More Affordable Adventures After Your Runaway Coaster

Neil Sawford • February 28, 2023

When planning your next vacation in Branson, try any free things to do in this popular Missouri vacation destination.

This popular tourist destination is full of family-friendly hot spots and attractions, such as the Branson Landing shopping area, outdoor picnic and hiking areas by the lake, and free trolley rides around Branson's Historic Downtown. After you've seen all of the exciting attractions in Branson, including a thrilling ride on the Branson roller coaster, don't forget to stop by these free places in Branson.


Grand Village

When you window shop at the Grand Village, you are not required to buy anything, though you may be tempted. Try browsing the fantastic displays of pottery and jewelry designs at Peter Engler Wood, Lori's Soap Market, the Thomas Kinkade Art Gallery, Sunrise Leather Works, fudge, and souvenirs at Dickens Gift Shoppe, and free samples of select food and drinks at Mulberry Mill.

As you walk down cobblestone streets surrounded by picture-perfect shops, outdoor pavilions, water fountains, and cute park benches, you might feel like you're in a Disney movie. There are also unique photo opportunities, such as the supersized wooden chair pictured below! Grand Village is undoubtedly one of the best free things to do in Branson!


Branson's Historic Downtown

While you're having a great time in Branson's Historic Downtown, try to explore the picturesque home of Mom & Pop shops and many other outdoor events. Enjoy a fantastic ride on Sparky, the FREE downtown trolley, or take a stroll around the area to discover quaint breakfast cafes, antique shops, novelty stores, international food options, Bed & Breakfast establishments, and photogenic murals.

Historic Downtown, located just minutes from the Branson Landing, Starbucks, the Hilton Hotel, and the Branson Scenic Railway, is the perfect place to spend time with family and friends after you have enjoyed a thrilling ride with the Branson roller coaster.


Donut Statue at Dunkin Donuts

If you are a donut connoisseur, you should pay a visit to Dunkin Donuts in Branson. Not to buy donuts, but to pose in front of the large scale, chocolate glazed, rainbow sprinkled cake donut in the middle of the outdoor seating area!

After you have enjoyed a fantastic ride with the Branson roller coaster, don't miss visiting Donut Statue and taking photos for the family vacation album. If you want to brag to your friends about it, this double-frosted donut will get a lot of attention on Facebook and Instagram.


Hiking Trails

Many hiking trails are available in Branson during the morning, day, and evening hours. Enjoy the natural beauty of the area at any time of year, with scenic spots, natural landscapes, and even caves. When you drive to any of the memorable hiking trails in the Ozark Mountains, bring your best boots and even your bike for the best routes.

Among the popular hiking trails that you can enjoy in Branson are:

●       Ruth & Paul Henning Conservation Area

●       Nature Trails, Waterfall Hiking Trail

●       White River Valley Trail System

●       Sunset Park, Chinquapin Trail

●       Lakeside Forest, Stockstill Park

●       Northbeach Park


Picnic Areas

Picnic areas are a great place to take your breakfast, lunch, or dinner to-go and enjoy your meal up close and personal with nature at any of the designated picnic areas in Branson, Missouri! You can eat at any of the parks' tables or, if you have a blanket, find a spot to sit in the grass. There are numerous pristine areas with expansive views of the lake and the Ozark hills. So, when you participate in this peaceful and enjoyable free activity, sit back, munch a lot, and enjoy the sound of chatty birds!

Picnic Areas in Branson can be found at Eiserman State Park, North Beach Park, Murphy Park, Indian Point Public Use Area, Caudill Park, Epps Park, Parnell Park & Alexander Park.


165 Scenic Overlook

The Scenic Overlook off of 165 is a quick pullover where people can see stunning views of the lake, the Ozark mountains, and the Table Rock Dam. Any time of day is an excellent time to visit, but sunrise and sunset are stunning! The overlook is another of the many FREE things to do in Branson and is a popular destination for visitors.

Branson Lakes


With three lakes all within a short drive from the city of Branson, Missouri, visitors will have three times the fun and entertainment! Enjoy a family-friendly vacation by participating in lake activities such as swimming, fishing, picnics, camping, hiking/walking, and more! Bring your kayaks, boats, fishing gear, and floaties if you're looking for a genuinely free experience before visiting Branson's Bull Shoals, Lake Taneycomo, or Table Rock Lake.

After you have enjoyed a great ride with the Branson roller coaster, don't miss to visit these popular spots. They are all free to see, and you will find it great to tour around with the whole family.

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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.
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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.
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