Branson

Branson is a city in Taney and Stone counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. Most of the city is in Taney County, with a small portion in the west extending into Stone County. Branson is in the Ozark Mountains.

The community was named after Reuben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s.

Branson has long been a popular destination for vacationers from Missouri and around the country. The collection of entertainment theaters along 76 Country Boulevard (and to a lesser extent along Shepherd of the Hills Expressway), including Dolly Parton's Stampede, has increased Branson's popularity as a tourist destination.

The two closest, most convenient commercial airports to Branson with practical airline service are the Springfield, MO (SGF) airport and Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA), in Highfill, Arkansas, which is about 62 miles away from Branson, MO. Between these two airports, service is offered to cities such as Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, and Denver which allows connections to other cities if necessary.

The airport in Branson, the Branson Airport, opened in May 2009. This airport is privately owned, and is the largest privately owned commercial airport in the United States. Over the years, the airport has had on-off service from carriers such as AirTran, Sun Country, and Frontier, but these carriers have either ceased operations or have pulled air service from the Branson Airport.

Besides the numerous entertainment theaters for which Branson is known, other local attractions include Hollywood Wax Museum Branson, Silver Dollar City, White Water, Branson Top Ops, Mount Pleasant Winery, Dolly Parton's Stampede, ziplines, cave tours, go-karts, mini golf, and more. Ripley's Odditorium is housed in a building that has been made to look as if it is cracked wide open by an earthquake or other disaster, while the Titanic Museum is a half-scale replica of the famous ship and iceberg.

Branson Landing opened in the summer of 2006 on the Lake Taneycomo waterfront in downtown Branson. The lakefront project includes retail space with Bass Pro Shops and Belk as anchors in an outdoor shopping mall of stores and restaurants. It also features a scenic boardwalk along the lakefront with the Branson Landing Fountains at the heart of the property as well as a Hilton Hotel.

Branson Landing has been known to host summer concerts and other special events throughout the year. The convention center, situated between Branson Landing and Historic Downtown Branson, opened September 7, 2007. The Branson Scenic Railway is located in the old depot, across from Branson Landing.