If you're tired of the standard beach vacation (which, let's face it, you can only take so many sunburned shoulders, jellyfish stings and grains of sand in your bed), then Branson, Missouri, is a place you should consider checking out. Branson thrives off tourism, and it's abounding with everything: miniature golf, zip-lining through the mountains, old-timey photo booths, go-kart racing, and a host of interesting restaurants, museums and theaters. Here are just a few places I highly suggest making a point to visit:
1. The Sight & Sound Theatre
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This theatre is absolutely awesome. Their motto is "Where the Bible Comes to Life!" and they do an excellent job of portraying the typical Sunday School Bible stories in exciting, engaging ways. They're currently performing "Moses," and I've seen productions of both "Joseph" and "Jonah." As you can see from the picture, they have elaborate sets that evolve throughout the shows and original, catchy music. Also, the shows often feature live animals that walk down the aisle right next to you! (Follow the theatre on Instagram for updates on their shows: @sightandsoundtheatres).
2. Silver Dollar City
Your classic amusement park. Silver Dollar City features all that you expect: roller coasters big and small, exciting performances and all the junk food you could want (including frozen lemonade, an old-time candy store with killer saltwater taffy, and spiral potatoes: potatoes sliced, fried in your requested seasoning and then placed on a stick for your eating enjoyment). The celebration at Christmastime is a sight to be seen, complete with seasonally-themed shows and the entire park decked out in colorful lights and holiday decorations.
3. Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede
Like Medieval Times, but Southern. As you watch the show, you're served a four-course meal that includes rotisserie chicken, vegetable soup, potatoes, a homemade biscuit and more. (They have vegetarian and gluten-free meals as well). The show itself is a "competition" between the North and South, and it features fireworks, horse trick-riding and other performances. I distinctly remember cheering during an ostrich race when I went several years ago. Needless to say, it's full of entertainment all ages can enjoy!
4. Ripley's Believe It or Not
Ripley's is about as off-the-wall as it gets. This place features exhibits of artwork, machines, artifacts and people you've never even thought to imagine before. The world's largest ball of twine, a set of clothes designed for fleas, a 10-foot "painting" of a woman made entirely out of M&Ms, a clay bust of a man who lived with a horn growing out of his head, and more. It's honestly just one of those places you have to see to believe.
5. The Hollywood Wax Museum
The wax museum has life-size, extremely realistic figures of every celebrity you could want, from Johnny Depp and Jamie Foxx to Marilyn Monroe and John Wayne, and tons more. It also includes interesting information about each of the people, like their pets and pet peeves.
6. Mel's Hard Luck Diner
This restaurant is worth visiting just to say you've been. The waiters and waitresses are singers who are having difficulty making it into the major performances in Branson, so they come to work at Mel's Diner while continuing to audition for shows, hence the "hard luck" part of the diner's name. During your dining experience, several of the servers will grab the microphone and perform their signature solos or duets. (Please note that I included this one strictly because of the singing dynamic, not necessarily because of the quality of the food.)
7. Promised Land Zoo
Branson's very own family-owned zoo, complete with a range of animals from tigers to baboons to alpacas, and more. You can feed many of the animals (with food purchased from the zoo), and at select times, you can even help bottle-feed baby zebras, camels and deer! The zoo also has live animal shows where the audience can interact with 5-6 animals not typically on display.
