Branson Vacation

Branson MO is a city in Stone and Taney counties in the state of Missouri. It was named after Rueben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s. Branson is a popular destination for tourists from Missouri and everyone around the U.S. The population was recorded at 6,050 in the 2000 census.

History

In 1882, Rueben Branson opened a general store and post office in the area. Branson was formally incorporated in 1912 and construction of the Powersite Dam nearby on the White River which would form Lake Taneycomo was completed.

In 1894 William Henry Lynch had bought Marvel Cave and had begun charging visitors to see it. Hugo and Mary Herschend bought the cave in 1950 and began hosting square dances in it that were televised on Red Foley's Ozark Jubilee. The Herschend Family modernized the cave with electricity and cement staircases, and in 1960, the Herschends opened Silver Dollar City which was a recreated frontier town of five shops and a church, and it featured a log cabin with actors playing out the feud between Hatfields and McCoys.

Harold Bell Wright had published his novel about the Ozarks, The Shepherd of the Hills, in 1907. The Old Mill Theater began its first outdoor production based on the novel in 1960. The show still runs today.

The Presley family became the first to move their show to Highway 76 in 1967 (which would become known as the "strip"), and a year later, the Baldknobbers moved their show there as well. This area would eventually grow to more than 50 theaters – most located on Highway 76.

In 1983 Branson began its transformation into a major tourist attraction when the 7,500 seat Swiss Villa Amphitheatre opened in Lampe, Missouri. The theatre, which was later renamed the Black Oak Mountain Amphitheatre before utlimately closing in the early 2000s, proved there was a market for large music gatherings. Ironically, it started out as a venue for rock bands Def Leppard, Lynyrd Skynyrd, REO Speedwagon, Steppenwolf, and Ozzy Osbourne.

Also in 1983, Roy Clark opened the Roy Clark Celebrity Theatre, becoming the first famous country music star to have his own venue in Branson. Many ofperformers that have played in Branson, got their first start at that venue. A series of larger theaters opened soon thereafter. In 1987, Box Car Willie became the first entertainer with a permanent schedule in Branson.

In 2007, ground was broken for the $155 million Branson Airport on land formerly belonging to Tennessee Ernie Ford. Scheduled to open in May 2009, it is claimed that it will be the largest privately-owned commercial airport in the United States. The construction which involves flattening several Ozark mountains is said to be the largest earth moving project in Missouri history. Currently the closest commercial airport is Springfield-Branson National Airport 50 miles northwest of Branson. That airport is totally owned by the City of Springfield.

Theaters

Branson is home to more than fifty theaters, featuring numerous shows and productions.

Andy Williams Moon River

Baldknobbers Country

Bart Rockett

Branson Showcase

Branson Variety

Cabaret

Caravelle Theater

Circle B

Country Tonight

Dick Clark's American Bandstand

Dixie Stampede

Grand Country Music Hall

Grand Palace

Hamner Barber Theater

House of Rock

Imax Complex and Little Opry

Jim Stafford

Kirby Von Burch

Legends Family Theater

Mansion America

Moe Bandy

Music City

New Shanghai

Nova

Owen's Theater

Remington

Shake It Up Showclub

Shoji Tabuchi

Starlite

Tall Timber Lumberjack

The Hughes Brothers Celebrity Theater

The Welk Theater at the Welk Resort

Yakov Smirnoff

Other Attractions

Branson is also the home for several museums, three lakes, and twelve championship golf courses. Other local attractions include Silver Dollar City, Celebration City, White Water, an IMAX Theater, The Shepherd of the Hills, Stone Hill Winery, Ride The Ducks, and Branson Landing.
The Titanic Museum opened in 2006 and includes artifacts from the wreck of the RMS Titanic. Also on display are models of the ship, a full scale replica of the grand staircase and recreations of various rooms of the ship, in addition to eye-witness accounts of the events that occurred.

