Branson

Branson's entertainment industry began with the Baldknobbers, a family act that started performing in 1959, and grew through the country music boom - by the 1990s a strip of theatres along Highway 76 was drawing several million visitors a year, most of them older and most arriving by coach or car rather than plane. The town has more theatre seats than Broadway despite a resident population of about twelve thousand. Shows run matinees as much as evenings, which suits the audience. Silver Dollar City, an 1880s-themed park with craft demonstrations and coasters, is the other main draw. Table Rock Lake and Lake Taneycomo surround the town. Titanic Museum Branson is a half-scale ship-shaped building.

What you actually see

• More theatre seats than Broadway - in a town of twelve thousand.
• Matinee-led scheduling - built around the audience it has.
• Silver Dollar City - crafts and coasters in an 1880s theme.
• Two lakes around the town - Table Rock and Taneycomo.

When to go

April to December; the Christmas season is a peak. A full day or several.

Honest expectations

Highway 76 traffic is notoriously slow in season. The entertainment is squarely aimed at a particular audience and taste. Show tickets add up quickly. January and February are very quiet.

Nearby

Table Rock Lake is west; Springfield is north.