Branson: A history of great entertainment - Branson News Articles - Branson Tourism Center Branson: A history of great entertainment Branson: A history of great entertainment BRANSON, MO - Seven million people currently visit the small Midwestern town that has become the home to more than 45 theaters and 80 shows, world-class fishing and family theme parks. What was dubbed an "overnight success" in the early 1990s is actually a town seeped in lore and rich in history shaped by Mother Nature, American Indians and backwoods legends. Since the dawn of the 20th Century, Branson, Missouri, has been attracting visitors, lured by natural beauty and outdoor recreational activities. The traveling public was first drawn to Branson following the 1907 publication of Harold Bell Wright's novel, " The Shepherd of the Hills ." Readers flocked to the Ozarks to learn more about the lifestyle of the characters in the novel. The book's success was almost immediate. Millions of copies were sold in several languages, and four movie versions were filmed. It is now the fourth most widely read book in publishing history.

In those days, visitors came by train, disembarking at Hollister depot, now renovated and preserved as Hollister City Hall. The Missouri-Pacific Railroad completed the track of the White River Line through the Roark Valley in 1906, opening the area to tourism. The White River also attracted visitors who came to fish, swim and enjoy the rugged beauty of the Ozark Mountains. Ozark Beach Dam (also called the Powersite Dam) built in 1913 near Forsyth produced Lake Taneycomo, which became a haven for boaters and those looking for water recreation. The construction of Table Rock Dam, 22 miles up river, formed Table Rock Lake. In 1959, Table Rock Dam transformed Lake Taneycomo into a cold water as its waters came from (and still do) the bottom of Table Rock Lake. The water's chilly temperature discouraged swimmers and skiers from using Lake Taneycomo as they had in the past. With water recreation now flourishing at area lakes, the Missouri Department of Conservation discovered that Lake Taneycomo's cold water provided an ideal climate for trout. Over the next years, Table Rock Lake and Bull Shoals Lake developed national reputations for boating and water recreation.

Anglers also found them to be outstanding sources for bass, crappie, and other panfish. The area gained national prominence in entertainment in 1954 when Red Foley, a legendary country singer with 38 Top 10 hits moved to Springfield, Missouri to host the "Ozark Jubilee," one of the first successful network television shows. Locally, the Baldknobbers Jamboree is credited as being Branson's first show. In 1959, the Mabe Brothers, Bill, Jim, Lyle, and Bob began performing twice a week in a converted building on the Lake Taneycomo waterfront. The brothers combined popular country tunes with Ozark Mountain music and threw in a dash of comedy to entertain audiences wherever they could find them. Jim Mabe created one of the most recognized characters in Branson history, Droopy Drawers, and has entertained visitors from around the world. In 1968, the Baldknobbers built a theater on Highway 76 making their act the longest continuously running show in Branson.

In the 1960s, the Presley family began a music show at Underground Theatre (Talking Rocks Cavern) near Kimberling City with special guests from "Ozark Jubilee" including Red Foley himself. They then made history in 1967 when they opened the first music theater on what is now Highway 76. Gary Presley created the comic character Herkimer who, since 1962, has kept audiences in stitches and has taken his place among legendary Branson icons. In 1960, two families opened businesses that became popular family-oriented attractions in the Branson/Lakes Area. Hugo and Mary Herschend opened a small old-time Ozarks village attraction atop the long-popular Marvel Cave, about 10 miles west of Branson on Highway 76. They called it Silver Dollar City and offered an 1880s steam train ride, country shops, crafts and music. Following Hugo's death, Mary and her sons Jack and Peter continued to direct the growth of the family businesses, which have now expanded to include other popular Branson attractions: White Water , Grand Village Shops and the Showboat Branson Belle.

