Sometimes when you vacation, you travel to places where there aren’t as many attractions to visit, while at other times you travel to places where there are so many attractions, you realize you missed out on some of the big ones after you have returned home. Branson is the latter, a town where there is always something to see and do, and because we care about your entire vacation experience, we are here to guide you to some of the most popular attractions in town! Grab your family, put on your walking shoes, and prepare to experience our favorite mountain village in a way that only our Sunset Nightly Rentals guests can! These are just some of the best attractions not to miss in Branson!
Silver Dollar City
Anyone who has ever heard of Branson has probably heard about this 19th Century-themed amusement park. Home to some of our favorite summer festivals, exciting rides, and the opportunity to experience life as it was in 1880s Branson, Silver Dollar City is one of the best attractions in Branson that it’s almost illegal to skip! Oh, and we can’t forget that entry to Marvel Cave is included in your admission fee. Located at 399 Silver Dollar City Parkway in Branson, this theme park has something for everyone!
Table Rock Lake
The best attractions in life don’t always come with a price tag, and Table Rock Lake is one such experience. Watch a sunset from the shore, frolic in the waters, or participate in any one of hundreds of fun things to do at the lake. This body of water is more than just a pretty sightseeing attraction to look at; it offers the perfect family vacation adventure that will be remembered for years to come!
Fritz’s Adventures
Vacationing with children may not always be the bonding experience you dreamed of, but a visit to Fritz’s Adventures is definitely a step in the right direction! Located at 1425 Missouri 76, this family friendly amusement park allows all members of your traveling party the opportunity to partake in safe adventures. Rappelling, rock climbing walls, underground tunnels, and an outdoor flying adventure are just some of the attractions guaranteed to bring a smile to your face!
Dolly Parton’s Stampede
We couldn’t end our guide without mentioning at least one of the many show extravaganzas that have helped put Branson on the map, and Dolly Parton’s Stampede is the perfect combination of talent, style, and showmanship! Featuring horses, music, and racing pigs, if you can only see one show during your Branson vacation, this is the one! Find this popular attraction in Branson at 1525 West Highway 76.
Quiet, Peaceful, and Unforgettable!
No matter what adventures you partake in, your stay in one of our Sunset Nightly Rentals charming vacation getaways will be the cherry on the top of a very delicious sundae! Enjoy quiet moments of contemplation on the deck as you watch the sun set over the lake, family moments of togetherness spent playing board games around the dining table, or revel in the sensation of soaking tired and achy muscles in a hot tub overlooking the Ozarks. Reserve your vacation escape today!
We live in Branson year-round, so we’ve always known that our little segment of heaven was one of the best places to visit, but it’s always nice to have some ink to back up our promises, and the New York Times offers some good ink indeed about our Branson attractions. Our hometown was determined to be one of the top 52 places to visit in 2018, and we couldn’t be prouder!
And because we know that the best way to stay relevant is to grow and change, in early January, our newest regional attraction, The Wonders of Wildlife National Museum, located in Springfield, was voted the Best New Attraction in America by USA Today! Life in the Ozarks keeps getting better every day, and if Branson wasn’t on your radar before, it certainly should be now!
Our Family Town Competes with Cosmopolitan International Cities
Because we are a family friendly town, we don’t often get compared to cities in other countries, but that has certainly changed now. Silver Dollar City and its newest roller coaster- Time Traveler, scheduled to open this spring-were mentioned prominently in the NYT article, but our family friendly live entertainment was a factor as well. Considered the live music capital of the world, the extravagant shows in the region never fail to please, and when you combine that with the traditional Ozark friendliness and hospitality, well, we’re surprised this honor didn’t come sooner! East Cape, Los Cabos, and São Tomé were a few of the other winners, and considering there were over 13,000 submissions, we are proud and honored to be chosen.
But What About that Best New Branson Attractions Award?
There’s a lot to be thankful for when living in the Branson area: the Ozark landscape that is both majestic and charming at the same time, the exciting entertainment, and the many attractions that offer fun and adventure at every turn.
The Wonders of Wildlife National Museum is one of the top Branson attractions and according to this accolade, the greatest-attraction to be housed here, and we are excited to share it with you! The galleries, 4D dioramas, and live creatures that reside here offer something for everyone, but the 1.5 million-gallon aquarium is the star of the show; yes, we said 1.5 MILLION gallons, and we do understand how impressive that is!
