided tours through many of the divisions such as the bakery, the jelly making kitchen, etc. The Ralph Foster Museum is located here also and has a small admission fee (around $4.00). The Beverly Hillbilly’s old truck is in there, among other things. A great restaurant is located here inside the Keeter Center. It is a nice place to eat with white linens, piano music, and great views. It has a log, lodge-type feel. Formal dress is not required.
A Taste of Missouri is a fun place for wine and food tasting. (Just found out they are charging $2 for wine tasting. So, this is almost free.) See below under Wineries.
Stone Hill Winery also does a free tour and tasting. Also, see below.
Shopping
Oh where do I begin???
The Factory Outlet mall (Red Roof) is by far the biggest. I have never made it all the way through at one time (and I can do some power shopping.LOL)
The Tanger Outlet (Blue Roof) is very nice.
The Branson Meadows Shoppes (Green Roof--4562 Gretna Rd) is also nice. (Tool World is located here—in case the guys need shopping motivation.)
Be sure to visit Branson Landing in old historic Branson and watch for the fire show every hour at town center on the waterfront. A free trolley will pick you up at the parking lots and makes several stops along the landing. Bass Pro Shop is located here. Check out some of the old shops on the way to the Landing. This is the original part of the sleepy little Ozark town of Branson. Not so sleepy now!!!
Dick’s 5&10 is a great stop with the nostalgia of an old time dime store because that is exactly what it is. You need to walk through there just to see all the “stuff” they have crammed into that building! It is amazing! For you baseball fans, they have a very exclusive display of baseball memorabilia on the walls.
Craft Malls are everywhere (and I love them all!) Charles’ favorite is The Branson Craft Mall on Hwy 165 near the intersection of Green Mtn Drive. It has a men’s sitting room with a TV!!The Apple Tree on the strip and Whitney’s on Shepherd of the Hills Expressway are two of the bigger ones.
Coffelt Craft Village is right across from the Branson Craft Mall on Hwy 165 and has some interesting shops. Coffelt Country - Branson.com We bought our cedar signs from Jake’s in this village. The log carver is very interesting.
The Branson Mill Shops off Gretna Rd is a nice, clean place that includes an eatery. (Nice for the guys while the girls shop.) They also have some interesting artisans producing crafts at certain times.
The Grand Village off Hwy 76 has some nice shops and is an interesting place to walk around. There is a huge Christmas store that is open year round. In the courtyard area is a huge rocking chair that is a fun picture opportunity.
If you like Flea Markets, stop in at the Branson Heights Flea Market on the strip and say Hi to my cousins. They have a nice clean flea market with lots of things to see.
Marinas
We are not much into water activities so our personal experience is very limited.
The State Park Marina. Lots of information available at the Dewey Short Visitor Center—(say hello to my other cousin LouAnn.)
Gage’s Long Creek Marina This is very close to our Ridgedale cabins.
Port of Kimberling City Marina
Wineries
A fun place to visit even if you are not a wine drinker is A Taste of Missouri on W Hwy 76. It is a locally owned business and they only sell products made in MO. They do carry several kinds of wine and have a nice tasting area. You can also sample many of the other products. The owners Sam and Dick are a lot of fun! Be sure to tell them we said Hello. (If you are a guest at our Notch cabin, this is VERY close to you.)
Stone Hill Winery is the oldest in town and they do a very nice tour and tasting. The store has lots of interesting things and it is a fun free stop.
Mount Pleasant Winery is new and seems nice but is not our favorite and they do charge a fee for tasting of some wines.
Another favorite wine of ours is the Blackberry made by St James Winery and can be purchased at Wal Mart and the grocery stores. They do have a tasting room in Ozark (near Lambert’s restaurant) but we have never visited there. Their main winery in St James MO is a very nice place to visit if you are going toward St Louis on Hwy 44. It is too far to drive unless you are headed that way.
There is Wine garden off Hwy 265 that we have not tried yet but hope to soon.
Restaurants
Now—this is our best area of expertise!! We have been on a mission to discover unique and interesting places to eat besides the usual buffets-- hence, the need to experience the hiking trails!! LOL
I have already mentioned two favorites—The Grand Country Buffet on the strip (serves all 3 meals and that are all really good for a buffet.)