Today it has grown into a multi-million dollar entertainment complex with rides and amusements, shows, dining facilities, dozens of musicians, and an evening music show with a professional cast. The park also hosts five themed festivals each year. In 1998, Silver Dollar City was given the Applause Award by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions as the best theme park in the world. A few miles east of Silver Dollar City , Dr. Bruce Trimble and his wife Mary began staging an outdoor pageant based on the world-famous novel " The Shepherd of the Hills ." The amphitheater was purposely located on the site where the models for author Harold Bell Wright's characters lived. Under Mary's and their son Mark's direction, following the death of Dr. Trimble, the pageant grew into one of the nation's most popular ongoing outdoor historical dramas. A theme park was subsequently developed on the old homestead's acreage. Branson businessman Gary Snadon has since bought the historic homestead and theme park and continues to develop it as a historical landmark and leading family attraction.

Through the rest of the 60s and 70s, a growing number of entertainers continued to appear in Branson, and a milestone was reached in 1983 when the Roy Clark Celebrity Theatre, the first to be linked to a celebrity entertainer, opened. Other stars such as The Sons of the Pioneers and BoxCar Willie followed suit. During the gasoline shortage in the '70's, Ozark ingenuity saved the community. Approximately 85% of all visitors drive to Branson. The oil crunch hampered visitors' ability to made the trip. As a result, a group of Branson businessmen got together and purchased a supply of gasoline. The "If you get here, we'll get you back" promotion was born. Those visitors who drive into Branson were able to fill up at no charge so they could make the trip back home. As Branson began to gain a reputation in the 1980s for wholesome, family-oriented performances, entertainers migrated to the area. More theaters, hotels and attractions were constructed and the town began to build its reputation as an entertainment center. Locals and visitors alike could feel the electricity in the!

Branson was on its way to international stardom. Today, Branson is called the "Live Entertainment Capital of the World" with more than 80 live shows running daily from morning to night, dozens of attractions and more than 200 outlet retailers. Branson is known as a one-of-a-kind experience, a unique blend of neon and nature where big-name performers, world-class fishing and attractions galore attract visitors from around the world. BRANSON/LAKES AREA MAJOR MILESTONES 1907 - Harold Bell Wright's novel, " The Shepherd of the Hills ," is published. 1913 - The Ozark Beach Dam creates Bull Shoals Lake and turns a section of the White River into Lake Taneycomo. 1950s 1959 - Table Rock Dam is completed, forming Table Rock Lake and transforming Lake Taneycomo into a cold water lake. 1959 - The Baldknobbers Jamboree , a country music show named for a turn-of-the-century Ozarks vigilante gang, opens in downtown Branson.

1960s 1960 - Mary and Hugo Herschend open a small, old-time Ozarks village attraction atop the long popular Marvel Cave. 1960 - Mary and Bruce Trimble begin an outdoor pageant based on the novel " Shepherd of the Hills ," by Harold Bell Wright. Located on the site where the models for Wright's characters lived, the pageant grows into a popular national historical drama and eventually evolves into The Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Theatre . 1963 - The Presley family begins a music show at Underground Theater (Talking Rocks Cavern). 1967 - The Presley family makes history when they opened the first music show on what is today Highway 76 "The Strip." Today four generations of the Presley family perform in the Presleys' Country Jubilee . 1968 - The Baldknobbers Jamboree open a theater on Highway 76 at their present day location. 1970s 1970 - Mutton Hollow, a replica of an old Country Fair featuring an antique carousel and Ferris wheel, opens. 1971 - The Foggy River Boys open a music show in Kimberling City.

1974 - The Foggy River Boys move from Kimberling City to Highway 76 in Branson. 1973 - The Plummer Family Music Show opens on Highway 76. 1976 - Bob Mabe leaves the Baldknobbers Jamboree and opens Bob-O-Links Country Hoedown. 1980s 1981 - The Wilkinson Brothers Theatre, Hee Haw Theatre and first Starlite Theatre are completed. 1981 - Presleys' Country Jubilee is expanded to 2,000 seats making it the largest theater in Branson. 1981 - The Lowe family opens a music show on Indian Point near Silver Dollar City . 1982 - Chisai Childs purchases the Starlight Theatre. 1983 - The Roy Clark Celebrity Theater, the first to be permanently linked to a widely known entertainer, opens. 1983 - The Lowe family moves to a new theater on West Highway 76 in Branson. 1984 - The Sons of the Pioneers begin regular performances at Lowe's Theater in Branson. 1984 - The Braschler Music Show opens on Indian Point.

