Christmas in Branson

An Old Time Christmas at Silver Dollar City

Christmas in Branson is a community-wide celebration with holiday light displays throughout the city and surrounding communities. You'll see decorations everywhere...from houses to businesses and large animated drive-through displays. It all starts at the beginning of November, so plan a visit to Branson and jump-start your holiday spirit!

Branson Area Festival of Lights
Date: November 1 – December 31, 2007
Hours: Sunday through Thursday 5 pm to 11 pm; and Friday & Saturday 5 pm to 12 pm midnight
Admission Fees for 2007:

• Family Vehicles: $10
• Family Season Pass: $15
• Mini-Coaches (12-28 seats), Church Vans and Limos: $25
• Full-Size Motorcoaches: $50

Branson’s well-known drive-through holiday light display can be seen at Shepherd of the Hills Expressway and Expressway Lane near the new Sight & Sound Theatre. Over 175 magical displays light up the 1 1/4-mile drive. It should be noted that this is a new location for 2007 and it is a one-way drive-through this year with its only entrance at the junction of Expressway Lane and Shepherd of the Hills Expressway just opposite the new Sight & Sound Theatre. Many of the displays are animated and grouped into themes like Cartoon Land, The Twelve Days of Christmas and Peach on Earth.

Christmas light displays at Silver Dollar City’s Old Time Christmas Celebration
Date: November 3 – December 30, 2007 (Open Wednesdays-Sundays through Dec. 2, Thursday - Sundays, Dec. 6-23, daily Dec. 26-30)

Enchanted Forest on Indian Point Road
Date: November 10 – January 1, 2008

The only Branson/Lakes Area lighting display that remains FREE to the public, the Enchanted Forest was also the first drive-through holiday light display in the area beginning in the 1980’s.

It’s a mile-long drive with hundreds of thousands of lights including tunnels, whimsical animated woodland creatures and the famous Freedom Tree. The Freedom Tree emerged just after the 9-11 terrorists attacks when volunteers decorated a crooked old Osage orange tree with red, white and blue lights to show the Village’s patriotism and support for the country. The tradition continues every year with 60,000 red, white & blue lights on the Freedom Tree. You can see a picture of the tree on the Indian Point Chamber of Commerce’s Website, but it’s much better in person!

The display is FREE, but donations are gratefully accepted.

The Enchanted Forest is located three miles south of Highway 76 on Indian Point Road (the entrance to the Silver Dollar City Theme Park) between Branson and Branson West. Instead of turning in the parking lots at Silver Dollar City, keep going straight. Indian Point is at the end of the road, which dead-ends at the water of Lake Taneycomo. The Enchanted Forest is located across from Hunter's Friend Resort.

It’s open from dusk until midnight each evening from November 10 through January 1, 2008.


Trail of Lights at Shepherd of the Hills
Date: November 1 – December 31, 2007
Hours: Open 7 nights a week from dusk till midnight
Admission: Adults $8; children (age 4-16) $4

The Trail of Lights is a drive-through animation display that winds its way through the historic Shepherd of the Hills 160-acre homestead. You'll travel through a variety of different lands, each with its own theme and holiday music, from fantasy to religious to patriotic. Life-size (and some larger than life) three-dimensional characters have their own housing so you can peek in on the fun happening inside. Favorites include a Victorian Village, North Pole Village, The Elves General Store, The Animals Knelt, Reindeer Care, The Reason for the Season, and Land of Sugar and Spice. New additions include fun displays and scenes like Eskimo Lane, I'll Play My Drum for Him, and the gorgeous Santa Sea Serpent Castle.

The Trail also includes millions of multi-colored Christmas lights. Every building on the park is completely illuminated, and there are hundreds of lighted displays and animated scenes, like The Nativity, Mele Kalikmaka and the Jingle Bell Jungle.

The grand finale is a stop by Inspiration Tower where you can ride glass elevators up 230 feet for a Santa’s-eye view of the lights from above.


59th Annual Adoration Day Parade
Date: December 2, 2007 at 5:00 p.m.

Branson’s festive night-time parade and Adoration creche lighting ceremony at 5:00 p.m. in historic downtown Branson.


White Flight at The Butterfly Palace & Rainforest Adventure
Date: November 1 – January 15, 2008

Imagine thousands of white butterflies dancing like snowflakes in a rainforest sparkling with thousands of twinkling Christmas lights and you’ve got the idea behind the Butterfly Palace’s exclusive holiday event. Add holiday music and a stop in the 3-D theatre, rainforest critter center and Emerald Forest Mirror Maze and it’s an unforgettable outing.


Santa's Workshop in Historic Downtown Branson
Date: Saturday, December 8th from 10 am to 4 pm; and Sunday, December 9th, noon to 4 pm
Admission: FREE

Visit Santa's North Pole Workshop in December at the Downtown Branson Main Street Association office, 119 W. Pacific in Branson, Missouri.
 
Children can visit Santa, have their picture taken and tell him their secret wishes. In the Workshop, children can decorate cookies and make an ornament to take home.

The Downtown Association also decorates the Giving Trees in December to collect gifts for the Boys & Girls Club and residents of local nursing homes. For more information on Santa's Workshop or the Giving Trees, call 417-334-1548.

Ride the Ducks at Branson Landing

The Branson Landing Ride The Ducks is offering a Christmas cruising option...of the more silly sort. Their fully enclosed, festively decorated duck takes you on a 60-minute holiday cruise on land and water. The ticket price includes a Santa hat for you to take home. Cruises leave at 5:30 and 6:30 pm between November 4 and December 16. Ride the Ducks Holiday Land and Light Tour is also available at their location on Highway 76. Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for children.

You can also celebrate the holidays with your entire family at almost every Branson show in November and December. We have Mr. Christmas himself, Andy Williams, and new additions like Mannheim Steamroller at the Grand Palace and Broadway's Spirit of Christmas at the Branson Variety Theatre. 

Unfortunately, Kimberling City’s long-running Port of Lights display is no longer in operation (effective 2007).