Branson is a resort city in the U.S. state of Missouri. Most of the city is situated in Taney County, with a small portion in the west extending into Stone County. Branson is in the Ozark Mountains. The community was named after Reuben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s. The population was 12,638 at the 2020 census, which constitutes nearly one fourth of the Taney County population.
Branson has long been a popular destination for vacationers from Missouri and around the country. The collection of entertainment theaters along 76 Country Boulevard (and to a lesser extent along Shepherd of the Hills Expressway), including Dolly Parton's Stampede, has increased Branson's popularity as a tourist destination. Branson is the site of the Branson Cross, the largest cross monument in North America.
History
In 1882, Reuben Branson (born 1853) opened a general store and post office in the area. Branson was formally incorporated on April 1, 1912, and construction of the Powersite Dam nearby on the White River which would form Lake Taneycomo was completed.
In 1894, William Henry Lynch bought Marble Cave (renamed "Marvel Cave") and began charging visitors to tour it. Hugo and Mary Herschend leased the cave for 99 years in 1950 and began hosting square dances in it. The Herschend Family modernized the cave with electricity and concrete staircases, and in 1960 the Herschends opened Silver Dollar City, a recreation of a frontier town that featured five shops, a church, and a log cabin, with actors that reenacted the feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys.
Growth as a cultural attraction
Harold Bell Wright published his novel about the Ozarks, The Shepherd of the Hills, in 1907. The novel became an international best seller, making Wright the first millionaire author and established Branson and Southwest Missouri as a tourist destination. The Old Mill Theater began its first outdoor production based on the novel in 1960. The show, known as The Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Drama, continued in its 61st season for 2021. The historic farm is also the home of Inspiration Tower, the Shepherd of the Hills Adventure Park as well as numerous other shows and attractions.
The Harold Bell Wright Museum is located within The World's Largest Toy Museum complex. Mayor of Branson for 12 years and entrepreneur Jim Owen built the first theater in 1934 on Commercial Street, originally called "The Hillbilly Theater", which began to attract people from far and wide to tour the area. 1959 saw the completion of Table Rock Dam on the White River, which created Table Rock Lake. In 1959, the Mabe Brothers started a band that, in 1961, would become the first music show in Branson. Taking their name from the parts they played in the Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Drama, they became known as the Baldknobber Hillbilly Jamboree.
In 1962, Paul Henning, inspired by a Boy Scout camping trip to the Ozarks, created The Beverly Hillbillies, which ran as a CBS television sitcom until 1971. Henning later donated for the Ruth and Paul Henning Conservation Area near Branson. He also donated the modified 1921 Oldsmobile truck used as the vehicle in the series to the College of the Ozarks, where it is on display in the Ralph Foster Museum.
The Presley family became the first to move their show (Presleys' Country Jubilee) to Highway 76 in 1967, followed a year later by the Baldknobbers. Eventually Branson would have more than 50 theaters, most of them located on Highway 76.
Also in 1983, the 7,500-seat Swiss Villa Amphitheatre opened in Lampe, southwest of Branson. The outdoor amphitheater brought in acts like Def Leppard, Lynyrd Skynyrd, REO Speedwagon, Steppenwolf, and Ozzy Osbourne. Closing in the early 2000s, it reopened in 2010 as the Black Oak Mountain Amphitheater. Closing suddenly in 2013, it went unused until relaunching live music events in 2021.
In 1987, Boxcar Willie became the first internationally known entertainer to purchase a theater in Branson and have a permanent performance schedule there.
In 1989, Shoji Tabuchi opened his first theater in Branson (converting the Ozarks Auto Museum on West 76 Highway into a theater). He then built a new theater on Shepherd of the Hills Expressway in 1990, while Mel Tillis moved into Tabuchi's old theater. In 1990-1991 several nationally known stars such as Jim Stafford, Ray Stevens, Mickey Gilley, and Moe Bandy opened their own theaters. Along with these national stars, many home-grown shows also had theaters. The Lowe Family featured their show and hosted nationally known stars like Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn, Vern Gosdin, Waylon Jennings, and others. 76 Music Hall (now known as the Grand Country Music Hall) became the first theater to have three different shows a day performing in different time slots. In 1991, local producer and entertainer Bob Nichols opened the first morning show and the following year, Buck Trent became the first nationally known star to star in a morning show.