1984 - Musicland USA opens on Gretna Road just off Highway 76. 1985 - The Braschler Music Show moves to the Musicland USA theater. 1985 - Bill and Janet Daily buy the Hee Haw Theatre and open as Country Music World. 1985 - The Sons of the Pioneers move to the Foggy River Boys Theatre. 1986 - Ozark Mountain Amphitheater opens, with seating capacity of 8,500 and featuring guest artists. 1986 - The Lowe Sisters are the first Branson entertainers to appear on the Grand Ole Opry. 1986 - The Sons of the Pioneers are named to the Grammy Hall of Fame. 1987 - BoxCar Willie is the first celebrity entertainer to buy a theater and perform on a permanent basis. 1988 - Several music shows, attractions, accommodations and other businesses stay open into November and December during the first-ever Ozark Mountain Christmas. 1989 - Christie Lane purchases the Starlite Theater. 1989 - Japanese violinist and entertainer Shoji Tabuchi opens a music show in the newly renovated Ozark Theater.

1990s 1990 - Mickey Gilley opens Mickey Gilley's Family Theater. 1990 - Mel Tillis opens the Mel Tillis Theater. 1990 - 76 Music Hall becomes the first theater to offer three different shows daily. 1990 - Jim Stafford begins performing at the Stars of the Ozarks Theatre. 1990 - Darrel and Rosie Plummer of the Plummer Family Theatre retire from the stage, selling their theater to entertainer Moe Bandy . 1991 - Mutton Hollow Craft Village undergoes a million-dollar expansion with three staged entertainment facilities. The 22-year old attraction draws more than 500,000 visitors annually. 1991 - Branson is featured on the CBS television news magazine show "60 Minutes." 1991 - Ray Stevens, Moe Bandy , and Buck Trent all open theaters. 1991 - Construction begins on the 4,000-seat Grand Palace. 1991 - Jim Stafford announces the purchase of the Stars of the Ozarks Theatre. 1992 - Andy Williams opens the Moon River Theatre.

1992 - Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard perform at the Ozark Theater. 1992 - Dino Kartsonakis , Willie Nelson, The Gatlin Brothers and Jimmie Rodgers open theaters. 1992 - The Osmond Brothers open the Osmond Family Theatre and plan an entertainment, shopping and lodging complex called Branson Meadows. 1993 - Wayne Newton, John Davidson, Tony Orlando and "Pump Boys and Dinettes" theaters open. 1993 - Jim Stafford moves next door into the former Lowe's Theatre, his present location. 1993 - The Grand Village, a themed shopping and entertainment complex, opens. 1993 - Ozarks Discovery IMAX Theatre opens, featuring a 550-seat facility that features a six-story screen. 1993 - Loretta Lynn performs at the Ozark Theater. 1993 - Branson Scenic Railway offers passenger excursions into the Ozarks from its historic depot. Trains feature Vista-Dome cars and lights meals. 1994 - Illusionist Kirby Van Burch and singer Doug Gabriel open shows.

1994 - The Lawrence Welk Champagne Theatre opens with featured entertainers the Lennon Sisters, Jo Ann Castle, the Lennon Brothers, and many other entertainers from the late Welk's long-running television program. 1994 - Mickey Gilley opens his new theater on Highway 76. His former theater had been destroyed by fire in 1993. Entertainer Jim Owen performs morning shows at Gilley's. 1994 - The Grand Palace announces that the Radio City Rockettes will be featured in November and December when the famous Radio City Music Hall Spectacular is performed for the first time outside of New York. 1994 - Bill and Janet Daily purchase the Moe Bandy Theatre from Bandy, who will continue headlining the evening shows. 1995 - The $13 million Showboat Branson Belle, a football field-size showboat featuring meal cruises and live entertainment in its three-story opera house, takes its maiden voyage. 1995 - The Dixie Stampede , a Dollywood project, opens a food and fun extravaganza where guests enjoy dinner, pageantry and old-south entertainment.

