When you sit down and think about it, we spend most of the year thinking about, planning, or actively engaging in summer vacation, and as such, it is important to make it worthy of all the time it takes up rent in our heads. Summer vacation should be a blissful timeout from the hassle and chaos of real life, and choosing Branson for your summer vacation, and of course, Sunset Nightly Rentals for your vacation accommodations, is going to be the best first and second steps in your planning process. Following the tips, hints, and suggestions in this guide to Branson trip planning for summer will help you skip to the good part and start daydreaming about a getaway that is sure to be one that will live on in your memories for years to come!
Pick and Choose
We will divide the suggestions into categories, breaking them down into topics that cover the best attractions, the best restaurants, even the best events and festivals, and you can choose what works best for your traveling party. A bachelor party getaway isn’t going to want to engage in a picnic in the park, and a family traveling together won’t really care about the hottest bars in town (not too much, anyway), so this will cover all the bases and all the demographics, leaving you to finalize your itinerary, quickly, efficiently, and by filling it with all the activities that will suit your traveling group to a tee!
Branson Summer Attractions
In addition to the theaters that dot our entertainment district, there are a lot of fun summer attractions that are sure to enhance your summer vacation experience and we have listed some of our favorites below. Summers can be warm and humid, so we have made sure to list attractions that will help you cool off when the temperatures rise.
Titanic Museum Attraction, 3235 W 76 Country Boulevard
We can’t think of a better way to stay cool than by hanging out next to an iceberg, and the Titanic Museum Attraction actually does have an iceberg replica that significantly cools down the air. This museum is open year-round, but during the summer months, we at Sunset Nightly Rentals have been known to visit, reveling in the chill. The exhibits—including the one that offers the opportunity to touch the iceberg and walk on listing decks in much the same way passengers did on that cold night in April over 100 years ago—artifacts, and a surprise ending makes this museum one that will linger in your memories long after you have stepped back outside into the summer sun.
White Water, 3505 W 76 Country Boulevard
Of course, a water park will be on the list of summer fun, and White Water, open during the summer months only, offers an adventure for all ages. Featuring wave parks and lazy rivers, fast slides and a part named Splashaway Cay, providing water shooters, elevated walkways, water slides that are the perfect height for all ages, splash geysers, and a 150-foot long escape slide that will ensure this is an adventure no one will forget. The KaPau Plummet offers two dueling 245-foot-tall waterslides and a breath taking drop that will thrill every visitor over 48 inches in height; this slide is not for the littles! Also offering a selection of food vendors, we suggest that guests mark White Water down on their itinerary as an all-day event.
Marvel Cave and Silver Dollar City Theme Park, 399 Silver Dollar City Parkway
Silver Dollar City is a 19th century theme park offering living history demonstrations, exciting rides, and the very real Marvel Cave tour, destined to keep you cool while entertaining and educating at the same time. The tour takes visitors 300 feet below ground and through a wet limestone cave that the original discoverers of the cave once thought was a marble cave. (Spoiler alert, it isn’t!) One of the largest caves in the state of Missouri, Marvel Cave is also one of the longest running tourist attractions, having been open to the public since the 1890s. Regular tours are free, included with the fee you pay to enter Silver Dollar City, but their lantern tour when the lights are turned off and guests are handed lanterns to guide their way, does cost extra. (And it is so very worth it!)
Summer Events in Branson
The carefree days of summer deserve to be celebrated, and the events listed below will be your favorite way to celebrate.
Branson Landing Summer Concert Series, Memorial Day Through Labor Day
Branson Landing is the top shopping and entertainment center in the area offering the perfect place to purchase souvenirs and gifts, and their Summer Concert Series never lets us down. Free to attend, the music starts at 7 PM with an opening band and a cool and refreshing beer garden, taking place in front of Branson Landing’s Fire & Water attraction and offering the serenity of Lake Taneycomo as an accompaniment to the music. Bring a blanket or a lawn chair and let the magic of an outdoor concert help you celebrate the vacation you will never forget.
4th of July Fireworks and Celebrations
The towns that surround Branson will also offer their own fireworks shows, including Kimberling City, and Hollister, but of course the biggest shows will be in Branson. Branson Landing’s Liberty Light Up Celebration is the star of the 4th of July celebrations, beginning with the opening of the beer garden at 5:30 and offering live music that begins at 6:30. The choreographed fireworks display starts at about 9:20, and the music ends at 10:30, and this all-American night of beer, music and fireworks is sure to be your favorite night of the week.
