Branson Family Vacation Ideas

Neil Sawford • Nov 14, 2022


Branson has a vast variety of different family-friendly activities and countless exciting attractions that every visitor will love! You’ll never hear your kid complain about being bored if you bring them to Branson.

From splashing at fun parks to visiting museums to getting up close to sea animals at aquariums, you’ll never be short of family vacation ideas to enjoy in Branson. Family vacation ideas to enjoy are too many to mention, but they're sure to include a thrilling ride on the Branson roller coasters.


Fun at The Track Family Fun Park

Get ready for extreme family fun at the Track Family Fun Parks in Branson. This fun park has many locations that offer a variety of exhilarating rides, games, and family entertainment in Branson's Entertainment District. As you drive along W 76 Country Boulevard, you'll find Branson's favorite family fun attractions.

The Branson Ferris Wheel has been patronized by many visitors since 2016 when it was transported to Track 4 from Chicago’s iconic Navy Pier. Try to fly through the Branson sky in one of the 16,000 LED-lit gondolas on the Ferris Wheel. There are 40 of them.

Adding to The Track's list of must-rides is The Skyscraper, the newest attraction to open at the park. Visitors will experience a whole new dimension of thrills at 170 feet in the air! Experience four G’s, like a pilot flying a fighter jet, as you spin at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour. Take a brief break halfway through your Skyscraper experience to take in Branson’s scenic views from new heights.

You and two friends can get even more thrills by strapping into Track 4's 100-foot-tall super swing. This 70-mph adventure will give you both skydiving and hang-gliding experiences at the same time.

Between the three Track Family Fun Park locations, you’ll find 12 separate go-kart tracks guaranteed to get your heart racing. Among the 12 are three unique high-rise tracks, providing an extreme go-kart excursion.


Visiting the Titanic Museum

The Titanic Museum Attraction in Branson continues to open its doors to visitors and let them remember the tragedy of the world’s most famous luxury liner. The museum allows visitors to experience being a passenger and what it was like to walk the Grand Staircase, the hallways, and cabins of the ill-fated ship while seeing more than 400 artifacts.

As visitors, you can have the chance to touch a real iceberg, visit the bridge, reach your hands into 28-degree water, and try to stand on the sloping decks. They can learn what it was like on the RMS Titanic by experiencing it first-hand.

Each guest entering the ship will receive a boarding pass from an actual Titanic passenger or crew member. Feel their spirit presence in the galleries where over 400 personal and private artifacts are on display. Many are on display for the first time in the world. This will allow you to discover the passenger or crew’s fate in the Titanic Memorial Room, where 2,208 names line this historic wall.


The Hollywood Wax Museum

If you've ever wanted to be a star or see a star, you'll want to get your tickets to the Hollywood Wax Museum in Branson as soon as possible so you don't miss out on the fun! Using our costumes and props, you can pose with pop culture icons and befriend your favorite stars for picture-perfect selfies. What would it be like to arrive at a movie premiere in style? Are you going to a celebrity cocktail party? Marry a celebrity? You can do it too!

Plus, as you walk through the sets and scenes, you'll gain a whole new perspective on the stars as you learn about their pets, pet peeves, charity work, side businesses, and more. Celebrating 23 years in Branson, the Hollywood Wax Museum is always a popular Missouri attraction.


Stockstill Park

Visiting Stockstill Park with the entire family is another excellent vacation option for both locals and visitors. The park is adjacent to Roark Creek and has a half-mile walking path that leads to the creek. For family picnics and birthday parties, there is a playground and four separate covered pavilions.

The park's 60 acres include large, open green spaces ideal for soccer or ultimate frisbee, as well as a backstop for pick-up softball games or practices. The park also has six tennis courts, a skate park, and a dog park. Visiting Stockstill Park is an exciting way to enjoy the day after a thrilling adventure with the Branson roller coasters.


The Aquarium on the Boardwalk

Up-close views of amazing sea creatures thrill guests at the Aquarium on the Boardwalk! The Aquarium at the Boardwalk is one of the newest attractions in Branson, Missouri, and is unlike any other aquarium you've seen.

More than 250 different animal species, an original 5D submarine adventure to the bottom of the sea, a 24-foot high Kelp Forest climbing structure for kids, stingrays, a gorgeous 16-foot view of a coral reef, two mirrored art installations that give the sense of infinite ocean life, lionfish, and more than 7,200 individual sea animals are among the features that visitors can expect to enjoy!


After a thrilling ride on one of Branson's roller coasters, don't miss the chance to do something fun with your family or visit one of the many popular attractions that every visitor will love.