1995 - The Braschler's new theater, the Magical Mansion, and the Gettysburg Theatre all open. 1995 - The first Hot Winter Fun is held January-March. 1996 - The Hollywood Wax Museum , Barbara Fairchild, Jennifer's Americana Theatre, Wild Wild West Show, Red, Hot and Blue and The Promise open. 1997 - Chateau on the Lake opens as a world-class resort featuring 302 rooms and a 32,000-foot convention center. 1997 - Yakov's American Pavilion , the Remington Theatre, and Positive Country Theater open. 1998 - Pam Tillis joins her father, Mel Tillis for weekly performances at the Mel Tillis Theater . 1998 - Jim Stafford , in a unique display of technology, combines rear screen projection with 3-D imagery on America's largest stereoscopic rear screen, to create one of America's most unusual entertainment and production shows. 1999 - Silver Dollar City's new water roller coaster, Buzz Saw Falls opens - this ride is a first of its kind. 1999 - Spirit of the Dance opens at the Grand Mansion.

It is a dance and musical show in the tradition of "Lord of the Dance." 2000 - Buzz Saw Falls opens at Silver Dollar City 2000 - Raintree Island opens at White Water 2000 - Bart Rocket opens at the Magical Palace 2001 - Wildfire opens at Silver Dollar City 2001 - Gatlin Brothers Christmas Reunion show opens at the MGH Center for the Performing Arts 2001 - The Duttons purchase and rename the BoxCar Willie Theater to the Dutton Family Theater 2002 - Newly renovated White House Theatre (formerly the Promise Theatre) opens. 2002 - The renovation of the Kirkwood Motel into the Music City Centre opens featuring the Haygoods . 2002 - The Majestic Theatre welcomes legendary stars Ed McMahon and Barbara Fairchild. New in 2003 2003 - The Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation's $40 million theme park Celebration City , opens. 2003 - Russian comedian Yakov Smirnoff welcomes superstar Pam Tillis to his What a Country Theatre. 2003 - Roy Rogers Dale Evans Museum and Happy Trails Theater opens in spring.

2003 - White Water adds a new double-speed slide, Raging River Rapids Customer Testimonials Missouri Boatride and Bluegrass on the Lake sponsorsHillbilly Music: StateoftheOzarks plate 1. A bass fiddle glows in the half-darkness of a bluegrass festival night. Starvy Creek Festival, Conway, Missouri. September 18, 2011. Bluegrass on the Lake 7PM Show Schedule: July 23, Brightwater Junction, Kimberling City Mall, Kimberling City, MO plate 2. Casey Lee Penn, Benton, Arkansas. Ozark Music Spotlight: Casey Lee Penn “Casey encompasses all the qualities of a real artist,” says Cindy Clark of the Clark Family Trio. “She is a vocal delight!” As a writer, “she seems to find just the right words for describing the flavor and bright spots. Casey is more than a music critic. She’s a fan!” As a songwriter, “her contributions to the music world have been given some pretty high recognition by her songwriting peers.

‘Oceans I’ve Cried,’ which she wrote with friend and fellow musician Rodger King, is a heart-melter.” An aspiring songwriter and musician, Penn’s day job is as creative director of her business, Pennwords Writing & Design. Her nonfiction writing appears in magazines such as Bluegrass Unlimited, Journal of the Arkansas Medical Society, and Talk Business & Politics. Born in Wyoming, Penn remembers always loving the fiddle but seldom being around someone playing it. “We seemed to live far from where the music was,” she recalls. “That was not true – Wyoming has always had its share of music – I just wasn’t aware of most of it as a kid. “As it was, I grew up around music in church and on the radio. I grew up loving the feel of my voice and felt, instinctively, that I could sing. I love the Lord, and singing in church with my family was always part of my life.” These days, Penn is finding opportunities to use her voice – in church, yes, but also outside of church, where she enjoys the feeling of connecting emotionally with an audience. It’s been a slow process. So how does a young girl in Wyoming find herself in the Ozark hills of Arkansas?

