Portion of Main Street Marina and entrance to Main Street Lake Cruises awaiting installation of ramps and final adjustments.

After many months of planning and effort, many of those walking along the Branson Landing Boardwalk on Sunday, February 21, 2016 were astounded to see the largest structure ever floated on Lake Taneycomo in the middle of the lake and moving ever so slowly and carefully upstream. The amazing sight was the Main Street Marina, at 428-foot-long and 112-foot-wide, being moved from its old home at 7 North Boardwalk on Branson Landing, to its new location at 9 South Boardwalk.

Main Street Marina is a multi-function facility; home to Main Street Lake Cruises, as well as restaurant and retail facilities. “This is a game changer,” said Larry Milton, the co-owner of Main Street Marina with his wife Lianne. “The marina’s new prime location, along the shoreline of the Bass Pro Parking lot, provides not only increased visibility, but drive-up parking and immediate access to our main entrance from a flat parking lot, all of which will enhance the experience of our guests,” he added.

Main Street Lake Cruises offers Lake Taneycomo sightseeing and dinner cruises aboard its two vessels, the 140 passenger riverboat replica Lake Queen, and the 100-foot luxury yacht, the Landing Princess. 2016 cruises from the new location are scheduled to begin on May 1. “Our goal is to provide our passengers with a unique, exciting, and unforgettable experience that will become a special part of their favorite Branson memories,” said Steve Johnson, the General Manager of Main Street Lake Cruises. “A cruise aboard the 84-foot-long riverboat replica Lake Queen is reminiscent of the travel on the White River that played such an important part in Branson’s early history, and each cruise is truly a living, one-of-a-kind adventure show with the sights, sounds, and excitement produced daily by Mother Nature.” he added

Johnson says that although there is plenty of time to relax and just enjoy the serenity of being on the lake, the Captain will provide a live, interesting narrative of what you’ll likely see, both fixed and spontaneous sights. How can you plan for a bald eagle sitting in a tree, a great blue heron soaring overhead, a mink scurrying along the shoreline, or any number of the amazing things that just happen daily along the lake shore?

Fixed sights include a unique mid-lake view of Branson Landing and its $7.5 million fountain, a spectacular synchronized fire, water, light, and music show; one of Missouri’s largest Blue Heron Rookeries; amazing bluffs carved naturally by Mother Nature over the centuries; spectacular Ozark vistas; and much more. In addition, from the comfort of your vantage point aboard the Lake Queen or the Landing Princess, you’ll come upon the birds and other wildlife that abound on Lake Taneycomo and its shoreline such as deer, mink, river otters, the great blue heron, bald eagles, various species of ducks, Canada geese, and much more. Although there are fixed elements in each cruise, each cruise experience can be as different as a snowflake when it comes to the wonders that Mother Nature will reveal.

Both of Main Street Lake Cruises’ boats and their crews are licensed, and the boats are inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard on a regular basis. In addition, they are fully accessible to the disabled and offer a full complement of modern amenities, including full-sized modern restrooms, a well-stocked bar, as well as snack and food service, as appropriate. The Lake Queen has a fully enclosed environmentally conditioned lower deck and an open-air upper deck, while both the decks of the Landing Princess are fully enclosed and environmentally conditioned.

For additional information on sightseeing cruises on the Lake Queen, or dinner cruises on the Landing Princess or any of Branson’s other shows and attractions, or for lodging arrangements, please feel free to contact the Branson Tourism Center, one of Branson’s largest and most respected vacation planning services; call 1-800-785-1550 or visit www.BransonTourismCenter.com.

Johnson points out that there are also opportunities to lease the marina’s restaurant and retail space at the exciting new prime location. Anyone interested in any of these leasing opportunities should contact him at 417-239-3980