The History of Tourism in Branson

Neil Sawford • September 13, 2024

The History Of Tourism in Branson

The History of Tourism in Branson


Branson's tourism industry took off in 1960, so much so that Missouri Pacific stopped passenger service on its White River Line. Traffic on the winding U.S. 65 from Springfield to Branson often delayed passage since many people arrived by automobile.

A new road through the limestone hills was constructed with the assistance of dynamite teams and earth-moving equipment, cutting the 75-mile distance between Springfield and Branson down to 40 miles. After this new road was built, Branson has long seen a surge in visitors from nearby Missouri cities.

Branson's stunning scenery, fascinating history, amazing sights, and thrilling activities have made it a well-liked tourist destination. The exciting river journey on a jetboat in Branson is one of the newest attractions that many people want to experience.

See more about Branson's tourism history by reading important historical facts.



Marvel Cave was first discovered by the Osage Indians about 1500 AD. The Spanish came to the region in 1541 hoping to find the Fountain of Youth and were let down. In 1869, miners from St. Louis went there hoping to find marble and lead ore, but they left just as disappointed.

William Henry Lynch, a mining specialist from Canada, discovered the Marvel Cave, bought it, and moved to the Ozarks with his two daughters to become the region's first tourist destination. Marvel Cave has been operating for almost 50 years, initially welcoming visitors in 1894.

The Herschend family leased the cave in 1950 and performed substantial renovations to facilitate simple access for visitors. The Herschend family built an 1880s Ozark Mountain Village around Marvel Cave's entrance in 1960, marking the start of Silver Dollar City's development.

1907 – Shepherd of the Hills Puts the Ozarks on the Map

Aspiring writer Harold Bell Wright from Kansas relocated to the Ozarks in 1898, settling on John and Anna Ross's land. Wright wrote The Shepherd of the Hills, a 1907 publication that honored the magnificence of the Ozarks and its people, as an homage to the beauty of his delightful life in Branson, Missouri. After being published, the book was a huge hit, selling millions of copies.

For over ten years following the book's release, there was a surge in tourism in the region, with many visitors asking questions about "Old Matt's Cabin," as Wright called the Ross Homestead in the book. In 1923, Lizzie McDaniel purchased the Ross Homestead and converted it into a museum. McDaniel staged the first Shepherd of the Hills reenactments on the homestead's lawn.


1910s – Rockaway Beach Becomes a Vacation Hot Spot

Constructed in 1913, the Ozark Beach Dam provided water to Lake Taneycomo. She facilitated the development of the nearby vacation resort of Rockaway Beach. After the surrounding community grew, tourists eager to enjoy boating, fishing, and swimming in Lake Taneycomo's waters arrived.

Most tourists to Rockaway Beach get there by boat from the White River Line Railway depot in nearby Hollister, Missouri, located on Lake Taneycomo. Today, Lake Taneycomo makes it a great destination to enjoy a thrilling river journey on a jetboat in Branson.

Before Table Rock Lake was created in 1959 due to the Table Rock Dam, Rockaway Beach was well-liked for a long time. As the lake at Rockaway grew unsafe for swimming, the resort lost its appeal as a holiday destination.

Conversely, Rockaway Beach has reinvented itself as a quaint village on the lake, offering some of the country's greatest trout fishing.


1959/1960s – Live Music Starts in Branson

In 1959, the Mabe brothers, also referred to as the Baldknobbers, made Branson famous by being the first Missouri community to host live entertainment events. The group's combination of humor and country music created a winning formula for the genre in Branson and is still featured in many hit performances. The singing comedians moved to a new theater on W. Taneycomo from their old location near Lake Taneycomo Country Road.

Moreover, Branson is fast emerging as one of the country's premier golf destinations, partly because of Johnny Morris, the founder of Bass Pro Shops, who made significant investments there. Five nationally acclaimed golf courses may be found near Morris's Big Cedar Lodge, an opulent forest resort south of Branson. Branson is one of the nation's greatest and most stunning golf destinations, home to Big Cedar Golf and numerous other award-winning golf courses.