“When I was 10, my dad surrendered to preach. We moved to Arkansas so he could attend the seminary. It was the hardest — and in the end, most wonderful — trip of our lives,” she recalls. “I’ve never regretted growing up in Arkansas. I do wish, at times, that I’d have landed a little closer to the Ozarks, where I could have been exposed earlier to a little front porch picking and singing.” Other than a few years of piano and violin lessons, and singing in church, Penn wasn’t around a lot of music. “I didn’t have folks to sit around and play music with, and we didn’t live in a place where music was the ‘big’ thing,” she said. “It fell to the back burner, and though I missed it, I spent years enjoying other passions – writing, mostly – and just growing up.” By 19, Penn was married, working and earning a degree in mass media and writing from Henderson State University. There wasn’t time for a lot of extras, but there was music in the family. “Thankfully, I married into a family that loved and played bluegrass gospel.

I pulled my fiddle back out and learned to improvise along, and did some singing. My husband and I played with a family group at our church and around the region in some fellow church services.” As life got busy, as it tends to do, music again went to the back burner. The family played together less, and there was a career to mind and kids to raise. Still, the desire for music was there inside. “I thought sometimes about performing, recording, and otherwise using my talent, but I didn’t do anything about it for too many years,” said Penn, who admits sometimes feeling alone in her wish to play and sing “out.” “It isn’t fair to say that any one kept me from pursuing music,” said Penn. “Singing was something I spent some time thinking about. I could not see a responsible path to it, so I kept that particular ambition to myself. On occasion, I pushed my way onto a stage somewhere to get it out of my system for a while, but that was the extent of it. It took tragedy to push Penn a little harder toward the Ozark music scene. “2011 was a difficult, but life-changing year for me.

My dad died unexpectedly, and it was a hard loss, and a spotlight on life’s brevity. I am still learning from it. I find myself much more empathetic to others who suffer loss or falter as they travel life’s rocky pathway. “In short, I woke up! I found myself looking at life vividly and what was missing was very clear to me: my music. I decided to make something happen. I got involved with a fiddle workshop here, a small performance there. Before I knew it, I was consumed with possibilities!” Since getting more serious about music, Penn has been taking opportunities as she can to learn, grow, and search for her fit in the music world. Penn has begun performing periodically at the Ozark Folk Center. Other performances have included Mt. Ida Front Porch Stage, Central Arkansas NSAI Showcases, and private events around Arkansas. She also joined the Central Arkansas Chapter of Nashville Songwriters Association International. “I have a handful of songs under my belt and have met and performed with some great artists.” Recently, Penn and co-writer Rodger King performed together and won the Arkansas Talent Search Songwriting Division. A resulting album, for release this spring, will feature their songwriting together and as independent artists.

“I’m writing songs and singing, and I have a group of friends and family that play with me regularly. I call on them as ‘bandmates’ more all of the time and I’m enjoying every minute of learning and growing with them. “I realize I’m getting a late start,” she says. “I’m committed to being a mom, wife and small business owner. I don’t want to walk away from any of those things, but at the same time, I’m searching for my place in this business of music.” plate 3. Sassafras grove, Baker Creek Farm, Mansfield, MO. Photo credit, J. Heston. October 24, 2007. “So the days slipped over the wood-fringed ridges. The soft green of tree, and of bush and grassy slope changed to brilliant gold, and crimson, and russet brown, while the gray blue haze that hangs always over the hollows took on a purple tone.

Then in turn this purple changed to a deeper, colder blue, when the leaves had fallen, and the trees shows naked against the winter sky.” — Harold Bell Wright, 1907 A few years back some ole boys got together to play some music in the Ozarks. Family and friends brought their lawn chairs over and they made an evening of it. Now it is a tradition. Right here in the Ozarks near Branson, Missouri, is some of the finest Bluegrass pickin’ you will ever hear, we promise you. The bands may change, but the music will always play over these Ozark hills and across Table Rock Lake. We are dedicated to keep this traditional Ozark style Bluegrass music going. And offer FREE Bluegrass Concerts to the public in Kimberling City, Missouri starting in early spring. Bluegrass On Table Rock Lake’s bands perform in the Parking Lot at the Kimberling City Shopping Center weather permitting. During the colder months will be hosted at the First Christian Church at # 5 Hilltop Dr. Kimberling City, MO. located at the corner of Joe Bald Road and Hilltop Drive.

