Chances are that if you’ve picked up this book you have one of two questions. If you’ve never heard of Branson, you’re probably wondering where it is. If you have heard of it but have never been here, you probably want to know what it is. Then again, if you have been here before or already live here, congratulations! You can skip the formalities and get right to the meat of the book.
The answer to the first question is easy. Branson is within a day’s drive of half the country’s population. For some folks with a fear of flying, that’s important. More specifically, Branson is in south-central Missouri, about 12 miles north of the Arkansas state line and 39 miles south of the state’s third-largest city, Springfield. Now, the answer to the second question is a little more complicated. Some call Branson the “live music capital of the world,” and others think of it as a small rural town. Ironically, both descriptions apply to Branson and Ozark Mountain Country. We have 35 live-performance theaters and an annual visitor count of about eight million, yet our city population is just over 7,000. Nationally known performers such as Andy Williams, Jim Stafford, Les Brown, Mickey Gilley, the Lennon Sisters, Sons of the Pioneers, and Mel Tillis all call this place home. When Branson hosted the Miss USA Pageant, the town had a worldwide audience. And yet when you pick up a copy of our local newspapers, the Branson Tri-Lakes Daily News or the Taney County Times, you’ll find out real fast that the small-town mentality is alive and well in Branson. With front-page headlines like “Flowers are planted for city,” “Flood washes out low water bridge,” and “Operation Shoebox comes to Branson,” it’s easy to see that Branson is nothing like other major tourist destinations around the country. It truly is a place where music stars, hillbillies, and everyone in between sit down at the same dinner table.
In the pages that follow, we attempt to provide you with the answers to the question “what is Branson?” We’ll tell you about the music stars and their constant game of musical theaters. We’ll tell you how to land a trout on Lake Taneycomo, one of the premier trout-fishing spots in the country. We’ll explore the history of the Bald Knobbers and share some not-so-flattering stories about the area’s notorious outlaws. If we’ve stumped you with the word hillbilly, we’ll clear that up in the History chapter. We’ve got information on how to maneuver your way through traffic on The Strip, the Red Route, the Blue Route, and the Yellow Route. We’ll tell you about our new airport and how you may now fly to Branson. We’ll introduce you to the nearby towns of Reeds Spring, Forsyth, Hollister, and Springfield in Missouri and Eureka Springs and Mountain View in Arkansas.
If you’re thinking about moving to Branson, we have information on the current real-estate climate. We’ve got listings for many of the area’s schools and child-care centers. Retirees will find information on housing, health care, and social organizations. You’ll find out everything from which hotels let kids stay free to how Table Rock Lake was formed to which of our championship golf courses the locals like best.
We will tell you about the people, both past and present, who have become icons for the Ozarks. You’ll get to know Harold Bell Wright, author of The Shepherd of the Hills; artist Rose O’Neill, creator of the famous Kewpie doll; and entrepreneur Mary Herschend, who opened Silver Dollar City some 50 years ago, to name just a few.
When you visit Branson, you’ll come face-to-face with the people who keep the wheels turning every day. It’s the front-desk clerks, restaurant servers, theater ushers, fishing guides, and Duck captains who embody the true spirit of Ozark Mountain hospitality. One of the things visitors comment on is the friendly attitude of the folks who live and work here. We even have a hospitality training program for area employees, sponsored by a company called Branson Hospitality, Inc. It provides incentives for employees who go out of their way to make guests feel welcome and appreciated. Don’t think that the big music stars are above this kind of service either. Most of them sign autographs and pose for pictures after the shows. They even board motor coaches to chat with visitors, and they routinely host charity events.
If you get lost in our maze of side streets or break down on US 65, a local will come along soon enough, or another visitor will most likely lend a hand. It seems as if Branson attracts the kind of person who knows and practices the golden rule. People who come to hear the smooth sounds of the Les Brown Band or the sweet gospel music of Barbara Fairchild are hardly the kind of people to pass by someone in need.
The “powers that be” have done everything possible to ensure that Branson remains the kind of place where veterans are honored, where kids can play in the parks without having to be fingerprinted first, and where crimes are so rare that you seldom hear about burglaries or other violent acts. Local businesspeople, church leaders, and politicians have opposed the introduction of gambling at every turn and have been successful, for the most part, in keeping out adult-oriented book and video stores. It’s highly unlikely that you’ll hear a single off-color remark on any stage in Branson—but you might hear some “outhouse jokes” that poke fun at ourselves. Many of the theaters host free Sunday morning gospel services where local singers and musicians provide the entertainment while a touring minister or speaker leads the program.
