I first came to Missouri in 1999 to attend school at College of the Ozarks at Point Lookout. Back then I would've never thought Branson, Missouri to be the place I now call home. In my profession as a graphic designer, I see Branson as the perfect place to capitalize on my talents. What's it like here? Keep reading and find out!

If you want to go deeper than just facts about Branson, Missouri visit the Branson Timeline.

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 49 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 starts year round.

It’s easy to see why Branson is known as the live entertainment capital of the world!  The musical variety you can expect to find includes Broadway, Big Band, country, swing, rock ‘n’ roll, pop, bluegrass, jazz, gospel, patriotic, classical, and more.  Music made famous by classical composers, cowboy poets, cinematic blockbusters, 50’s heartthrobs, 60’s pop bands, and today’s Top 40 artists can be heard from early morning until late at night in Branson

It’s easy to see why Branson is known as the live entertainment capital of the world!  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.  Original musicals, Broadway style productions, dinner shows and themed productions provide even more diversity.  Branson’s live entertainment is suitable for all members of the family.

QUICK BRANSON THEATRE FACTS

Common show times: 9:30 am, 10 am, 2 pm, 3 pm, 7 pm and 8 pm

Most shows run 5-7 days a week, 1-2 times per day

Average length of shows: 1-2 hours (including 15 minute intermission)

Average price: $28 per individual adult ticket, $12 per child.

Ticket price range:  Free – approx. $45

Typical show season: April – December, but many shows are open year round

Christmas Season: November – December

Many theatres provide wheelchairs and assisted listening devices.

Most venues have gift shops and concessions stands

NIGHTLIFE  The Branson area offers an eclectic mix of live nightlife entertainment at dance clubs, lounges and restaurants.  Many of the area’s professional musicians and singers moonlight after the shows.  Visitors can enjoy country, pop and blues bands, piano bars, solo artists playing acoustic guitar, line dancing, and karaoke. Most places open around 9 pm and close at 1 am

ATTRACTIONS  There’s so much to see and do in the Branson area for families of all ages whether it be on land at a world-class theme park or museum, on Table Rock Lake aboard a dinner cruise or World War II era amphibious vehicle, or high above the beautiful Ozarks Mountains in a helium balloon or helicopter.  Adventure seekers at every level can choose from a wide variety of authentic attractions.

BRANSON LANDING  The largest single master-planned development in Southwest Missouri’s history is the $300 million 95 acre Branson Landing, opened in historic downtown Branson in 2006.  Branson Landing blends together retail shopping, dining, town plaza, several marinas, fountains, and entertainment venues into a dynamic setting unlike any other in the Midwest.

SHOPPING  At our three outlet malls visitors can find designer brand clothing and shoes from the Gap to Coleman.  Guests can also shop for name brand appliances, jewelry, leather goods, glassware, home décor, electronics, books, music, movies, cosmetics and more!  Opportunities to pick up the perfect souvenir!

SPECIALTY SHOPS Numerous area specialty shops offer themed shopping experiences for collectors, gift buyers and bargain hunters alike.  You can find art from Alaska to Africa, dime store items from the 50’s, flag memorabilia, gourmet coffee, candles, Christian books, grandfather clocks, hand-made quilts, and more in Branson.  Many of the area’s golf courses have pro shops that offer everything for the novice and experienced golfer, plus great gift items.

THE ARTS  In addition to Branson’s show and attractions, the area serves as the home to many famous paintings, sculptures and other displays of art.  Visitors can see many of these displays in public buildings, inside theatre lobbies, at area museums, and in other public areas.  Yokov Smirnoff, world-famous Russian comedian and owner of his own theater in Branson, was once an art instructor in Russia.  Inside his theatre lobby hang his personal oil paintings, many expressing images of freedom.  His “American’s Heart” painting was displayed as a mural in New York City at Ground Zero after 9/11.