Missouri Boatride The Missouri Boatride bluegrass band was formed in the late 1990s when a group of family and neighbors began “jamming” together. A uniqueness of musical talent in instrumentals and vocals appeared and the group began receiving request to perform publicly. They are the founding band of the Bluegrass On The Lake Concert Series in Kimberling City, Missouri. Band members include Justin Sifford (guitar, vocals), Larry Sifford (bass, emcee), Dean Webb (mandolin), and Dennis Pritchard (fiddle). Visit Bluegrass on the Lake.com For bad weather cancellations, see our Facebook Page . ...Annabelle by Joshua Heston Annabelle is the haunting second track of the Gillian Welch album Revival. “We cannot have all things to please us, no matter how we try,” sings New York City-born (and California-raised) Welch with all the heartbreak of a real-life Ozarker. Welch, associate producer and performer on the now-celebrated O Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack, isn't exactly a household name. But there’s something both plaintive and deeply arresting in her songs and phrasings.

I’m not entirely sure why, but when I listen Gillian Welch sing Annabelle I can't help but think of the farming folk up in Christian County, Missouri. Rolling hills hold farming communities punctuated by rivers like the James and Finley, all in the shadow of the Queen City of the Ozarks: Springfield. Christian County is a land of countless stories. “When I’m dead and buried, I’ll take a hard life of tears, from every day I’ve ever known. Anna’s in the churchyard, she’s got no life at all / She’s only got these words of stone...” It kinda makes me want to know every single one of those stories. — from March 27, 2011, State of the Ozarks Weekly Issue 176 plate 2. All-American Bluegrass Girl Rhonda Vincent works tirelessly to popularize bluegrass and acoustic music. Sally Mountain Festival, Greentop, Missouri. July 02, 2005.

Hilbilly Music Discovering Branson, Missouri & the Ozarks Discovering Branson, Missouri & the Ozarks Share on Google+ Many of you might have heard about Branson, Missouri, but few of you have ever been there Some of you might think of Branson as a fabrication, as a sort of Las Vegas without gambling..Or a place where former Las Vegas headliners go to perform in their final years. We sent contributing writer David DeVoss to the area, and then around the Ozarks, on a mission to discover the real Branson. And on the way, he found a very different place—unique entertainment, restaurants that serve ample portions, and some fun and quirky accommodations. Here’s his report. When I told neighbors in Los Angeles that I was going to Branson, Missouri, their facial reactions embodied the word consternation. “Isn’t that the Christian country place?,” they responded nervously, attempting to elicit information without giving offense. “Why not just drive to Vegas?” Like Las Vegas, Branson is a tourist town whose economy relies on entertainment venues showcasing musicians, magicians, acrobats, and dramatic productions. But that’s where the likeness ends.

Halal restaurants may be in short supply, but there is no shortage of hospitality for visitors of all faiths and their families. Despite its official population of 11,000, Branson has hundreds of attractions that range from balloon rides, cable cars, and zip lines to museums, country parks, and dinner theatres. If you missed the Treasures of the Titanic exhibition that toured the country a decade ago you’ll be able to see some 400 Titanic artifacts, as well as a scale model of the ocean liner staffed by actors in period dress. Visitors are given the name of a passenger when they enter the ship, and prior to leaving you can check to see if your passenger survived the 1912 journey. Legends is a musical review where look-alike vocalists channel Elvis Presley, Tina Turner, Kenny Chesney, Taylor Swift, and other entertainers. My favorite is Presleys’ Country Jubilee , a musical comedy stage show where Presley family millennials give contemporary relevance to a Grand Ole Opry -style production. The first thing you’ll notice about Branson is the friendliness and absence of profanity. Entertainers here don’t retreat to a backstage Green Room during intermission.

