Take a ride through time in a glass-domed railroad car with this scenic tour through the beautiful Ozarks. The tour is 105-minutes long and travels a 40-mile trail from downtown Branson to Galena and back. The trip winds across verdant valleys, over narrow bridges and through cavernous tunnels. The evening tour on Saturdays is a little shorter, but includes a four-course prime rib dinner for an extra fee of course. A snack car is available for refreshments on all other excursions. For more information on exact departure times, check the website.
"The Shepherd of the Hills," a novel written by Harold Bell Wright in 1907, comes to life in this elaborate outdoor production. But a moving performance is not all you will find here. The amphitheater is built on the actual site where Wright lived as he penned this Ozarkian epic of triumph, tragedy and love. Admission includes the Outdoor Drama, a guided tour of the historic homestead, a wagon ride, entrance to the Inspiration Tower, and dinner as well. The Shepherd's Mill Restaurant provides a large buffet and nightly specials with traditional family recipes.
Silver Dollar City is another wholesome family spot in Branson. The only difference is that this place has the beauty of the Ozarks complemented with the magnificent Marvel Cave below it. The Marvel Cave itself is an attraction, and the Herschend family knew this when they built the park in 1960. Today, in addition to rides and games both inside and out of the cave, SDC takes you back to a time when people living in these mountains created everything they needed using local materials. Guests can learn from artisans how to make products such as fresh candy, leather, pottery, and glass. You can even try your hand at glass blowing and/or pottery making from one of the workshops. While all this is okay for stuffy adults, the kids can escape the boredom and get an adrenaline rush from rides like Buzzsaw Falls, the Runaway Mine Train, Fire in the Hole, and the Wildfire Roller Coaster. During the year, the park hosts numerous festivals.
This big cat conservation center is the home to more than 20 exotic animals, most of them are tigers, but they also have lions and other cats. Almost all of the tigers came in to the shelter under traumatic circumstances and could not be returned to the wild. In fact, some of the male lions are quite docile, Leo for instance usually comes to the edge of the enclosure to greet visitors. Visiting hours are strictly specified and tours are held to a minimum three times a day in order to assuage the animals. The sanctuary does however offer behind-the-scenes tours for a higher fee, where guests can see how much it takes to maintain these beautiful cats.