Last week, the family and I ventured back to Branson, Missouri and found ourselves enjoying the Branson Strip for a summer vacation. Staying on the Branson Strip with kids opened my eyes to a whole new world of Branson. Granted, when I was a kid, we often stayed on the strip because there wasn’t much else at the time. But, my! How the strip has grown!
Staying at a Branson Hotel on the Strip
First off, let me say I would highly recommend The Hampton Inn Branson on the Strip. Although I managed to not get any pictures of the hotel itself – other than some taken of my girls with their grandmother in the indoor pool, we really enjoyed our stay. As a sunburn-prone mama with sunburn-prone kiddos, I have grown to really appreciate a good indoor pool.
The hot continental breakfast every morning was a lifesaver with young kiddos. It was clean, nicely-organized, and well-staffed with friendly employees. While our three-year-old and five-year-old chose to eat waffles made at the waffle bar or cereal and fruit, I appreciated the rotation of the hot staples. One day, there was maple sausage and scrambled eggs. Another day, it was bacon-and-cheese-topped bagles. My favorite day was the day I devoured two western omelettes. This gal loves a good omelette!
Our room at The Hampton Inn on the Branson Strip was clean with reliable housekeeping on the daily. There was never a single issue. If you are looking for a Branson hotel on the Strip, I would recommend this one.
We typically find ourselves staying at the Hilton Promenade in the Branson Landing. If you haven’t read my previous posts on visiting Branson Landing with kids, be sure to check out my guides of things to do with kids in Branson Landing and places to eat in Branson Landing!
Another thing I enjoyed about this Hamilton Inn Branson location is that it was possible to simply take to the sidewalk and head on down the Branson Strip with kids by foot if you didn’t wish to get your car out in the bumper-to-bumper evening traffic on the strip.
Granted, it was 100 degrees (the hottest day of the year thus far) on our first day there so we opted to drive most of the time. There are restaurants and Branson Strip attractions galore all up and down the strip. When I say galore, I mean GALORE. There are so many options, it will make your head spin.
Branson Strip Attractions for Kids
If you are traveling to Branson with kids, your children will probably enjoy a visit to The Track Family Fun Park. The Track is a multi-entertainment facility. There are three locations. Within the location on the Branson Strip, you can find the Branson Ferris Wheel, bumper boats, bumper cars, laser games, batting cages, an arcade, and more. Note that the activities all have set height and/or age requirements. “Kids Kountry” was especially appealing to my girls at their ages. This was a separate area that was dedicated to smaller children.
We found it is easier to view the website ahead of time and figure out how many “credits” you want to pay for/use rather than showing up and trying to figure it out there while the impatient children eagerly thrash around screaming to get on a ride.
We enjoyed the experience of riding on the Branson Ferris Wheel. Once the Navy Pier Ferris Wheel in Chicago, the ferris wheel has been relocated to the Branson Strip. When we rode, we were about 15 minutes shy of sunset. I wish we would have waited! The Branson Ferris Wheel is so pretty at dusk when it lights up or “gwoes” (grows) as Little One kept saying. Tickets are $12 per adult and $8 for children four and older.
I promise she was having fun! This girl and her facial expressions! 
Andy’s Custard was our last stop for the night after we left The Track Family Fun Park. The Hubs and the girls tried hot fudge sundaes, my mom got the strawberry shortcake, and I tried the blackberry concrete. It was sooo good!
There is also Bigfoot Fun Park which includes lots of squeal-inducing fun like the Bigfoot Super Sling and the Bigfoot Action Bomb. Check the website for prices and packages. I’m not gonna lie. This place looks super fun! It will definitely be on our list in the future. You can even rent a party room here and host a birthday party.
One really intriguing place that we are saving for a future trip (when the three-year-old is not such a…eh…threenager) is Fritz Adventures with the new (as of summer 2018) Fritz Aerodium (flight school with an outdoor wind tunnel). This place looks incredible! And you can host a party here that surely would be a party to remember. See the place for yourself. Prices vary depending on what you want to do, and there are some age restrictions on the aerodium activities.
For now, my girls were happy with a stop at a simple carousel ride. Scooter Britches saw this pay-by-the-ride carousel on our first night in town and begged and begged for the next two days to go on the “horse around.” She was tickled when we finally took her there. Each spin on the carousel was $5 per kiddo. Spending $10 to make SB happy and hush her pleas was more than worth it to us!
There are several museums – World’s Largest Toy Museum, the Titanic Museum, Hollywood Wax Museum, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, and more – on the strip.
We ventured into the toy museum on this last trip. The kids received free admission. Two adult tickets cost $38 total. I had some coupons we could have used that would have taken a few dollars off, but I had left them in the hotel room. You can leave and get lunch and return as long as you still have your wristband. There are over one million toys in this museum. Toys dated back as far as the 1920s. The girls had fun exploring all three buildings that make up the toy museum campus and asked the next day if they could go back.
Popular Branson Strip Restaurants
So now that you know about the fun, where should you eat on the Branson Strip with kids? What can I say? The options go and on! Here are some of the popular restaurants on the Strip that I consider to be kid-friendly.
- Center Stage Grille and Kaffee Haus
- Pasghetti’s
- Gettin’ Basted
- Fuddruckers
- Farmhouse Restaurant
- Cakes and Cream Fifties Diner and Drive In
- Mel’s Hard Luck Diner
- Landry’s Seafood House
Note, there is often a wait to get into a lot of these places. It’s possible some take reservations. We just showed up to eat and waited it out.
Pasghetti’s had a fun Italian atmosphere though I wouldn’t say it was the best Italian food I’ve ever eaten.
Landry’s is a chain, but it is a pretty reliable choice. When it doubt at any restaurant, I typically go with the crab cakes!
Well, that’s all I have for you this time, friends! What are some must-dos when visiting Branson Strip with kids that I overlooked in this post? Tell me in the comments! 
Other Travel Posts
Check out my other travel posts before planning your next trips!
Treehouse Cabins in Eureka Springs
Kayaking on the Arkansas River
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