Branson

Branson is an Ozark town in southwest Missouri known as a family vacation destination. Its main drag, Country Boulevard, is famously lined with theaters, which once hosted mostly country music performers but today present diverse entertainment. Also along the strip are the Marvel Cave, the Wild West-style Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede Dinner Attraction, and Silver Dollar City, an 1800s-themed amusement park with live music.

Branson has been attracting visitors for more than five decades and is sometimes referred to as a "family-friendly Las Vegas" due to its wealth of kid-friendly attractions. This southwest Missouri city, which is nestled in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, was named after Reuben Branson, the postmaster and the proprietor of the area's general store in the late 19th century.

More than a century later, Branson retains some of its old-timey charm, especially in its Silver Dollar City amusement park, which was modeled after a mining town in the 1880s and is considered one of the top amusement parks in the U.S. Even the Branson Strip, which glows with neon lights and is lined with dozens of theaters performing shows that range from country western family acts to comedy routines, possesses a yesteryear ambiance. That's not to say that Branson is a sleepy Midwestern city—amusement parks, shopping centers, museums, and natural attractions like Table Rock Lake pepper the area, giving visitors more than enough to fill a weeklong vacation or even a quick daytrip from nearby Springfield. In fact, many of Branson's visitors find themselves coming back year after year.

Best Hotels in Branson:

• Chateau on the Lake Resort Spa & Convention Center
• The French Quarter Resort
• Lodges at Timber Ridge by Welk Resorts

The Best Things to Do in Branson:

• Silver Dollar City,
• Sight & Sound Theatres
• Titanic Museum

Rankings:

• 3 in Best Weekend Getaways in the Midwest
  10 in Best Cheap Family Vacations
  

Rating:

• 3 in Best Weekend Getaways in the Midwest