The legendary Roy Rogers and Dale Evans gifted the world with many memorable legacies, and the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Museum is one that every family will enjoy.
Museum visits are more than a foray into the past when they spring to life with childhood memories and visions of good guys in white hats. The Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Museum is full of life and entertainment for the whole family.
Roy Rogers, The King of the Cowboys
Millions remember attending the Saturday afternoon matinee at the local theater,
arriving decked out in a Roy Rogers western outfit to better help their cowboy hero catch
the bad guys. Roy always got his man, and he did so with a song in his heart and one on
his lips. Roys lilting voice and brilliant yodeling have touched many hearts over many years.
Dale Evans, The Queen of the West
Before 1945, Roy had appeared with dozens of leading ladies in his films, but when
Dale Evans was cast with Roy in The Cowboy and the Senorita, all other leading ladies
disappeared from sight. The world fell in love with Roy and Dale as an onscreen couple,
and two years later, Roy, then a widower, asked his leading lady to be his wife. It was Dale
who wrote Happy Trails, the song that would become the couple's musical signature. Even
today, the song is known by millions worldwide.
The Magical World of the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Museum
There's more than typical museum fodder inside the Roy Rogers and
Dale Evans Museum. There are memories and good feelings. A trip to the museum
with children too young to have experienced the impact of Roy and Dale offers parents one
of the most incomparable opportunities in the world.
It isn't often that parents can truly share their own childhoods with
their children. But at the museum, with the real Trigger and Buttermilk, Bullet
and Nellybelle, along with everything from Roy's cereal boxes to parade saddles
and white hats, and Dales spectacular cowgirl outfits to her tender writings,
parents can take their children on a journey not available anywhere else in
this modern world.
The Happy Trails Theater at the museum also features a live
musical tribute to cowboy music by Roy Rogers, Jr. and the High Riders
with Dustin Roy Rogers. Roy, "Dusty" Jr. is Roy and Dales son, and Dustin
is their grandson.
There are documentary Roy and Dale film clips and informational audio
boxes throughout the exhibit. And because taking photographs inside
the museum is allowed, parents and children have the extraordinary
opportunity to be photographed together with legendary items from the
parents' youth.
Branson Accommodations Include the Roy Rogers Bunkhouse
Three miles from downtown Branson is the Westgate Branson Woods Resort which includes a lodge, cabins and hotel suites. Inside the resort are two very special cabins available for nightly rental, the "Roy Rogers Bunkhouse" and the "Dale Evans Ranchhouse". These unique cabins have been completely decorated and stocked by the Rogers family to reflect the tastes and ambiance of Roy's and Dale's own home. Bunking in one of these western-themed cabins can add great fun to the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Museum experience, or to any stay in Branson.
The museum and the cabins are also close to the many other entertainments that Branson, Missouri has to offer, including Silver Dollar City, a rustic amusement park that combines down home country-flavored entertainments with modern rides and thrills.
A Lasting Impression on the World
Roy and Dale lived a life admired by millions, admiration that was driven less by their celebrity and more for the wholesome and caring way they treated family, friends and fans. They were heroes and role models to boys and girls, men and women. And because of Roy's obsession with saving just about everything, new generations who visit the museum get to experience the joy that is the world of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. Those who grew up with the King of the Cowboys and the Queen of the West get to relive the fun and hero influence of their youth. The museum is a place where family matters.
The Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Museum is located at 3950 Green Mountain Dr., Branson, MO. 65616. Phone: 417-339-1900
The operations schedule is available at the museum website, or visit the official Roy Rogers website, royrogers.com.