By Neil Sawford 25 Oct, 2024
Understanding the history of a place is one of the best ways to enjoy its flavor. There are many different types of museums in Branson, MO, that will appeal to people of all ages. It's just one of the many things you can do with your family while on vacation in Branson. You will enjoy the exciting attractions in this popular Midwest vacation destination, including the mountain roller coaster in Branson . So, while in Branson, MO, why not add some museums to your itinerary? Titanic Museum is one of the most popular attractions in Branson, offering a historical tour throughout the year. This world's largest museum attraction will allow visitors to become passengers on this grand ocean liner and experience the tragic maiden voyage through over 400 artifacts and countless exhibits. As you get through the exhibits in the Memorial Room, you will learn about the passengers who died or survived the disaster. This historic Branson attraction is a wonderful place to visit after you have enjoyed an exciting ride with the mountain roller coaster in Branson because the area houses historical treasures as well as numerous priceless artifacts. The sensational tour at the museum takes all visitors through the Grand Staircase, beautiful hallways, first-class staterooms, and 20 different public rooms. This one-of-a-kind museum in Branson has many interesting exhibits that reflect the Titanic's historical background. World's Largest Toy Museum Because it houses millions of toys of various shapes and sizes, the fantastic museum in Branson lives up to its name as the world's largest toy museum. This tremendous museum houses nearly every type of toy imaginable. Everything from collectible Legos to a full-size Rolls-Royce is on display at the museum, which can be a lot of fun for everyone. Toys of all kinds, from dollhouses to Star Wars, can be found in this fantastic museum, where ladies grew up with things for the boys like General Lee items, John Deere memorabilia, and much more. The exhibits inside the museum display over 100 antique toy trains where many of the visitors remember growing up with. This one-of-a-kind museum features a diverse collection of toys dating from the 1800s to today. Beautiful toys from the past and present can be found here. The museum has extensive collections of the vintage ship, plane, and train designs, classic cars and motorcycles, cap guns, BB guns, pedal cars, bicycles, tin wind-ups, dolls, Star Wars, Disney characters, G.I.Joes, trucks, and toy soldiers. The museum's entire collection of toys from the 1700s to the present is a must-see in Branson. Branson Auto & Farm Museum The Branson Auto & Farm Museum is one of Branson's most well-known museum attractions. It was built in May 2009 as a purpose-built museum dedicated to preserving and appreciating historic automobiles. The museum is beautifully nestled in the former "Engler Block" crafts mall, which you can easily access after enjoying a thrilling ride with the mountain roller coaster in Branson. This famous museum for both children and adults is 78,000 square feet and houses approximately 220 automobiles and farm equipment. The museum is divided into sections that wind their way through the building, making it an ideal setting for a museum. Over 100 vintage cars and tractors are on display at the Branson Auto & Farm Museum, many of which are for sale. The museum's car and farm inventories change regularly, so if you're not satisfied with the current displays, just come back another time. The museum houses a two-row wooden corn planter made by Brown Company in 1853 and an early 1900s wooden steam engine. The museum also features a favorite piece, a 1950s Chevy Nomad, a station wagon with a distinct shape. Branson Dinosaur Museum If your children enjoy seeing dinosaurs, bring them to the Branson Dinosaur Museum, which is the only place in Branson, MO, where they can see and learn about the exciting and towering creatures. Lifelike replicas of many dinosaurs allow visitors to get up close and personal with these creatures that roamed the earth millions of years ago. This museum, which is beautifully located on Highway 76 on the Strip next to Wal-Mart, features evidence and facts about some of the most powerful animals that ever lived on Earth. See the life-sized dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals sculpted by artists. This museum houses one of the world's largest collections of prehistoric animals, ranging from a two-story-high Tyrannosaurus Rex to a tiny 12-inch-tall Microraptor. The fantastic dinosaur recreations will provide you with hours of entertainment and excitement. At the Branson Dinosaur Museum, you can watch educational films in a high-definition movie theater. After a day of exploring museums, a large dinner, a leisurely hike, and a thrilling ride on the mountain coaster in Branson , you'll want to do nothing but relax at home.
By Neil Sawford 18 Oct, 2024