Silver Dollar City’s Summer Nights, Mid-July Through the Early August
Summer Nights at Silver Dollar City are destined to be your favorite events. During the weeks of the event, the park stays open later (closing at 10 PM instead of 7 PM) offers special deals at shops and restaurants, features a variety of concerts, and ends every night with a fireworks spectacular that will make you say Independence Day, what? Discover the joy of riding thrilling rides when the air is cooler and the night sky is dark and mysterious while also partaking in a selection of family friendly events that will be enjoyed by all.
Iconic Branson Shows
We’re not fooling ourselves. The reason you are here can be found in the theaters that dot our landscape, and rightfully so. Some of the nation’s best performers can be seen on the big stages here and although every show is definitely one you should be seeing, your summer in Branson wouldn’t be complete without checking out the iconic shows listed below.
Dolly Parton’s Stampede Dinner Attraction, 1525 W 76 Country Boulevard
Music, food, and a herd of 32 stunning horses galloping on the stage? Where can we sign up to see this extraordinary show? Right here in Branson, of course, Dolly Parton’s Stampede never fails to excite! Dolly herself does not appear on the stage, but the talented performers, including those beautiful horses, all have received her stamp of approval, and before you dine on delicious country cooking, before the curtain rises on a spectacular that will shine brighter than any other, you will also be happy that you splurged for the VIP tickets, offering the opportunity to experience the Horse Walk before the show. Enjoy an up close and personal peek into the world of (in our humble opinions) the stars of the show, even getting your pictures taken with the four legged performers.
Showboat Branson Belle, 4800 Historic Highway 165
We’re taking you away from the heart of Branson for this next show, but don’t worry, there will be food, there will be music, and there will be views that break your heart when you are forced to leave. The Showboat Branson Belle is a classic riverboat offering dinner, a show, and a tour of Table Rock Lake, making this experience perhaps the most iconic of all Branson shows. Sunday cruises will end with a fireworks finale (weather permitting) in the summer months only, and the shows you watch won’t just be music, but will include comedy, magic, and dancing.
The Haygoods, 3216 W 76 Country Boulevard
Heading back to the strip for this final iconic Branson show. The Haygoods, a musical family playing at least 20 different instruments as they sing for your viewing pleasure, have been performing for over 20 years now, and we seriously can’t imagine 76 Country Boulevard without them performing in one of its many theaters. They got their start at Silver Dollar City, performing there for about eight years before moving to the Clay Cooper Theater, and as you are exploring the summer concerts at Silver Dollar City during your vacation, it is very possible you will be witnessing Branson’s next big act!
Time to Eat!
The ice cream cone is Missouri’s state dessert, but it is our country cooking that will make you happy that you started out the morning with a hike! Delicious, filling, and offering meals you will dream about long after you have returned to real life, the restaurants listed below offer an authentic taste of Branson.
Farmhouse Restaurant, 119 W Main Street
Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day of the week, the Farmhouse Restaurant is about as real as it comes, offering the homecooked dishes that we were raised on. Biscuits and gravy for breakfast, a Farmburger for lunch, and good old-fashioned fried chicken for dinner. The basic food groups are only this good in the Midwest, and we hope this restaurant, offering generous portions, continues to feed hungry people for years to come.
Mel’s Hard Luck Diner, 2800 W 76 Country Boulevard
50s diners have been a tradition in America since, well, the 50s, and Mel’s Hard Luck Diner capitalizes on their popularity while offering a not surprising Branson twist; the servers will sing for YOUR supper as you dine on delicious burgers and thick, creamy milkshakes. They do not take reservations and can get really busy, so this is a restaurant you may want to visit during the off hours, enjoying a late lunch or very early dinner, and always be sure to save room for some chocolate nachos for dessert!
Billy Gail’s, 3300 Gretna Road
Serving the best breakfast in town, Billy Gail’s may be the most iconic of Branson restaurants, but we are sure you won’t be thinking about how it is a wonderful reflection of the Branson experience when you are taking a bite out of their 14-inch sweet cream pancakes or goggling at the chicken fried steak drenched in gravy and hanging over the edge of your plate! Offering country food at its finest, Billy Gail’s actually offers three locations, but this one located in the historic Branson Mill owns our hearts!
All Roads Lead to Sunset Nightly Rentals
Your summer adventures will be comfortable ones when you choose Sunset Nightly Rentals to come home to every night of your stay. Our sanctuaries are located in all the best neighborhoods and communities in town, and although your daylight hours may be filled with all of the above activities and events, you might want to pencil in some at home time, especially when you have made one of our lakefront rentals your home sweet vacation home. There is nothing like the lake life experience in the summer, so be sure to add boating, water skiing, and watching the sun set over the lake onto your must-do list for summer! Offering all the comforts of home blended with the modern conveniences you will love, our spaces are designed to be an integral part of your vacation experience.
