If you have had the pleasure of visiting Branson – the Live Entertainment Capital of the Midwest – before, chances are that you have visited some of the big, famous, well known attractions on your previous visits. Take Silver Dollar City, for example – this park is world famous and boasts some of the best thrill rides in the nation. But what about some of the lesser known Branson attractions, the ones that you have to look a little harder to find? Sometimes, those can be just as much fun, if not more, to visit! So the next time you want to take a little side trip, check out some of these great stops!

Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery: For a fun look at some of the Ozarks fishing history, take a visit to the Shepherd of the Hills Fish Hatchery! This is where many of the trout that make Lake Taneycomo so fun to fish in are raised. Visitors to the hatchery can peruse the nature center, which is chock full of information about the lake, the fish, and the surrounding wildlife. A small movie theater shows a film that details every step of the trout raising process. Once you step outside, you can wander through the concrete raceways where the fish are housed, and even feed them! The hatchery also abuts several beautiful hiking trails that border the lake, so wear your hiking shoes!

College of the Ozarks: While visiting a school during a vacation might not sound like the most fun thing in the world, College of the Ozarks is not just any school! This unique institution is a four year work college, where students work on campus to pay for their tuition. Students can work at any number of on-site work stations – and some of these happen to be pretty cool attractions! The Ralph Foster Museum, for example, is known as ‘The Smithsonian of the Ozarks,’ and it is packed wall to wall with artifacts, collectibles, art, tools, costumes, furniture and more. The Tractor Museum, full of antique farm machinery, is located just across from the on campus dairy, where visitors can see how students milk the cows. The milk and cream is then used to make delicious ice cream up at the Keeter Center ice cream parlor! These are just a few of the great things to see on this campus.

Table Rock Dam: Many folks have driven over the top of the Table Rock Dam – but did you know that you can go INSIDE the dam? That’s right – you can get an in depth look at the hydro power created by the water in the lake. Tours depart from the Dewey Short Visitor’s Center, and involve quite a bit of stair climbing – so wear your walking shoes!

These are just a few of the lesser known Branson attractions and activities around town for you to partake in – get creative and go exploring to find some more!