Visit College of the Ozarks!

 College of the Ozarks is a fully accredited, Christian, liberal arts college located just outside Branson, Missouri.

 The institution provides the opportunity for full-time students to work at one of more than 100 campus jobs or industries to pay in-part for the cost of their education. This is why many refer to the college as “Hard Work U.” The remaining portion of the students’ expenses is covered through scholarships provided by gifts and contributions from donors who support the college. 

There are many wonderful sights to see and activities to do while on campus, but we are only going to show some of the highlights in today’s blog post. We highly encourage you to visit this gorgeous college campus and explore the beautiful sights for yourself!

While visiting campus, you will enter through the Gates of Opportunity. After passing through the gates, you will quickly approach a roundabout, and taking the initial right turn on that roundabout will lead you to our first can’t-miss C of O destination. 

The Keeter Center 

The Keeter Center is a large, rustic-looking lodge that houses the delicious, award-winning,

Dobyns Dining Room Restaurant, Nettie Marie’s College Creamery, Gift Shop, and an

astonishing small hotel.

Our family enjoys eating at Dobyns Dining Room because it is a very warm and welcoming

atmosphere. Whether you are looking for a casual lunch or an intimate dinner, the culinary

staff  has something to offer for every occasion. Their Sunday Brunch from 10AM-2PM  is

top-notch. We do highly suggest reserving your brunch ahead though due to its popularity.

The food is obviously some of the best that you will experience in our region. However, what

you cannot find anywhere else is getting to know the students who make these experiences

possible.

Patriots Park

 The next stop on our tour is Patriots Park.  Patriots Park is a short walk from the Keeter Center.  

If you choose to drive, make your way back to the roundabout to take the third and final turn

option. After a left turn,  you will be in the parking lot, leading to Patriots Park. 

This area of the campus encompasses The Global War on Terrorism Memorial, The Korean

War Memorial, The Missouri Vietnam Veterans Memorial, The Missouri Gold Star Families

Memorial, and the World War II Flag Plaza. Patriots Park is a place where citizens can

remember, reflect, and pay respect to the service men and women who have fought for our

freedoms. 

Moving down the hill toward Lake Honor

When you are ready to move on to your next location, you will head back to the roundabout

and take the middle exit that leads down the hill towards the rest of the campus. As you

continue down the hill on your right, you will soon see the alluring fountains in the middle of

Lake Honor. This charming lake is home to multiple graceful white swans that our children

enjoy watching and learning about. 

When you come to the first stop sign, you have the option to continue straight ahead, or you

can make a right turn to visit the Mill, the Stained Glass and Candle Shop, the Greenhouses,

and the Tractor Museum. For this particular campus tour, we are going to take the right turn

at this stop sign, but you are welcome to view any of these Sights to See in any order that you prefer. 

Edwards Mill

Once you have taken the right turn at the stop sign, you will still see Lake Honor on your right,

and then soon approach Edwards Mill on your left. This particular mill is a replica of an

1800s-era grist mill, powered by a twelve-foot water wheel, turned by runoff water from

nearby Lake Honor. Student workers grind whole-grain meal and flour, available for purchase

inside the building and online. Upstairs is a weaving studio, where students hand-weave

baskets and design and produce rugs, shawls, place mats and other items on traditional looms.

Edwards Mill as well as our next two stops are open from 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday through

Saturday. Our children have also found that swan food is available for purchase at the mill,

and they enjoy tossing the swans a nice little snack during our visits. 

Stained Glass and Candle Shop

Located next to Edwards Mill & General Store, The Stained Glass and Candle Shop, is a quaint

farmhouse chic venue where students handcraft stained glass creations and candles. The

building consists of eight workstations for stained glass, two workstations for candle making,

and a gift shop for guests to purchase student-made products. 

