Music and Family Fun in Branson, Missouri

Must-Do Attraction

Silver Dollar City, just outside town, is an award-winning amusement park, based on an Ozark town in the 1880s, and an absolute family must-do. The park combines attributes of a living museum, such as blacksmiths, craftsmen offering demonstrations (in glass-blowing and pottery-making), with thrilling state-of-the-art roller coaster rides (and rides for little kids, too), stage shows, and food (try the succotash made in giant skillets). The park is also home to Marvel Cave, a fascinating natural wonder.

Trivia fact: On the old TV show, The Beverly Hillbillies, the suddenly rich Clampett family lived a posh life in Beverly Hills. But when the clan got homesick, they headed to the Ozarks, and specifically Silver Dollar City, where some scenes for the show were actually shot. Series creator Paul Henning, whose other shows included Green Acres and Petticoat Junction, grew up in Missouri. His is also the name behind nearby Ruth and Paul Henning Conservation Area forest.