Branson update.
On our recent road trip to Minnesota, Chicago and other points here and yonder, my wife asked if we could go to Silver Dollar City, and spend 2 nights. Fine by me, I just don't care about anything else in Branson. And it had been 12 years since I had been there, so....random observations.
-The Branson economy has to be down. The amount of businesses we saw that were boarded up, or in some cases, the marquee remained but the building was gone, was quite a contrast from the last time I was there. On one corner was a marquee that said "opening in March 2019" but the building was long gone. Blaming the overall economy on this is one thing, but I believe it is another: there is no second act coming. All of the people that built theaters in the 90's and 00's have all retired for good or passed on, and there is nothing coming to fill the spaces. I told my wife that someone like Kid Rock needs to open a place here, because that could be a draw. But it is in such contrast with the musical acts that Branson was built on. As my sister pointed out in a text conversation I had with her on how Branson appeared to be dying:
-There used to be seemingly hundreds of mini golf and go kart places. I saw a handful of both.
-Complete hotels were closed. Not for renovation, either. Just barren with a realtor sign out front. Even a newish Hampton Inn.
-Traffic was manageable. Years ago, you might take 10 minutes or more to get through an intersection.
-Silver Dollar City is still doing well, but they have started moving towards more extreme rides, drawing a different audience. They are also building their own resort to open in late 2026.