PRE-CONFERENCE TOUR
HISTORIC OZARK MILL & BRANSON SCENIC RAILWAY
SEPTEMBER 25, 2024
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For those arriving early, a pre-conference tour of historic Ozark Mill, followed by an excursion on the Branson Scenic Railway, is scheduled for Wednesday, September 25. Cost per person is $170 and includes a full breakfast at the conference hotel, transportation, guided tour and lunch at Ozark Mill and tickets for the Branson Scenic journey. DInner will be on-your-own in Branson before the return trip to Springdale.
The Ozark Mill (Learn more)
Initially built in the early 1800s, the Ozark Mill underwent three fires and rebuilds and retired as the last commercially operating watermill in Missouri in 1992. The next year, Johnny Morris, noted conservationist and founder of Bass Pro Shops, purchased The Mill with a vision for a riverfront dining experience, starting preservation efforts to save the historic structure from the hungry flood waters of the Finley. Now in its new life, it’s a dining destination with multipurpose event spaces, a history tour and a general store.
Branson Scenic (Learn more)
The historic 1905 depot in downtown Branson, just one block west of Lake Taneycomo (formerly the White River) at the intersection of Main Street and Branson Landing Boulevard, is the headquarters for the Branson Scenic Railway. Branson Scenic Railway explores territory inaccessible by automobile and offers views that are unattainable by any other means of transportation. A lively narration points out the landmarks, some dating to early 20th century, and a description of the wildlife and landscape and an outline of the railroad's role in shaping the Ozarks. The routes take passengers about 20 miles from Branson before reversing direction and returning on the same tracks. The cars have been restored and refurbished to offer the same first-class experience and ambiance to today's passengers as to those they carried over seventy years ago. There is also a concession area aboard that offers refreshments for purchase.
Branson Landing (Learn more)
Walking distance from the Branson Scenic Railway, Branson Landing offers more than 100 storefronts for shopping and restaurants. Easily walkable, Branson Landing is less than a mile long with a central, open-air promenade and boardwalk. The mall is capped on the north end by the Belk department store and by a landmark Bass Pro Shops store on the south end.