After World War II craftsmen, artists, and retirees began to come to the area.  In the late 1940's the Hugo Herschend family leased Marvel Cave from the Lynch daughters and began to make improvements.

Not everyone could or would make the difficult journey into its depths and waited above ground. Before long Mrs. Herschend decided that those people should be entertained while they waited. Working with local women, she made arrangements with them to display their craft-making skills to the waiting tourists. This was the beginning of what would later become Silver Dollar City.

Preparations for the construction of Table Rock Dam began in 1954, and were completed in 1959.  In the same year that Table Rock Lake was complete the Mabes family from Springfield, Missouri began the Ozarks Jubilee, a music show.  Beginning in the basement of Branson City Hall, folding chairs were set up to accommodate fifty people.

Silver Dollar City, so named for the change first given customers, was opened in 1960 by the Herschend family, with a single street of shops and a stagecoach ride. Tourists came in growing numbers to enjoy the big new lake, the Herschends' 1890's Silver Dollar City theme park, and the Trimbles' new outdoor theater at the Shepherd of the Hills Farm.

In the late 1960s another musical family – the Presleys, set up a simple metal building on the road west of Branson and began to entertain the tourists. By the 70's motels were going up everywhere and nationally famous stars made the move to Branson following the lead of stars like Roy Clark and Box Car Willie.

Today Branson has more theater seats than Broadway and stars like Andy Williams, The Lennon Sisters, Mel Tillis, Glen Campbell, Mickey Gilley, Moe Bandy, Yakov Smirnoff, The Oak Ridge Boys, Neal McCoy and many more.

Branson is rich with state-of-the-art theaters, wholesome family traditions, Ozark beauty and heritage, southern hospitality, home cookin', crafts, bargains and attractions appealing to every generation. Located in the heart of the Ozark Mountains, Branson holds claim to three mountain fed lakes surrounded by millions of acres of unspoiled mountain wilderness. The pristine natural surrounding brings millions of visitors each year.