Branson is not just a place for golden girls and guys. While we do have our share of entertainers who know the better side of 60 and who primarily appeal to folks of the same age, we have plenty of attractions for young adults and children. Silver Dollar City’s National Children’s Festival is a real draw in the summertime, as are White Water theme park and a plethora of go-kart tracks and miniature golf courses. In the chapter on Kidstuff, you’ll find everything from go-kart tracks to wild-animal parks to museums. We’ll also tell you which of our more than 100 music shows appeal to young audiences.
Water sports are a perennial favorite for the young and young at heart. With three area lakes, you can do everything from snorkel to water ski to parasail. Canoe or kayak our area rivers and streams. Rent a houseboat and spend your entire vacation on the water if you’re so inclined. Dozens of resorts line the shores of Table Rock Lake and Lake Taneycomo. We’ve got everything from your basic cabin with little more than four walls and a roof to deluxe condos with Jacuzzis and cable TV to quiet bed-and-breakfast inns that will cater to your every whim. Camping, hiking, and biking are very popular in the Ozarks as well.
Now that Branson has become one of the top outlet-shopping destinations in the United States, families on a budget or scrunched by a slowing economy can find great bargains on brand-name clothing, housewares, books, electronics, music, and more. We’ve got a huge selection of souvenir shops with supercheap T-shirts and such, but for a one-of-a-kind souvenir there are places such as Branson Craft Mall and Silver Dollar City, where you can take home the work of more than 100 resident craftspeople who make everything from pottery to furniture. The students at College of the Ozarks will weave a rug or make a fruitcake while you watch. There are a number of extremely talented craftspeople in the Branson area whose works are on display in boutiques and galleries.
We’ve tried to leave no stone unturned and no appetite unsatisfied. Speaking of appetites, if you’ve got one, our restaurants feature everything from Mexican to Chinese to Cajun to Greek. Our specialty, of course, is old-fashioned, traditional American. And yes, it’s mostly fried. You can get a salad here, but we like to put fried chicken on top. It’s so much better that way. Branson is not totally oblivious to the perils of those with special dietary needs. You can get sugar-free candy and fudge and low-cal salad dressing, but we still have a way to go in this department.
All in all, there’s something for everyone to see and do in Branson all year long. We have even added a fifth season to the year to provide more variety for visitors. We call our seasons spring, summer, fall, Ozark Mountain Christmas, and Hot Winter Fun. During each season there are dozens of special events and festivals, such as Branson Fest, Veterans Homecoming, Plumb Nellie Days, Kewpiesta, and the list goes on.
Keep in mind that Branson is a dynamic town and things change often and rapidly. The entertainers like to hop from theater to theater during the off-season, and new restaurants and retail shops are opening all the time. Hotels change names and businesses come and go. The maps of Branson today don’t look anything like they did a few years ago. The sleepy Branson lakefront of several years ago is now a dynamic convention center and retail complex called Branson Landing. Branson always has pockets of perpetual construction. The Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce (417-334-4136) is a great source of information on what’s new in town. Give them a call or visit their Web site (www.explorebranson.com), and they’ll be happy to mail you a package containing brochures, coupons, and lots of other useful information.
We hope your journey through the pages of this book will lead you to Branson and Ozark Mountain Country. If you’ve made it this far, then you’re well on your way to arriving at a truly unforgettable destination. Howdy! And welcome to Branson!
Long before the area surrounding Branson was called Ozark Mountain Country, it was known as Shepherd of the Hills country. Many tourists who visited these parts in the early 1900s came here as a result of the writings of a young preacher named Harold Bell Wright, who, with publication of his enormously famous novel, The Shepherd of the Hills, some say single-handedly started the tourist trade here.
When Wright came to these parts in 1896, he did not come to preach, or even to write, but to restore his health. Yet he became both a preacher and a writer. The God-fearing people he befriended and the peaceful inspiration of the hills led to the writing of his tale.
Today Branson and Ozark Mountain Country are still influenced by Wright’s story and by the same kind of religious climate he encountered a century ago. Many of the shows on The Strip include an “obligatory” gospel or religious number, because organizers believe that’s what visitors expect and want. Some visitors, undoubtedly, will find the prevalent right-wing Christianity and apparent seamless merging of politics and religion offensive, and the area and some shows have come under recent criticism for the “one-way” attitudes that prevail.