Tractor Museum

When you are ready to continue your tour, you can make your way down the road and you will

see the Gaetz Tractor Museum. Guests will be welcomed with a smile by students who work in

this unique museum. The Tractor Museum features a variety of antique tractors and farm

equipment. Noteworthy items to check out include a gray Wallis from 1918 and a reaper

produced in 1910. 

When ready to move on, you can head back towards the stop sign, and take a right turn.

You will head toward the Keeter Gymnasium which has been the home of many National

Championship Tournaments. When you reach the gym, you will notice a sign, directing you

to turn left to reach our next leg of the tour, the Ralph Foster Museum. 

Ralph Foster Museum

The Ralph Foster Museum is dedicated to the history of our nation and the Ozarks region in

particular. Named in honor of the late Ralph D. Foster, a radio pioneer and philanthropist, the

museum houses thousands of artifacts.  It is home to the truck from the famous Beverly

Hillbillies television show. 

Our girls love all of the animals in the Natural History Collection that allows them to get

perspective as to how these animals look up close.  The museum is home to the largest

firearms collection in our region and is a must-see for anyone interested in the history of

firearms.  On the second floor, along with the firearms, is the Veterans gallery and displays

on the college’s Patriotic Education Travel Program. 

The third floor of the museum houses some local historical items from Branson shows as

well as a history section about the College of the Ozarks.  A small admission fee is charged

for adults and those ages 18 and under are admitted free. Please visit The Ralph Foster

Museum website for more information.  It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 AM until

5 PM. 

Williams Memorial Chapel

A can’t-miss stop is only a short walk from the museum and it will be hard to overlook. The

Williams Memorial Chapel is an outstanding example of neo-Gothic architecture. It was built

by students over a span of 12 years, and completed in 1956.  It features an 80-foot-high vaulted

ceiling and some of the most stunning stained glass windows that you will ever see. Attached

to the chapel is the Hyer Bell Tower that you will hear ringing as you visit the college.  It is our

opinion that on a campus full of sights to see and things that leave you amazed, the Williams

Memorial Chapel is the one that will truly take your breath away. Sunday services are open to

the public and begin at 11 AM.

Point Lookout

A sidewalk that juts out from the main entrance of the chapel will take you to our next two

locations.  Point Lookout and the Scripture Garden offer panoramic views of the Ozark Hills

and the beautiful Lake Taneycomo. These spots are a tranquil and serene location to unwind

during your College of the Ozarks visit.

Lest We Forget 9/11 Memorial

As you make your way back to your car, we highly recommend visiting the Campus Fire Station,

where you will also find the Lest We Forget 9/11 Memorial. The monument features a World

Trade Center column which stands as a memorial to the 2,996 lives lost on September 11, 2001

in New York City, the Pentagon and Pennsylvania. Known as "St. Michael's 37" in honor of 37

Port Authority officers killed, this stands as a reminder to those that endured the terrorist attack

of 9/11 and a teaching point so that the younger generation, like our children, never forget what

happened on that horrible day.

Scripture Garden

From this parking area, there are several paths that you may walk to see various sights

on the campus. The Scripture Garden is a new addition to the campus. It sits on the bluff

overlooking Lake Taneycomo and the natural beauty of the Ozarks. Throughout the garden,

stones engraved with Scripture remind us of God's powerful majesty and His desire for

everyone to live in relationship with Him. A winding path takes visitors to the gazebo, an

inviting structure that sits on the edge of the bluff and features a spectacular view of the lake.

The entire campus community and the general public are invited to enjoy the serenity of this

campus highlight, surrounded by the promises of God and the beauty of His creation.

Ending Tour

Heading back around the roundabout and exiting up the hill will take you back to the gates that you entered. As stated earlier, we highly recommend that you visit the college campus to explore all that this beautiful area has to offer. We want to thank College of the Ozarks for allowing us to video our family touring their amazing campus and for allowing us to share on all of our media outlets.

If you are enjoying this blog and gaining helpful information, we would love for you to SUBSCRIBE here and also on our BransonFam YouTube channel. Thank you so much for reading. Until our next adventure, fam, we'll catch y'all later!