They hang out with the audience and will remain after the show to discuss music, swap family stories, and pose for selfies. Show tickets are reasonably priced and reservations are not essential during the spring and autumn months, but reserving seats in the summer is always a good idea. Branson has two streets worth exploring by foot. They first is the city’s Main Street that leads to Branson’s Landing, a mixed-use commercial and residential area fronting Lake Taneycomo. There you’ll find Dick’s 5 and 10 , a vintage drug store that anchors a block full of antique, quilting, and jewelry shops. The other walking street is Branson Landing Boulevard, a pedestrian promenade anchored by the Bass Pro Shop . A creation of Springfield, Missouri native Johnny Morris, Bass Pro sells everything from fishing lures and bass boats to barbeque sauce and hunting rifles. Morris is a beloved benefactor in the Ozarks, so be warned: strangers can be forgiven for taking the Lord’s name in vain, but don’t disparage Johnny Morris unless you have just cause.

One of Morris’ gifts to the region is Dogwood Canyon Nature Park , a 10,000-acre park 26 miles southwest of Branson that contains trout streams, waterfalls, a wedding chapel, and a wildlife sanctuary with buffalo and Longhorn steers. If you have parks close to home, however, I’d skip Dogwood Canyon and spend the day—a full day—at Silver Dollar City , an Ozark Mountains crafts park 14 miles from downtown Branson. Silver Dollar City has a limestone cave, six roller coasters, a steam train, several carousels, a white water plunge, and rafting experience plus numerous rides for small children. But the park’s major attractions are 100 artisans who produce, sell, and take orders for a variety of handmade artifacts. Silver Dollar City was conceived to be an early 20th century Ozark mountain town. There’s a blacksmith, glass blower, a wood carver who makes carousel ponies, a metallurgist who makes fine cutlery and Bowie knives, and three delightful women who produce candy from 19th century recipes. There are also a number of theatrical venues that pulse with the sounds of fiddles, banjos, and guitars.

The Boatworks Theater is home to a country group called Sons of the Silver Dollar and when they ask audiences to join them in singing Lee Greenwood’s “ Proud to be an American, “ they do. Getting to Branson Branson has its own airport, but it is woefully small and served only by two airlines: AirTran and Sun Country. A more efficient and economical way to get there is to fly into Springfield, a mid-sized town less than an hour North of Branson. There’s plenty to see in Springfield . The second battle of the Civil War was fought at Wilson’s Creek . Numerous historical sites sit astride a road circling the battlefield. A convenient mobile app allows visitors to hear a full account of each location. Fantastic Caverns is worth a tram ride through on a sweltering summer day. Its vaulted chambers have hosted both Prohibition speakeasies and Christian worship services. For me, shopping on a vacation means wasting time browsing and carrying home extra weight. But if you like antiques, old books, and funky memorabilia, visit the Relics Antique Mall , a gigantic warehouse where locals sell items on consignment. It’s like rummaging through an attic the size of a Walmart.

Yes, there’s a lot of stuff you might find at a yard sale, but I did find a poster from the 1956 World Series. If you like baseball, check out the Springfield Cardinals baseball stadium, a beautiful place to watch St. Louis’ minor league affiliate. People wearing KC Royals blue also are welcome. Before leaving for Branson, make time to stroll around Springfield’s town square. Back in 1865 it was the site of America’s first quick draw gunfight when Wild Bill Hickok shot a poor misfortunate who took Hickok’s watch in payment of a gambling debt. This was no face-to-face shootout of the sort portrayed on TV westerns. Hickok was 75 yards away when he dropped the man whose only offense was refusing to sell back to Hickok the watch he had legally won. Springfield is not known for fine dining, but that doesn’t mean it lacks good eats. Just around the corner from the gunfight plaza is the Hurts Donut Company , a seemingly modest business that literally is packed with customers buying donuts topped with Oreo cookies, s’mores, or chocolate-encrusted with Fruit Loops. Prices are amazingly cheap; a dozen glazed costs $8.