Branson is steadfast in providing a holiday spot that appeals to all travelers. Branson continues to expand, drawing tourists for decades due to its natural beauty, outdoor leisure opportunities, live music events, and family attractions.



With so many tourist attractions in this most visited city in Missouri, many guests who have had a wonderful vacation here want to extend their stay and enjoy even more of their time with fascinating water adventures, such as on a thrilling river journey on a jetboat in Branson.

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Bring Your Group to Branson Arranging some thrilling activities and experiences for the group members if you intend to take your group to Branson is a good idea. Look for well-known locations ideal for holding group meetings, and list team-building activities and experiences that can be enjoyed all day. Here is a list of popular Branson attractions to which you should take your party seriously. Runaway Mountain Coaster Every group member can enjoy a one-of-a-kind coaster ride that leverages the topography and natural elevation fluctuations to give an exhilarating journey of a lifetime by taking a thrilling ride on the mountain coaster in Branson. To guarantee a safe journey, individuals are seated in separate carts. The carts are propelled to the top by a chain similar to those used on regular roller coasters, allowing riders to enjoy spectacular views. A unique and exhilarating ride adventure can be enjoyed instantly when carts are unleashed at the top of the mountain and sent rolling down the hill. Branson Jet Boats You and your group can decide to take a water adventure ride on the Branson Jet Boats after an exhilarating ride on the mountain coaster in Branson. You will be able to witness the fabled Ozark woodlands and cliffs, the beautiful waters of Lake Taneycomo, and breathtaking lakefront vistas during a fantastic trip in a jet boat for the entire group. As the jet boat cruises along the lake, you will get to take in the breathtaking vistas and enjoy water splashes as the boat slides over the lake's clear, sapphire-blue waters. Jet boating is a unique lake excursion that combines the adrenaline of speeding down the river with unrivaled lakeside vistas. Branson Scenic Railway Groups can embark on an exhilarating journey with the Branson Scenic Railway train tour, which travels 40 miles round trip to mountain locations only accessible by train. It's about an hour and 45 minutes journey during the excursion. As the train travels, you'll enjoy a quiet moment in the first-class dining car. You'll be given hot cocoa, delicious baked cookies, and a gift of a unique commemorative mug. You can view many incredible sights, including theaters, live entertainment venues, outlet malls, and specialty shops, as the tour moves through downtown and draws to a close. Showboat Branson Belle Your group may rediscover the romance and majesty of those old riverboat days on a lake cruise on the Showboat Branson Belle! The grand paddle wheel boat from the 1890s with 700 seats is the perfect setting for your group gathering or business outing! Three food courses and a lively show include singing, dancing, comedy, and more during the tranquil and beautiful cruising on Table Rock Lake. Titanic Museum In Branson, the Titanic has been faithfully recreated. Your group can forge strong emotional bonds with accident survivors by seeing the Titanic Museum and hearing their testimonies and views. About 400 objects are on display as you walk through the museum. With attractions like walking through the first-class cabins, the bridge, the grand staircase, and even touching an iceberg, the Titanic Museum offers more than just a standard museum visit. Dolly Parton's Stampede Dinner Show A spectacular performance featuring 32 magnificent horses, ostrich races, stunt riding, and audience participation in a friendly North/South competition will undoubtedly be enjoyed by your company. A four-course dinner featuring a creamy vegetable soup, whole rotisserie chicken, hickory-smoked barbecue pork loin, corn on the cob, herb-basted potato wedges, and an apple turnover for dessert will be provided to you as you watch the performance! If you and your group have enjoyed a great time visiting many popular attractions in this part of the world, why not let them experience an adventure ride on a mountain coaster or jet boat in Branson ?
