History: Branson Appears on 60 Minutes

On December 8, 1991, 60 Minutes put Branson in the national spotlight.

“If are wondering ‘why Branson? ‘
no one knows why.“

-60 Minutes

Branson got national attention after a profile about the city called “The Sound of Music.” The CBS News program profiled the small town in the Missouri Ozark Mountains and explained to Americans why the area is so popular with tourists.

When the program aired, the population of Branson was around 4,000. By 2020 it was 11,567 with an estimated 10,000,000 tourists visiting the town annually. The growth cannot be tied directly to that program, but when millions of viewers around the country were told that Branson was the “live music capital of the entire universe,” it certainly didn’t hurt.

Branson: The Sound of Music (Part 1)

Branson: The Sound of Music (Part 2)

Key Moments in Branson History:

There have been several big developments that made the Branson area such a tourist attraction. According to the Branson/Lakes Area Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Branson Tourism Center these are some of the key dates in history.

• 1894 – Marvel Cave Opens to Tourists
• 1907 – Shepherd of the Hills expands the Ozarks’ popularity
• 1910s – Rockaway Beach Becomes a Vacation Hot Spot
• 1959 – Table Rock Dam is completed
• 1959 – The Baldknobbers Jamboree opens
• 1960 – Silver Dollar City opened
• 1960 – Shepherd of the Hills performances began
• 1967 – The Presley family opens a theater on the 76 Strip
• 1987 – Boxcar Willie becomes first nationally known celebrity to begin performing
• 1989 – Shoji Tabuchi begins performing
• 1990 – Dogwood Canyon development begins
• 1990 – Mickey Gilley’s Family Theater opens
• 1990 – Mel Tillis Theater opens
• 1990 – Jim Stafford begins performing
• 1991 – Branson is featured on “60 Minutes.”
• 1991 – Ray Stevens, Moe Bandy, and Buck Trent all open theaters
• 1992 – Andy Williams opens the Moon River Theatre
• 1992 – Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard perform at the Ozark Theater
• 1992 – Osmond Family Theatre opens
• 1993 – Wayne Newton and Tony Orlando begin performing
• 1993 – Yakov Smirnoff begins performing
• 1994 – The Lawrence Welk Champagne Theatre opens
• 1994 – Radio City Rockettes come to Branson
• 1995 – Showboat Branson Belle begins cruising
• 1995 – The Dixie Stampede opens
• 1997 – Chateau on the Lake opens
• 2000 – Branson Creek Golf Course opens
• 2000 – Buzz Saw Falls opens at Silver Dollar City
• 2007 – Silver Dollar City appears in episode of As The World Turns
• 2007 – ABC’s Good Morning America spotlights Branson Christmas
• 2016 – Branson Ferris Wheel opens
• 2018 – Time Traveler opens at Silver Dollar City
• 2020 – Tiger Woods and Johnny Morris open Payne’s Valley