OZARK MOUNTAIN ARTS AND CRAFTS  Much of the history of the Ozarks can be traced through the crafts of the local residents.  For generations, residents of the Ozark Mountains made what they needed to survive in the hills.  This included quilts, pottery, baskets, glassware, wrought iron, and more.  Today, craft making is still an integral part of the area’s culture and is celebrated through festivals, events and permanent exhibitions.

OUTDOOR ADVENTURES  The Branson/Lakes Area has three pristine lakes and more than 100,000 acres of city, state, federal and privately owned forest, conservation, wildlife, wilderness, and park areas available to visitors for adventurous exploration in every imaginable form.  Within minutes of the bright lights of Branson, outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy hiking, biking, camping, canoeing, kayaking, horseback riding, trout and bass fishing, hunting, trap and skeet shooting, spelunking, and recreational sport activities at dozens of public parks, beaches, resorts, campgrounds, forest and recreational facilities.

BALDS  Although hardwood forests cover much of the Branson/Lakes Area, one of the most intriguing features is the “glades”, frequently referred to as “balds” by locals because of their characteristically sparse terrain of semi-dessert soil, ledge-rock, scattered cedar trees and prairie plants amidst rolling seas of Oak and Hickory trees.  You’ll most often see glades on the south and west facing slopes of hills where intense and prolonged sunlight coupled with first started by lightning or by Native Americans and early settlers have kept them relatively clear of trees.

QUICK FACTS

2,000+ miles of hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails

3,000+ miles of canoe/kayak accessible rivers, streams and creeks

75,604 acres – US Forest Service-owned land in Taney and Stone Counties

10,720 acres – Missouri Dept. of Conservation land

10,000 acres – Privately owned by local nature park

365 acres – Table Rock Corps, of Engineers land

220 acres – City of Branson parks

43,000 to 52,300 (approx) acres of surface area of Table Rock Lake

2,000 (approx) acres of surface area – Lake Taneycomo

45,440-71,240 (approx) acres of surface area for Bull Shoals Lake

WILDLIFE YOU MIGHT SEE Deer, bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, turkey vultures, wild turkeys, great horned owls, great blue herons, tarantulas, pileated woodpeckers, quail, songbirds, re fox, squirrels, otters, beavers, minks, armadillos, opossums, roadrunners, coachwhip snakes, copperhead snakes, garter snakes, skunks, eastern collared lizards and box turtles.

GOLF With an outstanding list of honors and awards to their credit by Golf Digest, Golf Week, and Travel and Leisure Golf Magazine among others, the Branson area’s 10 courses are among the Midwest’s finest.  Integrated inspired course design by Tom Fazio and Jack Nicklaus with rugged Ozark Mountain topography, these courses offer scenic and challenging play for beginners and avid players alike. 

LAKES  The Branson Lakes Area is known because of its three pristine lakes:  Table Rock, Taneycomo and Bull Shoals.  Water sports enthusiasts can swim, water ski, wakeboard, tube, boat, sail, scuba dive, jet ski, parasail, kayak, and of course – fish!

The lakes’ waters never freeze, welcoming visitors’ activities year round.  All three lakes offer picnicking facilities and each access to the water at a number of public marinas and boat docks/launch areas. 

QUICK FACTS ON TABLE ROCK LAKE

has approx. 43,000 to 52,300 acres of surface

has 750+ miles of shoreline

Table Rock Dam and Powerhouse was completed in 1959

The dam is 6,423 feel long and 252 feet high

LAKE TANEYCOMO was formed with the completion of Powersite Dam in 1913.  It was originally a section or the White River, and although Taneycomo is now technically a lake, it retains the look and feel of a river.  When the Table Rock Dam was completed at Taneycomo’s headwaters in 1959, the nature of the lake changed.  Taneycomo’s water now comes from the bottom of Table Rock Lake, making it a cold water lake.  The cold, clear water, stocked annually with approximately 750,000 10-12” rainbow trout, makes Taneycomo a world-class trout fishing lake.  Lake Taneycomo got its name from the county it’s located in – Taney County Missouri ”Taney-Co.-Mo.”