Dedicated to the preservation and conservation of the natural landscape of the world, the museum is home to fish (35,000 at last count), mammals, reptiles, and over 800 species of birds. With professional, experienced, and caring caretakers to spoil and cherish these creatures, the inhabitants of this exciting museum are sure to live long and happy lives as they teach us the importance of appreciating all that is wonderful about nature.
Check out our wide variety of vacation rentals and start planning your Branson vacation today!
You’d think that by now we would be used to all the new shows that come to town, especially since we are the Live Entertainment Capital of the World, and a new show is as commonplace as Tuesday; it’s going to happen whether we want it to or not! But every so often, there are new Branson shows that manages to reach into our chests and give our heartstrings a little tug. The lights, the performers, the performance, the music—it’s all magical, and it all strikes a chord in our emotional band. The Rock Vault Show is one such show, and we are so excited about it, we can’t wait to share the information with you!
The Only Stones Involved are Rolling Ones
The Rock Vault Show, held at the Starlite Theater at 3115 West 75 Country Boulevard, is all about the music that made us dance, sing, and scream during our formative years, and the Rolling Stones are just a small part of this magnificent show! Using historical videos, fascinating re-enactments, and live performances so realistic you will find it difficult to believe that Mick, Paul, Freddy, and Steven are not the ones performing, you may find it impossible to stay in your seats (though former members are a part of the show)! The rock music we grew up with, from the 60s to the 90s, compels your feet to move no matter how determined you are not to let them! The history of rock and roll comes alive, sounding even better (don’t tell the superstars we said that!) than the original rock gods that made us scream as they swiveled their hips, made love to the microphones, and taught us that sometimes, if you work hard enough and have the talent to go along with the work ethic, you too, can have a chance to be adored by millions as you belt out the songs that mean so much to so many!
Appearing July 6th Through July 22nd
If you ever enjoyed the musical stylings of not just The Rolling Stones or The Beatles, but The Who, The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Hendrix, Journey, Heart… Oh, who we are kidding? If you enjoy rock from any era, this extravaganza is going to bring you back to those magical glory days of your youth. Appearing nightly at 7:30 from July 6th through July 22nd, if you miss this show, you are going to regret it for the rest of your life! Ok, that might be a slight exaggeration, but if you are in town, this show NEEDS to be put on your bucket list now!
Singing in Your Sleep After this Branson Entertainment Show
Long after the Branson entertainment show has ended and you are back resting comfortably in your Sunset Nightly Rentals vacation home, you may just find yourself singing the songs that made this night so special. Get online and make your reservations for one of our vacation rentals today, and while you’re clicking around, don’t forget to buy tickets for the Rock Vault Show!
The Track Family Fun Parks has always been an exciting adventure for kids of all ages, but it is now about to get even better! Offering go-karts, laser tag, miniature golf and so much more, park President Craig Wescott had felt his fun park needed just a little something extra and when he heard about the possibility of Navy Pier disposing of their Ferris wheel, he jumped at the chance, and the wheel will soon be rolling 550 miles south to its new home overlooking Branson’s dazzling strip. Branson locals are excited about the new “family member”!
History of the Navy Pier Ferris Wheel
The first Ferris wheel was designed and built for the 1893 World’s Fair held in Chicago, Illinois in direct response to the success of the Eiffel Tower’s construction at the 1889 Exposition Universelle (World’s Fair) held in Paris. Wanting to prove that “anything they could do, we could do better”, George Washington Ferris designed and constructed the world’s first Ferris wheel and history was made.
The current wheel is a replica, built in 1995, designed as homage to Chicago’s first, and is well loved by visitors and residents alike. Chicagoans will not be left without a wheel for long, though; a new 196-foot-high Ferris Wheel should be in the old one’s place by the summer of 2016. Construction on the new wheel began in the beginning of January, so visitors to Navy Pier get to enjoy the sight of the large structure rising up into the clouds. Navy Pier CEO Brian Murphy is happy that the former Chicago Landmark will get new life in a new home and that families will continue to have the opportunity of viewing a new town from a unique perspective – 150 feet high up in the air!
Dismantling and Transporting
Dismantling and transporting the wheel will not be an inexpensive operation, nor will it be a simple one. Costing over 2.5 million dollars for transportation and maintenance to get it back into top operating order, it is now living in pieces in a gigantic Chicago warehouse, waiting for Mr. Wescott to determine the best method of transportation. The 150-foot-tall Ferris wheel has 40 gondolas and can hold 240 passengers when in operation, and will take at least 2 trucks to deliver it to its new home in beautiful Branson, Missouri. Wescott is estimating that it will be open for business by Memorial Day Weekend.