Have a jolly Branson Christmas!

Branson is a very busy place in the spring and summer, but one of the most popular times of the year to visit Branson is Christmas season, a/k/a Ozark Mountain Christmas.  After November 1st, Branson turns into Christmas Town.  There are Christmas lights everywhere you look. Most of the shows switch over to partial or complete Christmas music.  There are 2 Christmas parades.  And you can find presents for everyone on your Christmas list at the many shops and at Branson Landing.  Let's take a look of some of the activities that take place in Branson during the Christmas season. Click on the links to go to the websites for the featured activities. 

Silver Dollar City goes all out for the Christmas season with a festival called An Old Time Christmas.There are 6.5 million lights and a 5-story special effects Christmas tree.  There are 5 different Christmas themed shows, including a living Nativity scene (it's the real meaning of Christmas, after all) and a presentation of "It's a Wonderful Life."  There is special food at Molly's Mill, Reunion Hall and the Lucky Silver Mine.  You can do some of your Christmas shopping at SDC as well.  And don't miss the Christmas parade with Rudolph and his shiny nose leading the way!

Speaking of Christmas parades, Branson has 2 Christmas parades. The first parade, the Most Wonderful Time of the Year Parade, takes place the first Saturday morning in November at Branson Landing.  after the parade, there are live performances by Branson stars in front of the Branson Landing fountains. 

The second parade is the Adoration Parade, which takes place on the first Sunday evening in December.  This parade honors the true meaning of Christmas with bands, floats and caroling.  A giant Nativity scene is lit up on top of Mount Branson, which is across Lake Taneycomo from Branson Landing. 

There are several drive-through Christmas light displays in Branson. The Branson Gift of Lights display has over a mile of LED light displays including a Nativity scene, Noah's Ark, and the 12 Days of Christmas.  The Trail of Lights, is located at the Shepherd of the Hills Homestead and is a 2 1/2 mile drive through all 160 acres of the complex.  Admission to Inspiration Tower and hot cocoa is included.  Branson's Promised Land Zoo features the Let There Be Lights! display, which is a 2 mile drive through display where you can see a living Nativity with animals you can pet, and Santa and his baby reindeer.   

There are many Christmas shows in Branson, from performers with regular shows in Branson and special Christmas shows.  Andy Williams' nickname was "Mr. Christmas,"and the Christmas show at the Andy Williams Performing Arts Center and Theater (that's a mouthful!) bears the grand name of "Andy Williams Christmas Extravaganza." It's a variety show with music, magic and ventriloquism.  The Haygoods and the Hughes Brothers have an all-Christmas show.  There are also special engagements that play in Branson only during the Christmas season.

Are Christmas trees one of your favorite things about Christmas?  There are Christmas trees at many locations in Branson - too many to list here, but you can go to the link here to see a list of all the decorated Christmas trees.  Don't forget your camera!

If you're looking for the perfect Christmas gift for that special someone, you're sure to find it in Branson.  There are many places to go Christmas shopping, including Branson Landing, old Downtown Branson, and Branson Hills.  Don't forget the gift shops at attractions and the craftspersons at Silver Dollar City!

I hope I have given you an idea of all the wonderful things that happen in Branson during the most wonderful time of the year, which is Christmas time, of course!  November is right around the corner, so start planning your Christmas visit to Branson soon!

Thanks as always for reading! See you next time!

Diane

Lions, tigers and bears, oh my!

Are you and your family animal lovers?  Branson and the surrounding area has lots of attractions with animals for you to enjoy.  At these attractions, you can see and even feed animals that you don't see every day.  Here's a list of all the great places where you can see animals in the Branson area.   If you click on the name of the attraction, you will go to that attraction's website.

Branson's Wild World has over 180 animal species, including wolves, sharks, turtles, snakes and a baby kangaroo.  You can even feed the sharks. After you visit with the animals, you can also play an optional game of 3D blacklight mini golf.

National Tiger Sanctuary - This animal attraction is located north of Branson in Saddlebrooke, off of Hwy. 65.  You can take guided tours, feeding tours, or spend a day with the director, depending on how much you want to spend. There are lots of beautiful tigers, lions, and other wild animals here and if you want, you can donate to the cause.  I would really love to pet and stroke those beautiful big cats.

Promised Land Zoo is located on Shepherd of the Hills Expressway.  Our family visited PLZ two years ago and enjoyed seeing all the animals. It's free to feed the parakeets, or you can pay an additional fee to feed more exotic animals. There are also lectures about some of the animals.

If  you're interested in prehistoric animals, visit the Branson Dinosaur Museum.  You can see life-sized replicas of dinosaurs, dig for fossils in the dirt, see a fossil exhibit and visit the learning center.

Wild Animal Safari is located in Strafford, Missouri on Hwy. 44. You could stop here on your way to Branson or on your way home from Branson.  It is a drive-through animal park with 70 different animals. You can also take a bus ride through the park with a guide.  There are small carnival rides available if your youngsters need to burn off some steam. You can buy tickets at the website and save a little money.

Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge is located in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, which is a few miles southwest of Branson. This refuge also provides lifetime care for rescued tigers and lions and other wild creatures. There is lodging available on the property.  You could combine a trip to Turpentine Creek with a trip to the Great Passion Play in Eureka Springs.

If you're interested in exotic animals but don't prefer to see them live and up close, you can see taxidermied animals and fish at the Ralph Foster Museum, which is located on the campus of College of the Ozarks.  The taxidermied animals are mounted in realistic environments, except for the taxidermied fish - they're mounted on the wall.  Look for the large swordfish.

Groupon and Half Price Ozarks often have deals for tickets for most of these animal attractions.  I post many of these deals on this blog's Facebook page, so keep an eye out for them there.

Thanks for reading! See you next time!

Diane