Visit the College of the Ozarks

Free and Cheap Things to Do in Branson

 Going on any type of vacation can seem very expensive. Luckily, in Branson, Missouri, there are plenty of things to see and do that won’t cost you an arm and a leg to pay for. We are excited to bring you options for FREE AND CHEAP things to do in Branson!

We have a great list of FREE and CHEAP Things to Do in the Branson area! If you find our channel or this blog helpful, please hit that subscribe button for MORE suggestions on family-friendly activities to do in our area! As a reminder, for every one thousand subscribers on our YouTube channel, we do a giveaway from a local business. Subscribing is free…. The giveaways are free, And we like free….  Now let’s get into other FREE stuff to do in Branson: 

Branson Landing and Fountain Show: 

Our number one way to spend our family time, at no cost, is to walk the Branson Landing. Though the Landing is home to a wide range of shops and restaurants, we enjoy the time spent in each other’s company more than the possessions that the stores can offer us.  We love to venture down the center of the Landing or walk down the Taneycomo Lakeside Trail that runs right along the water’s edge. 

The 7.5 million dollar fountain show housed along the water’s edge at the Landing is a gorgeous sight to see every hour, on the hour. This show includes 120 foot high, shooting water geysers, lights, and fire cannons, all choreographed to excellent music. You can choose to watch at a further distance, or get a closer look if you feel like receiving a shower from the fountain!  This fountain needs to be on your Branson Bucket List and lucky for all of us, it has no cost to viewers whatsoever.

Downtown Branson

Right up from the Landing is our next free thing to do in Branson.  Visiting Historic Downtown Branson is a great, free, way to spend some family time! Not only can you see a wide range of shops and eateries, but you can also visit the Centennial Museum to learn about Branson’s history and culture.  

Endearingly named “Sparky,” the Branson Trolley is a completely FREE amenity to see the downtown area. Ride to all 12 stops, including Downtown Branson, The Branson Landing, and The Branson Convention Center. 

You also need to visit Dick’s Five and Dime: This is a place that you really just have to walk through to understand it! This store is full of a wide variety of knick knacks for anyone and everyone to browse. You would be truly amazed how famous this family owned business has become over the years.  It has found its place as an iconic part of Downtown Branson.

College of the Ozarks

Located right outside of Branson, in Point Lookout, Missouri, College of Ozarks is an absolutely beautiful stop for anyone to witness. It is nicknamed Hard Work U, as students work on campus to pay for their tuition.  The campus is on a bluff that overlooks Lake Taneycomo, and C of O offers many stunning views of the lake and the Ozarks hills that surround it.  Other sights to see while on campus include the Williams Memorial Chapel, the Lest We Forget 9-11 Memorial, Patriots Park, Edwards Mill, and many other beautiful locations.  Be sure to check out our College of the Ozarks Campus Tour video so that you can see all of these memorable stops around this gorgeous campus. C of O is also a place to do things for low prices.  We will cover one of those such things later in our video.

Walking at the Aquarium at the Boardwalk + Watching Fountain Show

Our next free thing to do in Branson is taking a stroll near The Aquarium at the Boardwalk.  With an enormous reflective octopus sticking out of the aquarium, this location on the 76 strip is easy to spot. You can freely enjoy the outdoor area of the aquarium, by strolling the sidewalks and watching their choreographed fountain show. This is certainly one of our favorite locations for those cherished family pictures as well. Even though we are giving free recommendations, we do want to mention that you can grab an ice cream there at Spoony’s ice cream truck and enjoy this fun fountain show. It is definitely an affordable way to spend some family time together. 

