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Back To What's NewPerspectives: Museums prove Branson much more than country musicRandall Murphree - Guest ColumnistOneNewsNow.comApril 21, 2007 John Joslyn's voyage aboard the ill-fated RMS Titanic has lasted 20 years. Joslyn is, in a manner of speaking, captain of Titanic Branson, the world's largest museum attraction. The opulent ship's replica opened in April 2006, 94 years after the "unsinkable" Titanic collided with an iceberg and sank. Joslyn has produced television specials and researched the Titanic for two decades. The journey has brought him finally to Missouri, where the Titanic Branson exhibit dropped anchor on Highway 76 in downtown Branson. Joslyn said it is intended to celebrate the lives of all those who sailed on the Titanic. To make it appealing to visitors, he created a wide range of stations that are interactive, informative and entertaining at the same time. "It's fun," he said. "You get to come in through an iceberg. And I want people to see that magnificent ship outside." I must affirm Joslyn's adjectives -- it is fun and it is magnificent. The imposing Titanic facade is hard to miss, anchored as it is in water on Branson's main drag. It replicates (on a 50% scale) the front half of the luxury liner, rising more than 100 feet. If you haven't been to this Mid-America entertainment capital, you may be under the illusion that it's all country music. I once thought so myself. There's a lot of that there for sure, but you'll be surprised, as I was, to find countless other family-oriented features. For example, major league family attractions in Branson include Celebration City and Silver Dollar City amusement parks with rides, kids' games, fireworks extravaganzas, music and drama; Showboat Branson Belle dinner-and-show cruises; Shepherd of the Hills outdoor drama; and '57 Heaven, a collection of flawless1957 automobiles and memorabilia displayed in a '50s setting. And there are more kids' interest venues than you can shake a stick at, including White Water Park with wet fun for all ages. At Track Family Fun Parks, kids can enjoy bumper boats and cars, mini golf, arcades and multi-story go-kart tracks. And every kid will want to travel aboard Ride The Ducks, a fleet of strange-looking tour vehicles that travel on land and water. Soldiers are loved
In a more serious vein, and still appealing to families, are one-of-a-kind museums such as Titanic Branson and Veterans Memorial Museum. Branson has long enjoyed the reputation of being veteran-friendly as well as family-friendly.Captain Bob Trapp drove the Duck that took us through old downtown Branson. Capt. Bob, a native of Central California and a Vietnam veteran, said Branson knows how to respect veterans. "This is the first place I've ever been proud to be a veteran," he said. National Welcome Home Week for Vietnam vets was observed June 13-19, 2005, with events scattered across the nation. Branson was the epicenter of the national observance, hosting its own patriotic gala to celebrate the veterans who had returned from Vietnam to a not-so-friendly reception decades earlier. The Veterans Memorial Museum honors veterans of every American war in the 20th century. Though the museum building doesn't blink and flash bright lights like its musical neighbors, it's easy to spot with its World War II P-51 Mustang fighter plane sitting on the front lawn. The museum's hallmark exhibit is the world's largest bronze memorial sculpture. Created by sculptor Fred Hoppe, Jr., the 70-foot-long, 15-ton work features 50 life-size soldiers storming a beach. Each figure is modeled after a real-life combat veteran, one from each of the 50 states. Inspired by his father, a WW II veteran, Hoppe designed and funded the museum as well as researched, collected and wrote the texts posted to explain more than 2,000 artifacts he donated to the museum. "I wanted to honor these men and women who gave their lives for the freedoms we enjoy today," Hoppe said. His legacy is a moving tribute that gives pause to remember our history and appreciate our veterans. "Yeah, they treat vets well here in Branson," Capt. Bob said. Ship is legendTitanic Branson, however, keeps one foot planted firmly in history and one in entertainment. Visitors to the 17,000-square-foot ship stroll through 20 galleries where more than 400 artifacts are on display. It is a hands-on, emotion-laden, mind-stretching experience. You may go at your own pace, but a real student of the Titanic should set aside 90 minutes for the experience.On your ticket stub, you'll find the name of a Titanic passenger or crew member. Take the Grand Staircase from Third Class to First. Experience what your person experienced. Touch an iceberg, stand on a deck that's listing at 10 degrees, 20 degrees or 30. Sit in a lifeboat to hear passengers' stories. Did your person survive? Enter the Memorial Room and find out. It's quite a powerful experience, a little history mixed with the bittersweet intrigue of romance and tragedy. "And this season, there's a new feature," said Mary Kellogg Joslyn, wife and partner of John in the Branson attraction. "We have a new audio tour that includes John's recorded interviews with Titanic survivors." One even told him about watching from the lifeboat as the great ship sank. Joslyn's love affair with the Titanic began two decades ago. "For 30 years, I was a television producer in Los Angeles," he said. "I was the guy who did shows that could grab ratings for the networks when they wanted to do what we call a bait-and-switch. If we can grab them for two hours, hopefully we can introduce them to some other kind of [regular series] program." His specials include Return To The Titanic.... Live, Atlantis: In Search of the Lost Continent, and Bermuda Triangle: Secrets Revealed. Joslyn had just finished a project in the mid-1980s when he read a National Geographic article about the discovery of the Titanic . He told his partner, "Let's go out and do the Titanic." His partner thought he was crazy, but after he calmed down they decided they should give it a try. "And we did," Joslyn said, "and that started us on this journey of being on this ship for 20 years." Joslyn, CEO of Cedar Bay Entertainment, built his first Titanic exhibit in Orlando, but had long been interested in a Branson site as well. "My wife and I came here the first time in 1992 to produce a television special," he said. "Then we started coming here every year for vacation. Friends in California would say, 'Now, just where are you going -- Branson, where-is-it?'" In late 2005, the Joslyns finally moved from California to Branson. They still find their Titanic voyage exciting and invigorating. And Branson's family audience is certain to discover the same excitement at Titanic Branson. In my continuing series on Branson next week, I'll be looking at Branson Spotlight -- this southwestern Missouri city's own "American Idol"-style competition. Randall Murphree, a regular contributor to OneNewsNow.com, is editor of AFA Journal, a monthly publication of the American Family Association. Editor's Note: The American Family Association is the parent organization of the American Family News Network, which operates OneNewsNow.com. All Original Content Copyright 2006-2007 American Family News Network - All Rights Reserved |
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