Branson – A five season destination!

Heat up with Hot Winter Fun! Escape the winter blues and cure your cabin fever with a getaway to Branson during January, February, and March.  Because snowfall is infrequent, the winter months are a great time to visit Branson.  You can see shows, shop after Christmas sales, play golf, visit indoor attractions and museums, and fish on the area’s three lakes.  The easy pace combined with multiple choices for fun make a visit to Branson during Hot Winter Fun, the perfect escape.

Branson Springs to life!  As the temperatures rise in late March and April, dogwoods, redbuds, wildflowers, and forsythia begin to bloom, transforming the Ozarks into a springtime oasis.  Elaborate landscaping at area businesses and public parks makes for postcard perfect pictures.  Many of the area’s live performance venues introduce new acts and new shows at this time.

Splash into Summer!  The Associated Press calls Branson one of the top family vacation destinations in the country and for good reason.  The live shows in Branson offer families with children high-tech magical illusions, Chinese acrobats, daredevil skateboard exhibitions, high-flying trapeze artists, talking dogs, comedic characters, and of course, a variety of styles and periods of musical entertainment.

Fall for the Ozarks!  The autumn landscape in the Branson area explodes in an array of rich colors beginning in mid-September and lasting through late November. Great ways to see fall color in the Ozarks are via plane, helicopter, train, and boat at one of the area’s many excursion and sightseeing attractions.  Branson celebrates its traditional American heritage in the fall with craft and music festivals, patriotic events and many outdoor sporting activities.

Celebrate an Ozark Mountain Christmas!  Branson brings together a broad and unexpected mix of world-class entertainment, recreational and holiday spirit to provide a truly exhilarating vacation experience.  2005 marks the 18^th season for Ozarks Mountain Christmas as Branson transforms into a holiday wonderland featuring spectacular lighting displays, multiple shows celebrating Christmas, attractions in all their holiday glory and seasonal special events.

WEATHER: Branson’s weather is typical of the Midwest.  Spring and Fall offer mild temperature to enjoy the scenery, and winter snowfalls are usually moderate.  Summer days in Branson allow lots of time to enjoy outdoor activities.

VETERANS:  As the year-round home for America’s veterans, Branson salutes their service, their commitment and their ultimate sacrifice with multiple special events, warm welcomes and VIP treatment.  Men and women veterans and active duty military personnel from all branches and from all wars and conflicts are welcome in the Branson/Lakes Area every day of the year.

DID YOU KNOW?  Branson was selected by the White House to serve as a template city for the National Moment of Remembrance ceremony held every Memorial Day.

DID YOU KNOW?  Cold water and a river-like structure make Lake Taneycomo the ideal habitat to grow record-sized brown and rainbow trout.  In fact, in Sept. of 1998, an area resident caught a line class world record 25-lb. brown trout in Taneycomo.  The trophy catch, measuring 23.5 inches long, is the heaviest ever caught with a 2 lb. test line.

DID YOU KNOW?  The Branson area is home to New York Times Best-selling romance novelist Janet Dailey and her husband Bill, as well as renowned author and relationship expert Gary Smalley and his wife, Norma.

QUICK FACTS ABOUT BRANSON

6,050 – Branson population recorded in the 2000 US Census

68,361 – Taney and Stone County population recorded in the 2000 US Census

18+ square miles – Branson’s incorporated area

65,000 – average daily visitor count in the Branson/Lakes Area

More than 7 million visitors in the Branson/Lakes Area in 2003

Tourism is the Branson/Lakes Area’s chief industry

WORSHIP: Residents and visitors can choose from multiple places to worship at a variety of denominational churches throughout the Branson/Lakes area.  Area publications and newspapers publish church listings with worship times and locations.  Several theatres host Sunday morning worship services.