Diabetics Beware! If you survive Hurts Donuts or, better still, avoid it entirely, you’ll have enough appetite to stop at Lambert’s Café just off Highway 65 on the road to Branson. Lambert’s is the “Home of Throwed Rolls,” an activity you can imagine but one I’ll describe later. Lambert’s is a local restaurant that does not take reservations. No tour buses here. You hand in your name and wait outside on the porch along with folks from Ozark, Sparta, and Poplar Bluff. You’ll want to come hungry because the portions are huge. I passed on the “rooster cut” and ordered the hen-sized chicken fried steak and was surprised to see it was the size of a catcher’s mitt. Cynics will call Lambert’s a temple devoted to gluttony, which it is. (Every year Lambert’s serves 111,000 lbs. of beef (equal to the weight of 221 steers), 212,000 lbs. of chicken, 61,200 lbs.

of okra, nearly 2,000,000 pats of butter and enough throwed rolls to stretch 178 miles if placed side by side.) But the food is excellent. Side dishes here are augmented by complimentary “pass arounds” that consist of fried potatoes, macaroni, okra, and black-eyed peas, all continuously served by young waiters ready to be summoned by a royal flick of the wrist or arched eyebrow. Then there are the rolls: massive pillows of bread that look like an Ozark Yorkshire Pudding. Except this hot dough comes at you like a steaming softball ready to be slathered in sorghum molasses. Side Trip to Arkansas There’s a lot to do in Branson, but after four or five days you’ll probably want to see more of the Ozarks. You should, since northwest Arkansas has an artistic mountain town on the National Register of Historic Places, a haunted hotel built in 1886, an ethereal woodland chapel rated fourth on the list of the 20th Century’s most beautiful buildings by the American Institute of Architects, and an art museum rivaling those in New York, California, and Washington, D.C.

One hour southwest of Branson is the Ozark mountain town Eureka Springs (population 2,000). Although there are people living there who commute to Branson for work, Eureka Springs is mostly home to artists whose galleries line the limestone streets and sidewalks. Want to meet sculptors of steel, scrimshanders, decoupers, teleprinters, and potters? Eureka Springs is the place. There are a lot of artsy towns in America and too many of them are boring and overpriced. Eureka Springs’ personality constantly evolves because of the number of people passing through to attend book festivals, cooking classes, and theatrical events, or to purchase locally produced artworks from the town’s 25 galleries. Just beyond Eureka Springs on Highway 62 to Bentonville you’ll find Thorncrown Chapel , an airy wood-beamed structure with 425 windows containing 6,000 square feet of glass. Completed in 1980, the chapel won design of the year and design of the decade awards from the American Institute of Architects, and today is considered the fourth most beautiful building of the last century.

Recessed lights play off the surrounding glass walls so crosses appear to hover amid the surrounding forest. Thorncrown is second only to Las Vegas in the number of weddings performed annually. Bentonville (population 40,000) is not where you’d expect to find Crystal Bridges , one of the country’s finest American art museums. Sam Walton’s daughter Alice thought Ozark children should be exposed to fine art. She used her share of the Walton Family Foundation to purchase iconic masterworks ranging from Charles Willison Peale’s 1781 portrait of George Washington and Norman Rockwell’s 1943 Rosie the Riveter to modern paintings by Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. The museum doesn’t open until 11 a.m. so that school children (more than 75,000 have visited since the museum opened in 2011) will have the first two hours of each day to study the paintings of the era that inspired their creation. It’s possible to visit Eureka Springs and all the other attractions described above in a single day, but returning to Branson will mean driving at night.

Bentonville has a modern hotel called the 21c Museum Hotel , which is as sophisticated as any boutique property you might find in New York or San Francisco. But I recommend returning to Eureka Springs to experience the 1886 Crescent Hotel , a National Trust for Historic Preservation accommodation that President Grover Cleveland would have loved. Located in the Eureka Springs’ Historic District—home to more than 100 restored Victorian shops, restaurants, and galleries—this Victorian hotel is surrounded by hundreds of Victorian cottages, ample green space, and hidden trails. The Crescent has retained its 19th-century character with 14-foot ceilings in the Crystal Ballroom, an elegant and hand-painted lobby, period furnishings in guest rooms, and large verandas that allow you to enjoy the fresh mountain air. The Crescent’s antique elevator groans, its upper floors creak, and late at night whiffs of perfume from unseen sources float around the corridors. Ask for a ghost tour if you’re staying at the hotel, but try to avoid ESP Weekend (Eureka Springs Paranormal), when ghost busters waving meters calibrated to detect a spectral presence come to Eureka Springs.

Question: What small city in the Ozark mountains is famous for its musical theatres?
Answer: Branson, Missouri