Doing Branson on A Budget
Did you know you could do a tight scheduled, packed full of fun actives vacation for a family of six at Branson, Missouri in three days on a budget? My family and I decided to celebrate our youngest turning five by doing a weekend trip to Branson. This summer we are buying a house and have another July birthday so we needed to do it on a tight budget.
Branson is full of free activities that you can do with your family. You just have to know where to look and plan ahead. However, I am here to make it a little easier on you. I have done the research and found our favorite activities to do in Branson.
We started our trip with visiting the Creation Experience Museum. It’s free for the family. They take you on a guided tour through the museum. You learn the scientific connection to the creation of the world and God. We spent about an hour and half there. They were friendly and it was enjoyable for the whole family. My five year old did get a little restless a couple times, but it wasn’t bad and the tour guide was patient with him. It was truly family friendly.
Next we went to the Branson Centennial Museum. There we walked around and learned a lot about the history of Branson and Taney County. We saw many interesting and informative exhibits. There is a lot to be learned and see there. Once you are done you can take a little walk around and visit the stores. There is a pretty cool store just down a couple blocks called Dick’s 5 & Dime. There are tons of fantastic items in this old fashioned five and dime variety store. It’s a must see along with several other stores in the area.
Next we visited Dolly Parton’s Horse Walk to see the horses who perform in Dolly Parton’s Stampede. This was probably my daughter’s favorite stop, as she absolutely adores horses. Getting to see theses “celebrity” horses up close and personal was the best for her. They are some beautiful and talented animals!
We were going to visit the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery; however, our time didn’t allow it. I heard it is a good stop to visit and it is free. (If you have stopped there let me know what you think)!
We ended the night visiting Ripley’s Believe It or Not. It’s not free; however, I strongly recommend visiting! It’s not too costly and you can easily spend a couple hours there. It’s so interesting perfect for the entire family!
Before we headed to the hotel for the night we stopped and ate at Steak and Shake. The food there is amazing and it’s very budget friendly!
On Friday we spent the day at Silver Dollar City. When I say the day that’s what I meant. It is not free, but very worth the money. It’s extremely family friendly and perfect for all ages. We were there from open to close and we didn’t even see all of the park. My kids are still talking about the fun they had at Silver Dollar City and asking when can we go back!
On Saturday we did the typical vacation shopping stuff. We visited the The Landing and Tanger Outlet Mall. The landing perfect for shopping and amusement. The first thing on our list was to stop at Build a Bear to get Lee Lee his birthday bear! While we were there they had a concert going on and at night there is a light show at the fountain. For those that need them, they also offer free electronic carts at the information spot. While at the landing be sure to stop and get your oldtime photo taken just like we did at Busters Old Time Photos! It was perfect way to end the trip. That was so much fun and the whole family enjoyed it immensely! The Tanger Outlet Mall has several great stores where you can find something for everywhere one. Plus there are several spots through out the mall for you to set if you need a break.
Before we left Branson we decided to stop and fill our belly’s up at Starvin’ Marvin’s. They have been in business for 34 years. Starvin’ Marvin’s is the longest independently owned restaurant in Branson. Known for their “seafood with a Cajun attitude” the addition was a success. Customers come year after year for the All You Can Eat Seafood Buffet. The food was amazing and pleased everyone in the family including the picky eaters. On top of the amazing food the service was amazing. We got in quick, they were friendly, polite, and always ontop of things. I strongly recommend this being on your stop!
When all is said done we stuck to our budget, made many great memories, and had a blast!
