How Far Is It To Branson Missouri – The city of country music and tour buses is undergoing a personality change. Eight Branson leaders, including Craig Wescott, Jeff Seifried and Mayor Karen Best, discuss what’s next for our region’s tourism mecca. Branson’s next act is here.
Photo courtesy of the Branson/Lake District Chamber of Commerce and CVB State-of-the-art attractions, infrastructure upgrades and a new branding strategy are casting a new, cooler light on the tourist mecca of 417-land.
How Far Is It To Branson Missouri
Surrounded by 177 acres of wooded mountain, Jeff Johnson is immersed in one of the few swaths of Branson that isn’t lit by neon lights and headlights.
Fun Facts About Branson, Mo
Here you’ll be surrounded by paper river birches and dogwood trees, and it’s easy to be transported back to the days when the lush forests and strange, mysterious beauty of the Ozarks drew people to Branson. Johnson is on the outskirts of town, in the heart of Branson’s original tourist attractions. No bright lights, no guitars, no bagpipes, no dinner theater. Just trees, nature, old carriages and cabins.
Welcome to Shepherd of the Hills Homestead Adventure Park. This part of Ozark life was here before the roller coasters of Silver Dollar City rose from the rocky slopes. It was here before Johnny Morris’ original golf course came to national attention. It was here before the Mabe and Presley families turned 5 miles of Route 76 into the “Live Music Capital of the Universe.” And now, the struggle for survival is part of Branson’s story.
Since first gaining the title of municipality in 1912, Branson has undergone numerous transformations, from a major fishing and outdoor recreation destination to a center for country music and live theater. But his recent turnaround has cast doubt on whether Branson is at risk of losing his roots. Johnson, the new owner of Hill Homes Adventure Park Shepherd, is one of those supporters. “The history of this area is disappearing,” he said. “Our history is important. A lot of people think Branson got its start because of country music, but before the rides, before the lights, a shepherd walked these hills.”
In 1907, that pastor was Papa Hoyt. Howett is the protagonist of Harold Bell Wright’s best-selling novel The Shepherd of the Hills. The book’s web of love, faith, personal discovery, and family loyalty unfolds in the fictional Ozark town of Mutton Hollow. The isolated community’s simple lifestyle quickly attracted tourists eager to see if Wright’s wild beauty really existed on the rugged hillside. For decades, travelers have turned to this book for inspiration. It wasn’t until 1957 that the story of the Shepherd on the Hill was adapted into a play and performed in an outdoor amphitheater built on the property.
Hotel In Branson, Mo
Photo courtesy of Shepherd of the Hills Homestead Adventure Park Dating back to the early 1900s, Shepherd of the Hills Homestead Adventure Park was Branson’s first tourist attraction. Jeff Johnson bought it in 2017 and added 21st century amenities.
At this time, Silver Dollar City began to take the lead in becoming a popular attraction in Branson, and by 1963, the 1880s theme park had become Missouri’s number one tourist destination. Compared to the tourism boom the city has enjoyed since 60 Minutes crowned the city the “Live Music Capital of the Universe” in 1991, the number of tourists visiting Branson is small. When stars like Loretta Lynn, Andy Williams, Tony Orlando and more played in Branson at the time, the town was in a third or fourth flag.
The live music is great and the city’s tourist season is starting to extend beyond the summer. But more than two decades later, Branson is re-entering a new field of tourism. This time, the focus is on sports and outdoor activities. The award-winning golf course now hosts a broadcast national championship, treetop ziplines and new courses and waterslides attract a new set of visitors. Overall, tourist numbers have increased, but a lingering reputation as a Stetson-filled resort with tour buses cramming the streets has been a hindrance. “As our season grows, so does the music and country programming,” said Craig Wescott, CEO and co-owner of The Track Family Fun Parks. “It was great, but it also pushed us into a corner at one point.”
1907: The best-selling novel The Shepherd of the Mountains is published and tourists flock to the humble farm, which is the inspiration for the book.
Lodging In Branson, Mo
1950: The Herschend family bought Marvel Cave and took over the tour. About 8,000 tourists venture into the cave each year.
