A Weekend in Branson

by Clarissa Basora

Branson, Missouri is one of the most traveled places in the middle of the US. Branson is what I would call a typical tourist trap. It has a lot of the chain tourist places like ‘Wax Museum”, ” Ripley’s Believe it or Not”, mini golf, and more. There is another side to Branson, they are known for the shows, Silver Dollar City amusement park, and outdoor activities. Branson is a tourist trap in the middle of nowhere surrounded by beauty. If you only have a weekend to spend here is what I would do. I will give you an itinerary for a Friday night, all day Saturday, and Sunday Morning adventures. You could fly into XNA or Branson airport. I benefit from living in Bentonville, AR which is about two hours away from Branson.

Friday Night

We arrived and checked into our hotel. We stayed at the Marriott Residence Inn in Branson. I love that hotel chain; you know what to expect every time you book. Once we checked in to the hotel, we dropped off our luggage and service dog. We went to grab a bite to eat at the ShowBoat. Make sure you book your tickets ahead of time to ensure you get a ticket. The show boat has two types of dinner experiences: the general experience and the Captain’s Club. The general experience offers two types of meat, chicken and pot roast, with mashed potatoes and green beans. The Captain’s experience has four different options with various sides, ranging from trout, chicken, pork chops, to Ribeye. They have a children’s menu with options for picky eaters. The show they put on will blow you away; it’s a collection of Broadway performers and musicians. The sunset over Table Rock Lake is another reason to go. This is a Branson must if you enjoy a great dinner with an incredible show while floating on the beautiful lake for 3 hours.

Saturday All Day

We purchased the “Fiver” which includes five activities for the price of three. This allows you to visit the Wax Museum, Hannah’s House of Mirrors, The Castle of Chaos, Shoot for the Stars Mini Golf, and The Boardwalk Aquarium. You can schedule the time to go to the aquarium, and for the rest of the activities, you can simply walk up to the exhibit with the pass. This makes it easy to enjoy lots of activities for one price. The first thing we did was grab breakfast at the hotel. The Residence Inn had a great hot breakfast for us to enjoy before we started the day. Then, we went to play miniature golf at Shoot for the Stars. It was fun and took about an hour and twenty minutes to complete. It’s right next to the wax museum. I surprisingly had a great time at the wax museum. They have props for you to wear and plenty of photo opportunities for everyone. I enjoyed how realistic the wax figurines were. We then decided to leave and grab a bite to eat. We were told to try Downing Street Pub and it did not disappoint. My husband had the smoked pork chop with potatoes and fried okra, and I had the “D” burger with buttered cabbage. Once we had a late lunch, we decided to freshen up for the aquarium. We had chosen to go through at 7 p.m. I love my aquariums, so every time I have an opportunity, I visit one. I had to indulge my inner child and check it out, even if it’s just one time. The aquarium had a place to touch the sea creatures and feed the stingrays. It was definitely one of my favorites, especially with the shark tunnel. We headed back to the hotel completely exhausted and decided to try out the fire pit. We ordered cheddars from DoorDash – who doesn’t like their rolls?

Sunday Morning

We started the day off with the hotel breakfast, which again was incredible. We headed out to do Hannah’s House of Mirrors. The mirror maze was better than anticipated. I loved the change of lights and how it had people that appeared in the mirrors to guide you. We definitely had a great time finding our way through the maze. The Castle of Chaos was right next door, which is a 3D experience where you choose what monsters you want to shoot. It was a ton of fun, and we did pay to do both of them. The fee was definitely worth the purchase; it kept us busy. We decided that on our way out of town, we would do a Branson Coaster on the side of the Ozarks. It was incredible; we each had our own and could decide how fast we wanted to go down the mountain. This experience took about 30 minutes. We were ready to head home on our way out of town, and we stopped at Table Rock Lake. This is definitely a place I would like to check out the next time we are in Branson. We definitely had a great time in Branson and look forward to some more fun adventures in the Branson area. If you are looking for a weekend getaway, here is a great itinerary for the whole family.