Branson, Missouri…what to say?! So much to do, so little time! It CAN be a budget buster to visit Branson but doesn’t HAVE to be.
I imagine Branson, MO to be a be a little like Las Vegas…without the “sins” of Sin City! Branson has all of the shows, shopping, attractions, and activities without the skimpy bikinis, smoke-filled casinos, and hustlers at every corner trying to catch your attention! 🙂
Branson even has a dancing fountain like a small scale Bellagio!
Ok…without further adieu, let’s get started.
OUTDOORSY THINGS TO DO IN BRANSON
If you’re the outdoorsy type, there’s plenty to keep you busy in or around Branson.
- Kayaks at Table Rock Lake or Lake Taneycomo.
- Go hiking or biking on Murder Rock Trail (5 miles round trip)
- Ziplines – there are several to choose from ranging from Branson Landing views of the lake to mountainous views
- Fishing – Table Rock Lake, Lake Taneycomo, and Bull Shoals (bass, trout, bream, catfish)
- Camping
- Cave Tours
- Horseback Riding
FAMILY THINGS TO DO IN BRANSON
Ok, basically…everything you can do in Branson is a family thing to do, but there are a few specifically family oriented things I would take kids to vs. some other activities.
THEME PARK
Silver Dollar City is an 1880’s style theme park which includes rides, live music, period craftsmen, restaurants, and other attractions. It CAN be a budget buster, but if you buy a season pass, it’s literally less than two days admission prices and you can go back all year (including Christmas time when it’s lit up with millions of Christmas lights!).
Water Parks – if you add a little money to your Silver Dollar City pass, you can also get admission into their water park, White Water. This is by far the best water park in town, but only available during the summer months.
INDOOR/OUTDOOR POOLS
There are also several indoor/outdoor water parks in Branson. Grand Country is the first one that comes to mind and it offers year-round swimming for guests. There are also several other lodges that offer indoor/outdoor water parks for guests, such as Castle Rock Resort and Welk Resort Splash-A-Tourism.
OTHER ATTRACTIONS
- Go-karts
- Bumper Cars
- Arcades
- Mini Golf
- Laser tag
- Fritz Adventure (for indoor activities)
- Promised Land Zoo
- Escape Rooms – there are several to choose from now…super fun activity!
COUPLES THINGS TO DO IN BRANSON
If you’re going to Branson for an anniversary or a romantic weekend, here are a couple of ideas.
- Helicopter ride
- Ride the Branson Coaster – one of my new favs!
- Ferris wheel – wear a jacket if it’s cold (voice of experience here!)
- Wine tours – several to choose from
- Branson Scenic Railway (what is with the 1999 website? – here’s hoping they update before you click that link)
- Sunset dinner for two at Buffalo Bar
- Golf cart tour at Top of the Rock
- Shopping
- Walking in the historic downtown area
- Top your evenings off with a walk to the Fountains at Branson Landing for the Water & Fire Show!
Any of these would be a great way to propose if you’re thinking about that kind of thing! 😉
SHOWS TO SEE IN BRANSON
I feel like this is a REALLY bad idea to try and summarize the shows in Branson, but I will just limit it to my experiences and a few I’d like to see that I haven’t already seen.
SIGHTS AND SOUND THEATER
We’ve been going to Branson off and on for a couple of decades now. My favorite show to date (and by far) is anything the Sights and Sound Theater is producing! The show we saw was Moses. It’s an assault on the senses, for sure! The music is AH-MAZING! The production, the sights, the sounds, the EXPERIENCE is worth every penny! We weren’t able to make it to the Samson show this year, but I’m hopeful for next year! This is a Christian production, so if that sort of thing offends you, you might not like it, but I’d still say if you appreciate the arts, it’s worth it!!! Just have an open mind when you go!
DIXIE STAMPEDE
Next on top 5 would be Dixie Stampede (what is it with these OLD, OLD websites…DANGIT?). Dinner and a show…what a deal! This one is interactive and fun. When I went a hundred years ago, they divided the crowd with an imaginary Mason-Dixon line. You were expected to hoot & holler (southern for shout) for your side during the show. Dinner was all hand-held food…no forks necessary, but delicious none the less! The showmanship was incredible!
OTHER NOTEWORTHY SHOWS
Two honorable mentions for me: Jim Stafford Show and Shoji Tabuchi (SMH with the websites!). Again, with both of these, it’s been a really, really long time since I’ve been, but would TOTALLY LOVE to go back to either one. Jim’s show has corny jokes, but cute and clean fun. The guitar playing is UNBELIEVABLY INCREDIBLE (I’ve played guitar for over 30 years…I’m not easily impressed!). Shoji’s show is another barrage on the senses! The musicianship, the choreography, the production, the restrooms…all over the top!