Another museum in Branson is the American Presidents Museum, one of only six similar museums in the nation, the American Presidents Museum showcases the lives and Presidency of those that have led the United States. The American Presidents Museum is under the direction of the National Center for Presidential Studies, a private non-profit educational organization.

Branson Landing opened in the summer of 2006 on the Lake Taneycomo waterfront in downtown Branson. The lakefront project includes retail space with Bass Pro Shops and Hudson Belk as anchors in an outdoor shopping mall of over stores and restaurants. The new Branson Convention Center, which is situated between the Landing and Historic Downtown Branson, opened September 7, 2007.

Developers are laying out plans for Pinnacle Falls to be located adjacent to Celebration City off of Highway 76. The first Phase, a $250 million dollar European-themed development, is planned to open in 2010 and will contain year-around attractions including an indoor water park, aquarium, themed restaurants, and shopping.

Demographics

As of the 2000 census, there were 6,050 people, 2,701 households, and 1,661 families residing in the city. The population density was 374.0 people per square mile (144.4/km²). There were 3,366 housing units at an average density of 208.1/sq mi (80.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.50% White, 0.84% African American, 0.86% Native American, 0.71% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.47% from other races, and 1.59% from two or more races. 4.26% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 2,701 households out of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.5% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.76.

In the city the population was spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 86.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,997, and the median income for a family was $43,145. Males had a median income of $31,769 versus $21,223 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,461. 12.1% of the population and 9.7% of families were below the poverty line. 15.6% of those under the age of 18 and 17.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.










This past July I spent an entire week in Branson, Missouri with my family, including the parents, grandparents, uncle, and cousins. We stayed in the Bluegreen Wilderness Club at Big Cedar. It's located just outside of Branson on Table Rock Lake, which was breathtaking. We tried to avoid the crowded areas so we weren't distracted from the "city life". There are all sorts of activities in the area, like fishing, golf, hiking and cave exploring. The first day there my brother and I rented canoes from Beaver Canoe Rental and went out on the lake. A couple of our cousins went with us, and the younger girls went horseback riding with my uncle.

The next morning we woke up really early and went to Silver Dollar City. We had such a great time! We spent the whole day there, riding the rides, checking out the shops, and really enjoying ourselves. We were so exhausted after spending the day there that everyone went straight to sleep soon after getting into the rooms. It was a good thing anyway since we had big plans the next day.

The girls went shopping while us guys spent the day at Branson Creek Golf Club. After golfing, We ate lunch at Cantina Laredo, which was delicious, before visiting Bass Pro Shops. We went to a couple shows, and they were both a lot of fun. The first show was Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede, which was pretty fun. We all had a great time and the pre-show was worth showing up an hour early. The horses were beautiful and the performance of the riders and MC was very entertaining. We were torn between watching this great show and eating the most flavorful food I have ever had. None of us were hungry when we left. They provided great audience participation and the hospitality of the wait staff was tremendous. I highly recommend it!

The other show we went to was the Showboat Branson Belle. We could not have made a better choice. The food was excellent, with adequate portions. The music was outstanding including a dixie music set that was being played as we were finding our seats. The show was incredible. The showboat truly does have a very talented cast. We especially enjoyed the musical montage with the costume changes and the comedy act. You could tell that all of these performers were born to be on the stage. The kids loved the "talking dog" show. Everything was really wonderful, and we got some great pictures!

We reserved the next day for exploring Branson. We went to the Titanic Museum, which was really intriguing. There are many, many actual artifacts from the real Titanic, and its history is very wonderfully told in this exhibit. You will get to feel an iceburg, stick your arm in water the same temperature of the ocean when the Titanic sank, and try to break the record for leaving your arm in the water. You will be amazed anyone survived, and those who did will touch you in a very personal way. You will be assigned one of their names when you enter the exhibit, and at the very end you will find out if they lived or died.

I hadn't spent that much time with my family in years, and we all had a really great time. Branson is a fantastic place for a family vacation, and there is something for everyone to do.