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This History of Branson's Lake Taneycomo Branson is home to three stunning lakes: Table Rock Lake, Bull Shoals Lake, and Lake Taneycomo. With its calm waters, the beautiful Lake Taneycomo offers more water recreation opportunities for individuals of all ages, including boating, fishing, swimming, and even scuba diving. This artificial lake in Taney County was created from a segment of the White River. The name of the river comes from the county it is in. Water sports enthusiasts constantly come to Lake Taneycomo for more exhilarating water activities, such as a fantastic adventure ride on a jetboat in Branson. When the White River was obstructed by the Powersite Dam in Forsyth, Missouri, in 1913, Lake Taneycomo was created. From 1913 to 1958, it was a lake with warm water. In the 1920s and 1930s, tourists started to swarm the lake and the nearby towns of Branson and Rockaway Beach. Visitors were drawn to the stunning and crystal-clear waters of Lake Taneycomo for activities like water skiing, boating, fishing, sunning, and swimming. The lakeside communities had restaurants, lodging, and amusement centers, including skee ball and bumper cars. After the Table Rock Dam was built in 1958, Lake Taneycomo's water source changed. The White River's flowing waters transformed Table Rock Lake's bottom tailwater into Lake Taneycomo by pouring from the dam overflow. The deep tailwaters of Table Rock Lake are released via the dam into Lake Taneycomo. The cold water of Lake Taneycomo made swimming and other water activities challenging. Rockaway Beach saw a decline in visitors as Branson and Table Rock Lake saw an increase. Up until 1958, the White River was a lake with warm water. After the Table Rock Dam was built in August 1958, the water for Lake Taneycomo originates from the lake's bottom. The lake's temperature has remained in the mid-50s ever since. As you might anticipate, this change has reduced the number of people swimming near the Rockaway Trout Fishing on Lake Taneycomo Beach region. Many tourists who planned to swim in the lake instead chose to partake in other activities like an exciting adventure ride on a jetboat in Branson. Put, swimming in a chilly lake was not enticing. Both lake and river characteristics can be seen in Lake Taneycomo. Wading and bank trout fishing is possible in the shallow cooler water near the Table Rock Dam, which has an average temperature of 48 degrees Fahrenheit (9 degrees Celsius) and resembles a river. The average temperature of Lake Taneycomo climbs near the Powersite Dam in Forsyth, and the lake's depth exceeds 50 feet (15 meters). When Table Rock Dam produces electricity, the river's current is quite strong over its whole length, the water cools, and it turns into an intense, swift-moving river. The water's depth, temperature, and speed depend on how many generators are being used to produce energy at Table Rock Dam. Because of the frigid water at Lake Taneycomo, anglers quickly learned that the lake had become a top spot for trout fishing. Whether you want to fly fish or use other techniques, finding a better location to catch trout will take a lot of work. Following the completion of the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery in 1957, Lake Taneycomo was transformed into one of the most popular locations for year-round trout fishing. At any time of year, finding no fishermen on the lake is unusual. Lake Taneycomo combines the most significant aspects of rivers and lakes, making it the perfect location for boating, sightseeing, fishing, hiking, and other water sports. Although Lake Taneycomo is well-known for its trout fishing, it also offers a range of leisure activities, including hiking, sightseeing, hunting, fishing, swimming, boating, and water skiing. The restaurants, hotels, shops, and performances in the Branson region are accessible to visitors to Lake Taneycomo. After spending significant time in Branson Landing, travelers who want to extend their aquatic adventure frequently head to the lake. Although tourism at Lake Taneycomo has fallen significantly, fishermen discovered that the lake's cold water made it one of the best trout fishing lakes in the country. In 1957, the Missouri Department of Conservation built the Shepherd of the Hills Trout Hatchery. All types of trout fishing, including fly fishing, artificial bait, and live bait fishing, are permitted year-round at Lake Taneycomo. Visitors who want to see the natural beauty of the lakefront often travel to Lake Taneycomo. Visitors to Lake Taneycomo come to enjoy a meal at a floating restaurant, a stroll along the promenade, or a show at Branson Landing Promenade featuring stunning fountains. People commonly travel to the lake to shop and eat at the numerous excellent restaurants at Branson Landing. Branson Jet Boat from Branson Landing also offers a regular river tour of this lake. Many travels to Lake Taneycomo to escape the hectic city life, find tranquility, and enjoy the lovely surroundings. Lake Taneycomo is known as the most popular tourist destination in the region as it offers many fantastic water activities that every thrill-seeker wants to enjoy, including the newest water adventure ride on a jetboat in Branson.
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