Walking/Nature Trails

The Branson area truly has some great walking and hiking trails! With such natural beauty surrounding us in the Ozarks, it wouldn’t feel right if we didn’t recommend some of our favorite trails here:

Lakeside Forest Wilderness Area is right off Fall Creek Road behind Dick Clark's American Bandstand Theater with plenty of parking at the trailhead. After hiking about a half-mile along the top of the ridge, wooden steps and the entrance to the Cliffwalk Stairway becomes visible. The stairway, the most strenuous portion of the hike, consists of 315 stone steps down the hillside. This part of the trail offers interesting views of Civil War caves and wet-weather waterfalls.

Table Rock State Park shoreline trail is a paved trail that you can begin at the Dewey Short Visitor Center and wind around the beautiful Table Rock Lake and all of its happenings. This trail is well-loved by our family because you have gorgeous views of the lake and all of the lake-life activities. It also winds past the Branson Belle loading dock, where you can see the giant floating Branson attraction and sneak in a couple family photos. 

The next trail we are going to talk about is the Ruth and Paul Henning Conservation Area: It can be accessed from the scenic overlook, up the hill from The Butterfly Palace in Branson. You can choose from several hiking trails that range from 0.4 to 3.4 miles and vary in difficulty. This is a beautiful space to explore the Ozarks' at its finest!

Horse Walk at Dolly Parton’s Stampede

If you like animals and time it correctly, you will want to see the beautiful horses that are in Dolly Parton’s Stampede show.  You can usually catch them outside the building in their stalls before each show. These animals are truly majestic, and our kids really love seeing them each time we stop by! We hope that you and your family will as well!

Dewey Short Visitor Center

Next, we have the Dewey Short Visitor Center.  Near the Table Rock Dam, the Visitor Center offers a free indoor experience for the entire family.  Exhibits include a state-of-the-art interactive map of Table Rock Lake, beautiful artistic wall murals, and a replica of an Ozarks bluff complete with local flora and fauna. 

Other fascinating features include a Native American artifact exhibit and dioramas on the Ozarks.  An interactive water safety exhibit demonstrates the importance of wearing a life jacket, and an expansive cut-away model reveals the inner workings of a hydroelectric dam. Our kids could play in the interactive sand pit all day.  The sand pit is a great way for kids to learn about how water pools and what causes rivers and lakes to form.  The history of the Corps of Engineers is presented in detail and rounds out this amazing experience.

Branson Parks

Just like most other cities, Branson has free parks to explore.  Branson has 16 parks, for both locals and visitors to enjoy! These parks offer a wide variety of amenities and range from small neighborhood parks to large wilderness areas. Our family really loves the wide range of activities at the Branson Rec Plex park. We also love to play tennis and let the kids play at Stockstill Park.  A complete list of the parks and their features can be found at bransonparksandrecreation.com

Geocaching

This an activity that sounds really niche, but its popularity is growing all over the United States. We ourselves are far from experts, but we have had several subscribers recommend this activity to us! We have recently started doing it and our kids actually enjoy it quite a bit.  You can download the Geocaching App, search for Branson, Missouri, and you will find a variety of marks on the map.  Each of these are unique and you will find things like little treasures, photo opps, or even opportunities where you can create your own geocache to leave for others to find! Think of it as a little treasure hunt, where you have plenty of clues AND a map to help you find the treasure! We have really enjoyed this FREE activity all around Branson.

Creation Experience Museum

This museum is located on the north side of Branson, off of highway 65. Tours are completely FREE and are led by knowledgeable tour guides. This experience is designed to educate and inspire others about the creation of the world, utilizing history, the Bible, and, yes, science! There are plans in the works for a NEW Creation Experience Museum to be built in Branson! We will try to keep you updated on this in the future. 

Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery

A thing that you will find on our top 10 free things to do in Branson video is currently closed until at least 2025. The Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery is building a new, updated visitor and  conservation center. We plan to keep you up to date on the progress here as we learn more. The fishing areas close to the dam are still open, as well as the hiking trails.

Cheap Things to Do in Branson MO

Let’s transition into some suggestions of cheap things to do in Branson. Costs can add up if you are doing activities together. We know that the word “cheap” can be very subjective, so for the sake of THIS video, we are going to keep our suggestions to $10 and under per person. If you know of other Free or Cheap activities, please let us know down below in the comments!

