If this were a perfect world, it wouldn’t rain when you’re on vacation in Branson. It would only rain after 10 PM and every day would be bright and sunny. Then you could have all the outdoor fun you wanted.
Most people, however, have to schedule their vacation when their work schedule dictates. As such, the weather may not cooperate with your plans when you’re in Branson. So it’s always good to have backup plans for a rainy day. Below are some ideas for rainy day activities in Branson. Click on the underlined and bold words and you will go to the website for that activity.
The IMAX entertainment complex - The IMAX complex is located on Shepherd of the Hills Expressway, close to its intersection with Highway 76 (the “Strip”). The IMAX theater not only shows adventure movies in IMAX format, it also shows new releases in the IMAX format. Avengers: Age of Ultron probably looks awesome in IMAX format. The IMAX complex also has some small retail shops you can shop in. You can have a good home cooked meal at McFarland’s Restaurant. The Little Opry Theater is also in the IMAX complex, and you can see some fun shows there. You could spend a whole day at the IMAX complex.
Museums – The Branson area has several museums that you can visit. You might even learn something you didn’t know before.
The Titanic museum is located at the corner of Gretna Road and 76. There are lots of exhibits and it takes a while to walk through. You can have your photo taken on the Grand Staircase.You will be given a card with a name of one of the Titanic passengers and you can find out at the end whether your passenger lived or died. You can’t miss the building – it looks just like the front half of the boat, and the infamous iceberg is also there.
The World’s Greatest Toy Museum and Harold Bell Wright Museum is a brightly colored museum located on Hwy. 76. It has a collection of all the greatest toys. The Harold Bell Wright Museum is a separate museum (with a separate admission) in the same building. Harold Bell Wright wrote the book The Shepherd of the Hills, which started the Branson tourism industry over 100 years ago.
The Ralph Foster Museum is located on the campus of the College of the Ozarks, which is a short drive south from Branson. This museum has 3 floors with all kinds of interesting items, including the car from the Beverly Hillbillies TV show. In addition, the admission price is a bargain - $6.00 for adults and free for high school age and under If it's not raining too hard, you can also tour several of the other buildings on campus.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not Odditorium – Have you ever seen a two-headed calf? Or a Cadillac with a heart shaped hot tub in the trunk? You can see these and even more exotic items at Ripley’s. You can’t miss the Ripley’s building – it looks like it was split in two by a New Madrid fault earthquake.
The Branson Auto and Farm Museum – The men in the family will enjoy this museum, since it has classic automobiles and farm implements for them to drool over (not on). Some of the classic autos are for sale, so you ladies might want to make sure that the credit cards are safely locked up.
Hollywood Wax Museum – This building is located on Hwy. 76. Look for King Kong climbing up the front of the building. As its name indicates, there are wax figures of lots of famous people in the museum. In the same complex with the Wax Museum are the Castle of Chaos and Hannah’s Hall of Mirrors. You can buy a combo ticket for 2 or more of these attractions.
Shopping – You can shop and stay dry at Tanger Outlet Mall. There is a Books-a-Million store at Branson Hills that I could spend all day in, since I love to read.
Grand Country complex – This complex is connected to the Grand Country Inn on Hwy. 76. Look for the giant violin. There are many activities in this complex, including the Grand Country theater, the indoor miniature golf course, the waterpark, the new Fun Spot with games and activities, Papa Grand’s Pizza, the fudge store and a souvenir store. Also located in the Grand Country complex is the Grand Country Buffet, which in my opinion is the best buffet in Branson. At the front of the lot near the street are an ice cream shop and an outdoor miniature golf course, although if it’s raining, it probably won’t be open.
Shows – Lots of shows in Branson have morning and afternoon matinees. To save money on last-minute show decisions, visit Branson 2 for 1 Tickets on Hwy. 76 (the purple building), purchase your vouchers and head to the theater to get the tickets. Who knows – when the show is over, the rain might be done.
When we visited Branson last year, there was 1 day that week that it rained all day. I looked at the Accuweather forecast for Branson for next month, and it appears that it will be raining at least part of every day that we will be in Branson. I was hoping to go to Silver Dollar City since we haven’t been there for 5 years. Hopefully, the weather forecast will change before we get there.
Thanks for reading! See you next time!
Diane
Thanks for reading! See you next time!
Diane
