Wanderlust World Wanderlust World On the surface, the resort city of Branson, Missouri, appeals to an older crowd because of the dozens of theaters that dominate the region, many of which are filled with musical acts of years past. However, Branson caters to kids in the form of kitschy entertainment zones and family friendly resorts. Children can enjoy the great outdoors in Branson, an area home to three lakes, 200 miles of trails and 100,000 acres of preserved wilderness.
Silver Dollar City is a large amusement park with more than 30 rides, including high-speed wooden and steel roller coasters. The park has kid-friendly rides such as a carousel, miniature steam train, water flume and an assortment of carnival rides. Kids can meet costumed characters that walk around the park or take in a stage show with singing, dancing and acrobatics. The Track is an outdoor go-kart racing facility with four locations around the Branson area. Children can test their driving skills on the 14 different tracks, including four-story wooden and steel tracks. There are less-challenging tracks for younger kids. Some of the locations also include bumper cars, batting cages, laser-tag arenas and arcades.
Kids may cool off with a trip to Table Rock State Park, which is home to the 43,100-acre Table Rock Lake. Dotted with 800 miles of shoreline, the lake offers swimming away from the marina. Rent a pontoon or book an excursion on a catamaran. Kids might enjoy an afternoon of fishing; the lake is stocked with bass, catfish and crappie. White Water is a 13-acre outdoor water park that operates between mid-May and early September. Little kids can float down an 800-foot lazy river or frolic in the water-based playgrounds outfitted with mini slides, geysers and shooting nozzles. Older kids can ride KaPau Plummet, twin 245-foot enclosed slides with drop floors, or the seven-story Kalani Towers slides. On some evenings, the park has fireworks or screens family friendly movies outdoors.
Take the kids on an educational voyage at the Titanic museum. Board a partial replica of the ship and explore re-created cabins, decks and the ornate grand staircase. The museum is home to more than 400 artifacts from the ship and passengers and has interactive exhibits such as real icebergs you can touch and tanks that allow you to stick your hand in 28-degree water. Kids come face to face with a host of celebrities, or at least their life-size wax figures, at the Hollywood Wax Museum. See wax figures of movie stars such as Johnny Depp and Will Smith, as well as King Kong on the New York City skyline. For an added fee, tickets allow access to the neighboring Castle of Chaos, an interactive motion simulator ride, and Hannah’s Maze of Mirrors.
Enjoy an old-fashioned adventure on a vintage passenger train via the Branson Scenic Railway. The nearly two-hour ride passes through tunnels and the foothills of the Ozarks and across trestles over the course of the 40-mile excursion. The train runs from early March through late December. During the winter, the train turns into the Polar Express, where pajama-clad kids can meet Santa and drink cocoa. Tour the city by land and water through the Branson Duck Tour. The amphibious vehicle travels through downtown Branson, including the entertainment district, before launching into Lake Taneycomo or Table Rock Lake, depending on which excursion you book. The narrated journey includes many family friendly jokes by the tour guide and crew.