We’ve been to several others that I TOTALLY would’ve recommended, but they didn’t last!
So here are the ones I’d like to see in the near future
- Reza Edge of Illusion – Illusionist…how could that go wrong?
- Janice Martin Cirque Show – you had me at “Cirque,” take my money!
- Acrobats of China – again…take my money! I LOVE death-defying stunts!
- The Six – Idk about this one…it may get cheesy, but I feel like the singing would be worth it
SHOPPING IN OR NEAR BRANSON
We used to go to Branson every year for our Christmas shopping. A freak cold front about 4 or 5 years ago made us choose a different location (Gulf Shores, AL). Until then, Branson was our go-to.
You can shop at the Tanger Outlet off of HWY 76, or you can shop downtown at The Landing. There used to be a GIGANTIC outlet mall on the outskirts of town (it’s still there), but none of the stores made it and it eventually closed.
Of course, there are mom & pop stores EVERYWHERE in Branson. Cheap t-shirt shops, artisan stores, antique malls, five & dimes, and many, many other stores.
At any rate, check out the links for Tanger and The Landing to see what the stores are. Everything from Gap and Old Navy, to Nike, Kirkland’s, and Bass Pro between the two shopping places…LOVE IT!
I should also mention that the Fountains are at The Branson Landing. They are beautiful, fun, and FREE!
CHRISTMAS IN BRANSON
Christmas in Branson is MAGICAL! Silver Dollar City puts on millions of Christmas lights, Trail of Lights is a MUST SEE, and even Branson Landing is lit up very well with a HUGE Christmas tree! It makes for perfect selfies!!!
Here’s a great post I found about Branson at Christmas.
FREE THINGS TO DO IN BRANSON
Now, if funds are a little lacking, finding something fun to do in Branson might get tricky! You can always do a bunch of hiking, swimming, biking and such, but the shows and most other activities are EXPENSIVE!
Abbey (my youngest daughter) and I went recently with about $200 in our pockets and were sadly disappointed at how little there was to do that was free or cheap. Let’s just say that $200 wasn’t nearly enough!!!
That being said, there are a few free or inexpensive things to do. Since I clearly know very little about that subject, I found another great post for you that seemed more knowledgeable.
A WORD OF ADVICE
Traffic – ah…that Branson traffic! Gotta love it!
If you’re driving through Branson stem to stern, you’re gonna want to use your GPS. Glynn and I recently went in early November thinking the traffic wouldn’t be that bad.
It was BUMPER TO BUMPER, people! At some random time of the year when it was really cold and the leaves had even changed colors and dropped. I mean, there was no good reason to be in Branson unless one of your friends called and offered you a condo they couldn’t use for the weekend!
So, my best advice about driving in Branson is, USE YOUR GPS! You’d think it’s pretty straightforward, there’s only one way in and one way out, right? WRONG! In recent years (and by recent, I mean the last 15 years or so), Branson has made a valiant effort in easing traffic through the city.
There are all kinds of workarounds to skip the sit-still traffic in town. If you use your GPS, Google Maps or Waze will almost always find a workaround for you!
It’s worth it, I promise!
ONE LAST NOTE
In 2006, a Titanic memorial museum opened in Branson. Abbey and I have both been curious about it since we first saw it, but never wanted to subject Glynn to it. This year, we decided to go to the museum.
What a SOBERING experience! We were both exhausted and sad when we left, but it’s DEFINITELY something we will NEVER forget.
There are real relics from the Titanic in the museum. Stories of people’s lives are plastered all over the walls. Details of the engines and how the crew lived can be seen and even experienced in some cases.
The most chilling part for me (pun not intended), was when I stuck my hand in the 28-degree water to see how cold the water was on the night the ship sunk. EVERYTHING IN ME wanted to pull my hand out from the very second I put it in. It was terrifying to think about. I pulled it out at 15 seconds!
All that to say, if you love history, you should go to this museum. However, it’s not a popcorn and coke sort of museum. It’s very sobering but has lots of great stories of survival as well.
THAT’S IT!
Trust me, this is by no means a definitive list of things to do in Branson, MO. For such a short little strip of land, there’s so much to do and so little time and money to go around. I’m convinced you could stay there for a month or more and never see everything…even if money wasn’t an issue.
If you’re an RVer and decide to go, this would be a great time to own the RV Travel Planner to write out things you want to do, see, and where to eat! We haven’t actually RVd there yet, but the day is coming for sure and I’ll write a park review when I do.
Do you have any secret places you love to go to Branson? Tell me about it in the comments, I’d love to hear from you!
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