Moonshine Beach

Many people come to the Branson area to enjoy the natural waters of the Ozarks. If you want to enjoy the lake on a budget, Moonshine Beach is only $5 per carload. Pack a cooler full of food and drinks. Enjoy a day at the beach on Table Rock Lake! Be sure that if you have little ones, you pack the life jackets and any other fun water toys for the family. They now have automated pay stations, so please have your credit or debit card ready when you enter the parking area. Locals tip here, parking lots can fill quickly on weekends and holidays, so getting there early is always a good idea. 

Branson Aquaplex at the Branson Rec Plex

If you are looking for another way to cool off in the summer months, Branson Aquaplex is located at the RecPlex, and it is only $6.50 per person. There is a water slide, an adorable shallow end for the smaller kiddos to play in, a diving board, and a climbing wall in the deeper end of the pool. Children 2 and under are FREE. There IS a snack and concession stand here as well.

Branson Board Game Cafe

Our next affordable thing to do in Branson is the Branson Board Game Cafe. It is located in Downtown Branson and is only $5 per person to play a wide selection of board games. This is endless family fun! They also have affordable food and drink options, which means you can stay and play your favorite games even longer, OR you can learn some new games that you possibly haven’t even ever heard of!  As a family that loves to compete and play board games, this is definitely one of the cooler affordable attractions in Branson to us.

Abby's Tourist Trap

The next affordable activity to do is attached to one of the most well known families in Branson.  Abby’s Tourist Trap has $1 Ice Cream, delicious cobbler, and yummy cookies! This is right next to the Dutton Family Theatre and the Dutton Inn. Souvenirs are also very affordable here! Our kids got their cute cowgirl hats for only $5 each. They wear them  ALL the TIME. 

1984 Arcade

Our next affordable activity pushes our limitation we set to the max.  Most people have heard of 1984 Arcade, but they don’t realize that it is only $10 per person for all day play of their retro arcade games. You can bring your quarters as well to play their sweet assortment of pinball machines. We have been here several times, and we always enjoy ourselves, because you know how competitive we are in THIS family!

Lera Family Farm

If you have followed our channel or our social media pages on Instagram and Facebook, you know our family loves Lera Family Farm.  Lera Family Farm is a perfect gathering place for families.  It is only about ¼ of a mile from Silver Dollar City in Branson West. They have yard games for everyone to play for FREE. They have a taco shop, coffee shop, bakery, thrifty boutique, and a food truck court! They also have an adorable farm-themed kids play area, available for only $3 per child. When the weather is nice, they have SUPER WRISTBAND weekends- for only $10, kids get to play on inflatables, have unlimited barrel train rides, and play on the farm themed play area all day long. 

Ralph Foster Museum at College of the Ozarks

As we promised earlier, we are going to conclude our list of cheap and free things to do in Branson by returning to College of the Ozarks.  In our opinion, The Ralph Foster Museum is one of the better and slept on activities to do in all of Branson.  Adult admission is $8.  People 65 and older are $6.  Veterans are $5 and kids under the age of 18 are free.  The Ralph Foster Museum is dedicated to the history of the Ozarks region. It is named in honor of the late Ralph D. Foster, who was a radio pioneer and philanthropist.  The museum houses thousands of artifacts representing archaeology, history, firearms, antiques, numismatics, natural history, fine arts, geology and mineralogy. Last but not least……. The museum is home to the actual Beverly Hillbillies Car. It was a Bicentennial gift to the museum by the show's producer, Paul Henning, who grew up nearby. The Hours of the museum are 9 AM to 5:00 PM Wednesday through Saturday. 

We know that there are more affordable things to do in Branson that we left off our list.  If you know of any, help us all out by posting those in the comments.  We hope that this information can help you stay under budget during your visit to Branson. For now though, until our next adventure, fam, we’ll catch y’all later.