The increasing number of theaters and other attractions opening in Branson drew the attention of 60 Minutes, which aired an episode about Branson on December 8, 1991, and called it the "live music capital of the entire universe".
Andy Williams built his theater in Branson, opening on May 1, 1992, calling it the Moon River Theatre. The Glen Campbell Goodtime Theatre opened in 1994, starring Glen along with his "Goodtime Band", daughter Debbie Campbell, the Matthew Dickens Dancers, and comedian ventriloquist Jim Barber. Also headlining their own theaters were Tony Orlando (Yellow Ribbon Theater) and Bobby Vinton (Blue Velvet Theater). In 1998, the Acrobats of China arrived in Branson, making them one of the first international shows to call Branson home. They opened their theatre, the New Shanghai Theatre, in 2005. In 2006, Dick Clark's American Bandstand Theatre opened and is the most recent new theater to be built on Route 76. Branson has continued to add theaters (the most recent being the Sight & Sound Theatres) and shows; it refers to itself as "the live music show capital of the world".
2012 tornado
Just after 1 a.m. on February 29, 2012, the city of Branson sustained damage from an EF2 tornado in the 2012 Leap Day tornado outbreak. 47 injuries were reported, most being cuts and bruises, with one person sustaining critical injuries after a roof collapse. Most of the tourist attractions and businesses were undamaged and remained open after the storm, although at least 37 buildings were destroyed within Branson and $15 million (2012 USD) in damages was inflicted upon the city. As of November 2012, most of the damage was repaired. Mary Jane Rice, a spokeswoman for Branson Area Chamber of Commerce, told the AP that February is generally a slow time for business and most of the damage would be cleaned up in the next few days.
thumb|A photo of the Hilton Convention Center Hotel in Branson, which suffered significant damage.
The tornado followed a path from Kimberling City, Missouri, across Table Rock Lake and along the entertainment strip 76 Country Boulevard before hitting the downtown area where it blew out or cracked windows in 219 of the hotel rooms in the 12-story/295 room Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel. The tornado extensively damaged three of Branson's 50-plus theatres — (Americana Theater, Branson Variety Theater and Dick Clark's American Bandstand Theater) and there was damage to portions of Branson Landing on Lake Taneycomo and the Veterans Memorial Museum. Vehicles at the Ride the Ducks water/land attraction were flipped over, but officials said they were not damaged enough to be put out of service.
Attractions and events
alt=|thumb|Hollywood Wax Museum - Branson MOBranson's local attractions include Aquarium at the Boardwalk, Beyond The Lens!, Hollywood Wax Museum Branson, Wonderworks, Silver Dollar City, White Water, Ripley's Super Fun Zone, Mount Pleasant Winery, Dolly Parton's Stampede, helicopter rides, ziplines, cave tours, go-karts, mini golf, and more. Ripley's Odditorium is housed in a building that has been made to look as if it is cracked wide open by an earthquake or other disaster, while the Titanic Museum is a half-scale replica of the famous ship and iceberg.
alt=|thumb|Dick's 5 & 10, a gift and souvenir shop
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 Belk as anchors in an outdoor shopping mall of stores and restaurants. It also features a scenic boardwalk along the lakefront with the Branson Landing Fountains at the heart of the property as well as a Hilton Hotel. Branson Landing has been known to host summer concerts and other special events throughout the year. The convention center, situated between Branson Landing and Historic Downtown Branson, opened September 7, 2007. The Branson Scenic Railway is located in the old depot, across from Branson Landing.
Due to Branson being known for family-oriented tourism, casino gambling is frowned upon and it does not exist in this area. However, Branson's neighboring cities do offer those types of entertainments for those who enjoy gambling.
Finally, Branson's ferris wheel, moved from Chicago's Navy Pier in 2016, provides a scenic view of the Ozarks from 150 feet.
Geography
The White River/Lake Taneycomo forms a bend on the east and southern side of the city. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.59%) is water.
Climate
Branson has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) with characteristics of a continental climate. The hardiness zone is 7a.