Branson Scenic Railway

Nice ride, the train is ok however for the price i would expect to be allowed to bring water and my own snacks. If you are going to force people to eat what you sell, i suggest you provide better quality food. Also the staff claimed that the reason you cant bring your own water is safety which is obviously untrue… staff thoroughly search purses and bags which is kind of weird for a train ride and delays boarding. That set the mood for my trip. I am not sure if I would recommend.

Not recommended for summer. You can’t see through the trees. Probably would be better in the fall.

For the price I expected something a lot more fantastic. To be fair the staff was wonderful. The lady at the depot even put our water bottles (which you can’t carry unto the train!) in the fridge until we got back. The lack of real scenery wasn’t the fault of the operators, if you go South into Arkansas prepare yourself to see a lot of trees, two tunnels and a trestle bridge, not much else sadly. With top speeds of about 25 miles per hour it wasn’t a thrill ride, but it could be improved greatly! Some helpful suggestions for the management:
–With a round trip travel time of two hours, please don’t play a music soundtrack that plays for 40 minutes and loops. By the third time we heard the same songs the charm was worn out.
–At least one train car was WAY too hot to sit in and enjoy. Heard other travelers saying they heard the A/​C was out completely in it?
–The train cars really need a complete redecorating, I was shocked to see «waiting room» type chairs just lined up on either side. From the outside the train cars are beautiful and seem to promise a great vintage experience but the inside was disappointing.

This was awful! I wish we would have read the reviews before as some are pretty spot on. The train is called Branson scenic railways but we went into Arkansas?! There was no good views none of the rock formations or anything, just trees and more trees. We were a group of 10 and it was a total waste of time and money. We were trying to pass time and there are far cheaper ways to do it. Do not recommend.

This was a must, as my 4 year old is a train fanatic. The ride takes you into Arkansas and lasts about 2 hours, we went through 2 tunnels and were able to see several beautiful views. There is a lot of foliage throughout the ride but the experience in itself was one we’ll remember for years to come! They have a snack cart and you’re free to walk at your own will.
Try and buy your tickets early since they board the train in groups of 25 based on your ticket numbers. The last cart had very comfortable reclining seats in groups of 4 which made the ride even better! The conductor shares bits of history as you travel and he was very humorous!

This was pretty cool. I had never been on a train before and this was a fun experience. Went in the summer time and I think the scenery would be beautiful during the fall. We went as a family group of 13 and there was plenty room for everyone. We rode in the last car which is really comfy and smooth riding. When I mentioned this to the staff (? Not sure what you call her, train stewardess?) She explained that this was the best engineered car on the train and it was what was used as first class back in the day. Got a little history of the railway itself from the conductor. I really enjoyed my first train ride.

If you like trains and train history you will love this train ride. We sat in the last car which was made in 1949. Primarily you saw a lot of trees but there were a couple of beautiful vistas on the ride.
Since cell phone and data usage is limited and there is not a lot to do on the train, children and teens may be bored. However I loved the trip.

I have ridden on the Durango/​Silverton and Grand Canyon trains besides the Branson Scenic Railway. By far, they both are so much more exciting! We rode this one to pass time before a show., what a disappointment! All you see is trees, but Ken our attendant was very entertaining. The only plus during the 1 hour and 45 minute ride.

It’s 30 bucks for one person after taxs. No way is it worth that. We went the north route you don’t have a choice they pick the route. Maybe the southern is better. All we saw were trees, a place where they make charcoal, a bunch of big piles of gravel, a couple of tunnels and trees, trees and more trees. You couldn’t see anything but trees. Very disappointed. The video I saw on the ad, didn’t see anything like that. Sad really sad. A waste of time and money.

Not super exciting as the view is 90% trees… But myself and my daughter had never been on a train. I had hoped she would be more impressed but she was pretty bored for about half the ride. Walking car to car while the train is moving was an experience! The snacks and beverages were fairly priced and the staff was very friendly. Undecided on if we would go again.