1958: Table Rock Lake was created and the lakes and rivers of the Ozarks became a more popular fishing destination.
1960: Herschends introduces Silver Dollar City, a new 1880s-themed amusement park. The family built the park’s first rides in 1962 and hosted an annual craft festival in 1963.
1967: The Presley family built the first live music theater in Branson. Today, the city hosts more than 140 performances.
Book A Hotel In Branson, Mo
1991: 60 Minutes reported on Branson’s story and called the city the live music capital of the universe.
2014: Top of the Rock reopens and Branson begins construction of new outdoor attractions to showcase the natural beauty of the Ozarks.
Westcott grew up in Branson. His father is the man who started the family business in 1981. Back then, the tourist season lasted four months. “If your door opens before mid-May or after mid-September, it’s a waste,” Westcott said. “The tourist attractions are all family-oriented, with some musical performances.” Today, Branson is about more than just country music, and its tourist season is getting closer and closer to the year. It’s a 30-year partnership between city officials, the Branson/Lake District Chamber of Commerce and CVB and the city’s business community, but it’s finally paying off.
Indeed, 2016 was a breakout year for Branson. An estimated 9 million people visit the city, and not just for the country music. Newer attractions like golf, baseball and an indoor water park have helped boost the city’s tourist numbers, but that doesn’t mean Branson’s work is done and it can lose its rural reputation. “We’re still learning that people don’t realize that we have more than just music concerts,” Westcott said. “These shows are still important to the market, but they’re also changing.”
Free Things To Do In Branson, Mo
Also changing, even at glacial speed, is the average age of tourists staying in the Ozarks. Over the years, visitors to Branson have ranged in age from 56 to over 75 years old. In recent years, the number of people over 75 has declined as the city has turned its attention to attracting a younger crowd. “It’s about outdoor-focused family attractions,” Westcott said. “It goes from lakes to new golf courses.” With thousands of hotel rooms and attractions for all ages, Branson is poised to become a new destination for sporting events, business meetings and national association gatherings. In 2015, Branson took a big leap in this field, hosting the Student and Youth Travel Association, a national organization of tour operators, travel agents and students dedicated to “providing travel experiences for students and youth, to improve their social skills, cultural and educational growth,” according to the organization’s website. In previous years, the group has traveled to New York City, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Albuquerque, New Mexico for annual conferences. But in 2015, attendees found themselves in Branson, Missouri.
There is no doubt that Branson was impressed by the Christian pastor who wrote this book about faith, redemption, love and romance, and was a big driver of what the city is today.
“Some of them got here kicking and screaming,” Westcott said. “But they love it. They’re bringing their families back now.” Westcott, one of several business owners in Branson, is organizing the event, hoping to showcase the area’s appeal as a student destination. During the meeting, he met a man from Kansas City who had never been to Branson. Why? “He said he never came here because he didn’t like country music,” Westcott said. To some area businessmen, that might be a maddening response, but Westcott just smiled. He had heard this reasoning a thousand times. “Everybody’s heard that this is the old man, the capital of country music,” he said, and he understands why Branson has that reputation. In the 1980s and 1990s, that description wasn’t far off. “That’s when we saw an increase and growth in the music industry,” Westcott explained. “That brought in another customer … the guy who goes to three shows a day on the bus.”
But that generation is now disappearing from the tourist crowd. To stay relevant and keep the tourism industry going, Branson needs to attract a younger crowd that wants to visit the city year-round. That upset some business owners and residents. No one wants Branson to be the Vegas of the Midwest. For many, part of Branson’s charm is its family atmosphere
Holiday Inn Club Vacations Holiday Hills Resort Hotel By Ihg
How far away is branson missouri, how far is branson missouri from kansas city missouri, how far is it from oklahoma city to branson missouri, how far is it from rogers arkansas to branson missouri, how far is it to branson mo, how far is it from chicago to branson missouri, how far to branson missouri, how far is it from sioux falls to branson missouri, how far is it to branson missouri from here, how far is branson missouri, how far is it from fayetteville arkansas to branson missouri, how far is it from branson missouri to springfield missouri
Post a Comment for "How Far Is It To Branson Missouri"