The Dobyns Restaurant (Keeter Center) at the College of the Ozarks is not a buffet but splendid atmosphere and good food. The do serve a Sunday brunch that is reputed to be excellent albeit-very pricey—about $25.00 per person. Yikes!!
The restaurants at Big Cedar are open to the public. The Worman House is a beautiful restaurant. They also do an amazing Sunday brunch--(also very pricey!!)
A super fun place that we just found about a year ago is Mel’s Hard Luck Diner. It is in the Grand Village and has singing waiters that are VERY good!! One was on American Idol a few seasons ago. The food is good and HUGE and the décor is fun.
The Gardens Restaurant is located in the Branson Meadow Shoppes (the one with Tool World). It is an eclectic, shabby chic type place that seems to be a favorite with many of the local entertainers. Sometimes there is live entertainment. Very nice place to eat! I first thought it was a “girlie” place and went with my sister and my friend but now I think the guys would like it just fine.
If you love hamburgers-you have got to try Chester’s. Be SURE to be hungry! It is also family owned.
Danna’s also has great burgers and barbecue! It an “order at the counter” place but really good food!
Odee’s Barbecue on the strip, has been around for a long time and is very good.
A fun place to go after a show or anytime is Cakes and Creams Dessert Parlor on the strip across from the Grand Palace. It is decorated in 50s décor complete with a jukebox! It tends to get a little busy after the shows but we love their funnel cakes!
McFarlain’s Restaurant in the IMAX complex is also very good. It is a sit down—order from the menu type restaurant with interesting hillbilly décor. The fried green tomatoes are usually very good. There are also some nice shops in the building.
Lambert’s, Home of the Throwed Rolls is not in Branson but is an area icon. The food is great and there is PLENTY of it. Go hungry!! It is north on Hwy 65 toward Springfield at Ozark. It is always busy there so many times there is a wait to get in. But it is a fun place to eat.
Last fall, we had a great evening at the Uptown Café. There are a couple of options, you can purchase dinner and a show which is a limited menu and seating close to the stage or you can sit in the main restaurant area and order from the menu. We chose the dinner and show and the food (chicken fried steak or Hawaiian chicken) was very good. The show is a tribute to George Strait and has a female singer also (they are married) and we loved it! They were both very good and put on a very entertaining show. If you are not concerned with sitting close to the stage, you can just order from the menu and still hear everything. Last year, they also entertained during the breakfast buffet without an extra charge. We plan to go back soon.
Per a good friend of ours, Laundry’s Seafood House is very good and he said I needed to add it to this letter. He’s a picky fella so I trust his judgment.
Here it is Danny.
If you’re looking for home cooking and authentic hillbilly atmosphere, try Billy Gail’s on Hwy 265. Breakfast is amazing! Another family owned treasure. It can be very busy at times and is open limited hours. (This is closer to Cabin Dreams in Notch Estates.)
Branson Café in downtown Branson is a good old time restaurant-the kind my mama loved. It’s been a while since we were there but they have been around a long time and know what they’re doing.
Twin Island Restaurant on Hwy 86 (closer to the Branson Cedars cabins) is also a great place for breakfast and more. Don’t expect a lot of atmosphere-but the food is good.
Elenita’s Mexican Café has 2 locations, one in Branson and one in Hollister. We have had good food at both.
Mickey’s A Taste of Chicago is in Branson West (close to Cabin Dreams) and we have been told by locals it is very good. It is a gyro and sandwich type place and we hope to try it soon.
If any of you are fans of the writer, Janet Dailey, you may not know that she lives in the area and now owns a historic inn and restaurant in downtown Hollister. It is called the Ye Olde English Inn and I can’t wait to try it out. It just opened last fall after a big renovation.
We have not tried this yet but the All American Café (now Sharkeys) is supposed to have good food and line dancing on Thurs night. They say it is for beginners to more experienced dancers. Sounds like fun!!
I could go on and on but I’ll stop here for now. I hope this helps you plan a great trip! Please let us know if you find something else really exceptional and have a great time!!
Charles and Brenda