Branson, Missouri, one of the top vacation destinations in the entire United States of America, has no shortage of unique and interesting attractions. After all, where else can you visit a room full of tropical butterflies in the morning, a museum full of wax celebrities in the afternoon, and catch a magic show in the evening? Only in Branson! If you are looking for a unique attraction off the beaten trail, make sure you plan a visit to the Rose O’Neill Museum at Bonniebrook just north of Branson off of Highway 65!
Who was Rose O’Neill? She was the creator of the famed cartoon characters (and later, dolls) the Kewpies. She wanted to draw a character than would bring more laughter into the world, and was once quoted as saying “Do good deeds in a funny way. The world needs to laugh or at least smile more than it does.” The inspiration for the Kewpies came from one of Rose’s siblings, a beloved baby brother. She would make drawings of the baby while she played with him, and told people that it was all his faces and gestures coming out in the Kewpies. Rose O’Neill was not only known for Kewpies, though – she was an outstanding artist in every way and started her rise to fame in the artistic community at the age of 14, when she won a $5 gold piece in a contest for the best drawing by a school child in her current town of Omaha, Nebraska.
Rose and her family eventually ended up in the Missouri Ozarks, on a beautiful property that Rose named ‘Bonniebrook,’ after the bubbling little creek than ran near the house. She continued her artistic career, which skyrocketed after creating the Kewpies (a play on the spelling of Cupid), and continued to help and encourage other artists until the day she died.
When you visit Bonniebrook, you will not only experience a recreation of the O’Neill’s fourteen room mansion (the original was destroyed in a fire after Rose’s death), but also stroll through Rose’s art gallery, which features everything from illustrations to sculptures, and the Kewpie Museum, where you can find Kewpie memorabilia reminiscent of the Kewpie craze that swept the nation in the 20th century. You’ll also enjoy a walk around the beautiful wooded grounds of Bonniebrook, which feature a garden pathway through the front lawn, access to the namesake creek, and a quaint bridge that leads to the peaceful O’Neill family cemetery. There is also an on-site gift shop at Bonniebrook, where you can shop a variety of merchandise including Kewpie dolls, apparel, mugs, postcards, books and more. And for the real history buff, take a quick peek inside the Bonniebrook research library!
Bonniebrook is one of those quaint Branson attractions that you won’t want to miss out on – and your visit can help support the Bonniebrook Historical Society for future generations!
