Providing entertainment to groups and families for generations, Branson is a Midwestern mecca for music and entertainment. While it’s best known for its theaters, the Ozark area offers endless outdoor possibilities, from expansive lakes and forests to amusement parks for all ages. Here are Branson’s top 8 outdoor activities for students.
Silver Dollar City
This award-winning theme park in the heart of the Ozarks has been entertaining groups for over 50 years. The 1880’s-themed amusement park offers 61 acres of thrill rides and family-friendly attractions alike, including the Outlaw Run roller coaster (which features three inversions) and the park’s signature Fire-in-the-Hole indoor coaster (which takes riders on an adventure through a detailed mining town. The Grand Exposition area includes attractions for all ages such as Royal Tea Party spinning cups ride and the Mighty Galleon swinging ship. Group discounts and meals are available, ensuring your group can tour the park for a reduced price.
Branson Zipline Canopy Tours
Located in Wolfe Creek Preserve, this adventure above the ground will see your students flying over the Missouri forest on the Blue Streak Fast Line. Instructors are rigorously trained and offer in-depth orientation to all the participants, while groups of 10 or more will receive discounted rates and a personalized packages. The facility’s canopy tours are a popular option for younger groups; enormous wooden structures that reach the tree line are reached by zip line or suspended bridge, and your party will spend hours journeying from tree to tree.
The Track Family Fun Parks and Branson Ferris Wheel
This expansive family fun park has enough activities to satisfy your students for an entire day. Go-kart junkies will find it difficult to top the variety of track options here, from the four-story corkscrew in Heavy Metal High Rise to the Wild Woody, which resembles old-fashioned wooden roller coasters. Those interested in maintaining the speed limit will find plenty to enjoy outside of Track 5, where they will find laser tag, glow golf and party rooms designed for birthdays and large groups. Kids Kountry features rides that appeal to all ages, including tea cups, a frog hopper and a swinging pirate ship. The facility’s newest attraction is the Branson Ferris Wheel. Imported from Chicago’s Navy Pier, the 150-foot-tall wheel is decorated with over 16,000 LED lights and provides gorgeous views of the Ozarks. Flexible ticketing options are available for groups, and pizza and frozen custard can be ordered for communal meals.
Dogwood Canyon Nature Park
Acquired by Bass Pro Shops founder John Morris in 1990, this 10,000-acre property has grown into one of the most varied nature parks in Missouri. Streams for trout fishing, forests for hiking and waterfalls for group photo ops are all interconnected with paved paths for hiking and biking. Children will love the Education Center and Treehouse, a wooden structure featured on Animal Planet and home to exhibits on conservation and the Campfire Club Ampitheater. Segway tours are a great way for your group to stick together and explore the property, while the Mill and Canyon Grill restaurant provided dishes for any appetite.
Kayak Branson
This outfitter on Table Rock Lake provides watercraft for groups of any size. Canoes, paddleboards and kayaks in single, double and triple designs are available for rentals up to an entire day, and friendly guides can point out natural landmarks and sites in the neighboring Table Rock State Park. Ideal for groups of any size and easy to learn, the kayak tours encourage teambuilding and provide a serene alternative to hiking or biking.
Ride the Ducks
These hybrid vehicles, which can travel on both water and land, have been charming Midwestern groups for generations. Designed after the amphibious DUKWs of World War II, they will transport you through Table Rock Lake, Baird Mountain and the historic Branson Entertainment District. Friendly duck guides provide narration for the approximately 70-minute tour and will tell your group about Ozark history and innovations in the U.S. military. Groups of 15 or more will receive discounted rates, and captains can even allow group members to briefly steer the vehicle.
White Water
One of the Midwest’s premier water parks, this wet and wild complex in Silver Dollar City ensures an entire day of aquatic fun for your party, From the extreme thrills of KaPau Plummet, which takes riders on a 70-degree plunge from a four-story tower, to the relaxing currents of Aloha River, the park has attractions for thrill-seekers and sunbathers alike. Reduced rates are available for groups of 10 or more, and the facility can also provide meals and access to private cabanas.
Parakeet Pete’s at the Branson Landing
If you’re looking for a bit of adventure and spectacular views of Lake Taneycomo and Branson Landing, head over to Parakeet Pete’s Waterfront Zipline attraction for an exciting and fun time exploring Branson. Complete with a seated ride (similar to a ski lift) from the Branson Landing across Lake Taneycomo, this adventure will take you across the lake to an observation deck on the top of Mount Branson after you are strapped in side-by-side on the lift. On the lift, you are seated base back towards Branson, so you can enjoy all the sights as you glide over Lake Taneycomo. Once at the top of Mount Branson, without getting out of your seat, you can enjoy panoramic views of Lake Taneycomo, Branson Landing, and the entire historic downtown area before returning to the landing. On the way back, enjoy an exhilarating, fast-paced ride to the launch pad where the ride began. This awesome zipline is the only line that zips over Lake Taneycomo, and the lift makes this ride an option for those who are not interested in strapping on the zipping harness. Perfect for families and large groups, this zip offers guests an excellent experience!