Only one in my party had ever ridden a train for any length before so a good part of the ride was simply the experience. My son if seven has always been a fan of train related shows like Thomas & Friends so he was really excited. The scenery is nice, but you will spend much of the ride with trees, right up beside the train, blocking your view of the Ozarks. There are a couple of nice scenic spots where the view opens up and a couple of tunnels along the way which was a fun surprise for the kid. I suspect the view would be even nicer in the fall or winter. Overall it was a pleasant, if pricy, experience that I enjoyed yet would not ride twice.

A great experience train ride through Branson and into the Ozarks! The boys enjoyed the sweet sound of the locomotive when it crossed into the small towns in Missouri.

While the ride is peaceful and relaxing, to go 20 mile in one direction, and then to backup 20 miles on the same track only in reverse, isn’t worth the 26.00 a person they charge. The trip only lasts about 90 min. Would not recommend for he money.

It was a great experience if you have never been on a train. But not very scenic. Train is clean and nice, but older. TAKE CASH, no outside foo an only cash is taken at the concession car
We took our 3 children (7,5,2) and they enjoyed the fist 30 minutes but by the en of the trip one was sleeping an the other two were on our iPhones.
The staff on the train were so friendly though. Just try to get a long numbered ticket and sit I. The last two cars, they have LARGE Recliners in them and a lot of room.

Not really very scenic… starts off with a view of a ramshackle hair salon & a questionable putting green in disarray (or some other similar structure) and countless destroyed windows created by the last tornado… followed by a series of fir trees which leads us into Arkansas which amazingly looks a lot like Missouri… if you’re anxious to spend 25 dollars a head for a comfortable seat during a relatively boring narrative… run …don’t walk to the Branson Scenic Railway and enjoy the trip to nowhere. It’s not all bad, however… the conductors and staff saved the day with their typical «Bransonesque» friendly manner.

I enjoyed the train ride, but thought it was a little bit pricey at $ 25 per seat for what you get. The train, which consists of two engines and several passenger cars of 1950’s to 1960’s vintage (some in disrepair), leaves the Branson depot, goes South through Hollister, then through the Ozark foothills into Arkansas for about 20 miles or so. You go through two tunnels, which are pretty cool, then stop and return to the depot by the same route. It takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes.
The staff provides some narrative history of the railroad, the equipment, the construction of the tunnels, and etc. during the journey. This is also an active Union Pacific freight line, and the freight trains run in the evenings after the passenger train is finished for the day.
There is a mini snack bar on board where you can purchase drinks and snacks, and there are restroom facilities on board as well. The ride was much smoother and quieter than I expected. Average speed is only 25 – 30 mph.
I think it would be a better value if you go during the fall when the leaves are turning or in the early spring when the redbuds and dogwoods are in bloom. In the later spring and summer it’s just lots of greenery.

I was hoping the ride would have more of a narrative, talking about the history of Ozarks. Instead it was mostly short stories (a minute or so each) followed by long periods of silence. Definitely not worth the price of the ticket.

Compared to other scenic/​historic railroads this is one of the best. The trip is 1 hour 45 minutes which is pretty long for these types of trains so your seat is important. There is food on-​board and if you have little kids you can bring food with you. The train travels through a couple tunnels and stops on a trestle before turning back.
IMPORTANT — book your tickets online in advance. The boarding order is determined by when you ordered your tickets. The train has two dome cars and the domes are the best seats so you want to be some of the first people on board. If you don’t sit in one of the domes you probably can’t see much and the trip would be way too long.
I would give it five stars, but the trip is a little long and where you sit makes or breaks the trip.

Boring. It’s really not very scenic, you mostly are just going through the trees. There are only a few cool spots. My grandparents liked it more, but I think they still were not all that impressed, they just liked the fact that they got to sit down the whole time.

My family and I rode this in June 2009. The conductor made a speech before boarding cautioning everyone to return their weapons to the car, bring no food or water, and that our bags would be searched. He also chastised us for our unsafe footwear (sandals). This speech lasted at least five minutes. Amtrak can stop a train, load and unload, and start moving again in under a minute, with no speeches necessary. A subway can do the same in 10 – 15 seconds. We were insulted. This isn’t even a real train; why in the world do they need to talk forever about nothing?
The ride itself was as boring as anything I’ve ever done. You can’t see more than 10 feet to either side of the car because of the trees. Please, please save your money, and more importantly, your time.