Branson Centennial Museum

Junior · August 29, 2012, 05:12:41 PM

2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of Branson. The chamber of commerce and the White River Historical Society have teamed up to present a museum in downtown Branson. My wife and I visited last week, and it is small, but nice. The lady at the counter said she was interested in me bringing by some of my memoribilia so it can be scanned into their data base. I thought about taking my Hee Haw Theater stuff up, because my guess is the SDC file is pretty full for them already. The museum is located at the four way stop of Main Street and Hwy 65.
Signs are up, and there is parking, so next time you are in Branson, I encourage you to stop by and take a look. No admission charge, and exhibits rotate out every few weeks.

Gilligan · August 29, 2012, 05:14:55 PM

Junior, thanks for the info! We'll be there this weekend, so I'll be sure to check it out.

rubedugans · August 29, 2012, 08:07:51 PM

I'll have to check it out this fall when I go down!

Junior · September 19, 2012, 05:04:43 PM

When I visited the museum in August, I asked if they wanted more submissions for exhibits and so on. The lady at the desk said yes. So today I sent the museum copies of two stories I did on Branson related history, one on the diving bell, another on Hee Haw Theater. I sent copies for the White River Regional Historical Society and Branson/Lakes Chamber of Commerce archives, so they would be available to researchers in the future, and mailed in a dozen copies each of the articles with illustrations so the museum staff could put copies out on their registration counter for anyone to pick up for free. Swing by sometime next week and get a copy. If you don't see a copy, ask. I told the chamber director in a letter to have staff make copies when they need to place more out on the counter. If you want to bypass going to the museum, send me a private message sometime in the next couple of weeks

and I will send copies to you at no charge.

Junior · September 27, 2012, 05:59:37 PM

I still have a few copies left of the diving bell and Hee Haw Theater articles if anyone in interested in getting one mailed to them.

Gilligan · September 27, 2012, 06:23:18 PM

Junior, where in Historic Branson is this museum? On my last visit, I went to the Spice Agent and looked for it as we left, but it was raining so I didn't look too hard. Is it near to the Gone With the Wind Museum?

Junior · September 27, 2012, 07:19:08 PM

The museum is at the intersection of Hwy 76 and Business Highway 65. It is located cati-corner from the Mr. B's Ice Cream Parlor/Fudge Shop.
When I lived in Branson all those years ago the location the museum is on was a gas station. Later, I think it was a discount ticket outlet place.

biscuitcreek · October 06, 2012, 01:01:43 PM

We checked out the museum last weekend. It is small and the exhibits are limited. However, we really enjoying watching the DVD on the history of Branson; wished we could have seen all of it. The DVD is for sale but I didn't have a spare $20.

Junior · October 06, 2012, 02:43:57 PM

Biscuitcreek: Did you see any of the diving bell or Hee Haw Theater articles I've mentioned sitting out on their counter? I wondered if someone really did place them somewhere for the public to take, or if they stuck 'em on a shelf where visitors had no access to them.

biscuitcreek · October 06, 2012, 08:02:39 PM

Quote from: Junior on October 06, 2012, 02:43:57 PM
Biscuitcreek: Did you see any of the diving bell or Hee Haw Theater articles I've mentioned sitting out on their counter? I wondered if someone really did place them somewhere for the public to take, or if they stuck 'em on a shelf where visitors had no access to them.

No, I didn't see them, and I just asked my husband -- he didn't see them either. But since the museum is so small, the exhibits are changed out every 4 - 6 weeks. We were surprised that the upstairs was not being used but the sign said "staff only".

Forgot to mention this, in the women's bathroom there is a picture on the wall of a double-decker outhouse.....

rubedugans · October 06, 2012, 08:46:49 PM

I have also worked with the museum recently, I wonder if my things are on display there as well?

Gilligan · October 06, 2012, 09:54:16 PM

I plan to be in Branson the weekend of the 19th. I'll ask about it when I'm there.

Junior · October 06, 2012, 11:08:31 PM

Thanks. Poor ole Hee Haw Theater was not well recieved by locals...it was the first not locally owned theater in Branson history. My boss did not do alot to promote the theater. He relied on word of mouth. He did not do much advertising or any gladhanding the local powers that be. I figured since he represented outside "showbiz" he was probably blackballed. Information about the theater and its history has really not been out there, available for the public very much. In the little bio I did for the two articles, I included info about my graduating from Branson High School, attending School of the Ozarks, working at SDC and Hee Haw, hoping that the PTB would see that a former "insider" or "local" wrote the info...thus maybe sharing the articles with the public. But don't know if they actually put them out for public distribution. Rube, what things did you provide them with that we can look for?