Car Hire Branson
Mini guide to Branson
Historic Branson rivals Nashville as a country music Mecca, and millions of visitors are drawn to its entertainment venues and beautiful surrounding countryside. Nestled within the wooded mountains of Missouri’s Ozarks region, the city offers many outdoor pursuits such as fishing, swimming, golfing and boating. Music lovers and fans of live entertainment in general will not be disappointed, with more than 80 live shows a day.
The first port of call for visitors is ‘The Strip’, the main road running though town and the place to go for live country music. Such music luminaries as Glenn Campbell, Kenny Rogers and Tammy Wynette have performed on the stages here.
At night the area comes alive as the various music halls, theme bars and restaurants pump out western tunes, and the clientele get down and dirty with line dancing. The shows here started in 1959 with the Baldknobbers Jamboree, which is still going strong today, along with the other early pioneer, the Presleys Country Jubilee.
One of the most popular venues in Branson is the Dixie Stampede Dinner & Show, which is owned by the country icon Dolly Parton. Its main draw is huge helpings of Southern fare, which you are meant to eat with your fingers. There are also western style shows and displays of horsemanship and rodeo skills. A dubious element to the fun is the practice of dividing the audience into Confederates and Yankees, which may not appeal to some.
Branson’s other major attraction is the theme park, Silver Dollar City. It opened to visitors in 1900 and is one of the oldest tourist sights in the Midwest. Silver Dollar City is a popular amusement park, complete with exciting rides, hordes of skilled craftsmen selling their wares and more country music.