The Science Behind Roller Coasters Because of technological advancements, roller coasters are becoming more prominent, faster, and scarier. The gravity-propelled Branson mountain coaster , for example, provides a modern sort of entertainment. Unlike the first roller coasters, which were built in the mid-1880s, they were used to transport coal from the mountains to the town of Pennsylvania. Those coasters were rented out on weekends by fare-paying riders who rode just for amusement. Theme parks are thriving nowadays. But, with waits as long as eight hours for an average ride of lesser than two minutes – not to mention accounts of riders suffering strokes, brain deformity, and catastrophic injury as a result of crashes — how can we put up with it? What is it about roller coasters that some people adore, and is it an experience we get tired of as we get older? The desire to enjoy various innovative and intense physical experiences such as rock climbing and parachute jumping is linked to roller coaster enjoyment. But what is it about roller coasters that make them so appealing? At first look, it may appear to be due to speed experience. However, the evidence for a relationship between sensation seeking and speed is weak. For example, driving at speeds beyond the legal limit is something many individuals do, not only thrill-seekers. Perhaps the attraction of the Branson roller coaster is the visceral experience of terror itself, similar to viewing a horror movie. The "fight or flight reaction" refers to physical indications of fear such as a racing heart, quicker breathing, and an energy surge generated by the release of glucose. Researchers who recorded riders' pulse rates on the double-corkscrew Coca Cola Roller in 1980s Glasgow discovered that a roller coaster ride is likely to elicit this response. Heartbeats per minute more than doubled from an average of 70 before the ride to 153 shortly after it began. Some senior motorcyclists came dangerously near to what would be considered medically risky given their age. In another adrenaline-pumping activity, beginner bungee jumpers not only reported heightened sensations of well-being, wakefulness, and happiness immediately after completing a jump. They also had higher amounts of endorphins in their blood, which are widely known to cause emotions of tremendous pleasure. Surprisingly, the higher the endorphin levels, the more blissful the jumper reported feeling. In this case, there is clear evidence that people appreciate the sensations associated with the fight or flight response in a non-threatening situation. Pleasure vs stress Bungee jumpers also had higher amounts of cortisol, which is known to rise when people are stressed. So, how can a person feel both worry and pleasure simultaneously? The answer is that not all stress is detrimental. Eustress – derived from the Greek "eu," which means "good," as in euphoria – is a type of stress that people intentionally seek out. Thanks to a fascinating study conducted by two Dutch psychologists, we now know that a roller coaster ride can be described as "eustressful." They were curious about asthma, specifically its relationship with stress. After noting prior research findings that stress causes people with asthma to view their asthma symptoms as more severe, they wondered if administering eustress could reverse. As a result, several asthmatic student volunteers were transported to a theme park and rode a roller coaster while their respiratory function was tested in the name of science. The research findings were astounding. While the yelling and general turmoil diminished lung function, it also reduced the sensation of shortness of breath. This shows that thrill-seekers who ride roller coasters regard the experience as stress-free. The role of dopamine However, roller coasters are not for everyone. Could variations in brain chemistry explain sensation-seeking behavior? The bungee jumper experiment suggests that those with higher endorphins experience higher degrees of euphoria. However, no evidence resting endorphin levels may explain sensation seeking; they are more likely a reaction to the thrill than a predictor of whether we love it. On the other hand, a recent analysis looked at the role of dopamine, another chemical messenger component in the brain that is essential for the proper functioning of neurological reward circuits. According to the study, people who have higher amounts of dopamine also do better on tests of sensation-seeking behavior. While this is a correlation rather than causality, another study discovered that administering haloperidol, a drug that alters dopamine's actions within the brain, resulted in a substantial drop in sensation-seeking behavior. This line of research raises the intriguing notion that appreciation of severe physical events, such as roller coaster rides, reflects individual variances in brain chemistry. People with higher dopamine levels may be more prone to various sensation-seeking behaviours, ranging from harmless roller coaster rides to drug use or even theft. People like a Branson roller coaster for various reasons, including speed, conquering fear, and the sound effects connected with a significant increase in physiological arousal. For generations, people have been willing to pay money in exchange for the thrill of a terrifying ride.
By Neil Sawford 11 Oct, 2024
Beyond the Theme Parks Lies Runaway Mountain Coaster
By Neil Sawford 01 Oct, 2024
Foodie Guide to Branson MO
By Neil Sawford 20 Sep, 2024
Outdoor Branson Adventures
By Neil Sawford 13 Sep, 2024
Rivers, Lakes, and Caves: The Ultimate Outdoor Guide to Branson
By Neil Sawford 06 Sep, 2024
Branson Beyond: 5 Outdoor Adventures That Will Take Your Breath Away
By Neil Sawford 30 Aug, 2024
History And Heritage in Branson, MO
By Neil Sawford 23 Aug, 2024
Budget Friendly Branson and the Runaway Mountain Coaster
By Neil Sawford 16 Aug, 2024
Branson Camping Opportunities Close to Adventure
More Posts
Share by:
Update cookies preferences