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[sjrogers]

Many years ago when we started visiting Branson and SDC there was a place called Mutton Hollow.  There was a long wooded drive down into the hollow just off of 76 Highway.  We enjoyed visiting there in the evening and the cabin restaurant.  If I recall correctly this is the area that is now occupied by Celebration City.  I wished that this could have been preserved and even today wish that this could be restored (although it would require planting a lot of trees).  

We enjoyed going down into that area after SDC closed for dinner and just mill around.  Celebration City purchased the park that replaced Mutton Hollow and was, as I understand it, a place for families to go in the evening.  To have traded Mutton Hollow for the Walt Disney like amusement park was in my opinion a missed opportunity.  You can ride go carts, roller coasters and play the arcade games almost any place.  But spending time around an open fire, roasting marshmallows, swapping stories, learning about the Branson folklore and just spending time together is something very unique and special to this area.  Mutton Hollow was and potentially could be that again.  If anyone could make this happen -- it would be the Herschend Family Entertainment organization.

P.S. If anyone has any pictures of Mutton Hollow or could point me towards a site -- I would love to check them out. - Thanks.

[Junior]

Mutton Hollow was developed first into the failed Branson USA theme park. It operated only for about a year or two. Then the Herschends purchased it and developed it into Celebration City, which made a profit, but not enough of one to continue operation after about three or four years. Pete Herschend said in a recent interview that the completetion of the Highway on the west side of town would likely happen first before a redevelopment of the property. He also said it's possible another company could redevelop and operate on the site. We will have to wait and see what happens.
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I, too, miss the old Mutton Hollow. However, it will never come back. Time marches on. The old Amanda's building and Sammy's Cabin are still there. Just repainted and operated during the CC era as different shops or employee areas. All those trees are gone. I worked in Mutton Hollow in 1979 when the Heart of America Rodeo operated there. My dad, an executive by day, was the parking lot supervisor for a while there at night. He hired my brother and me to park cars along with another kid named Skylar. I marched back and forth on that old gravel parking lot hundreds of times. For a 16 year old kid, the $20 per night I was paid was like finding a gold bar on the street everyday! We got in free to the rodeo every night, too!

[sjrogers]

Thanks for sharing.  So many great memories!

[sanddunerider]

yes, never happen again..  Mutton Hollow was a unique expierence...  Even IF somebody built a new MH, it would be modernized and would NOT be the same. 

[tiffanylynnt]

Gosh, I need a time machine. I hate being in the dark and not knowing about half of this stuff!

[Gilligan]

Mutton Hollow used to have a pie shop called Aunt Parthene's.  I loved that place!!  I bought a hand woven rug from a big craft shop there years ago.  That rug looked as good as the day I bought it after hundred of washings.  In fact, it was GREAT! until the contractor picked it up during cleanup and it was never to be seen again.   I don't think I have any photos of Mutton Hollow.

[Junior]

A nice overview illustration of what Mutton Hollow looked like is posted on my Flickr site:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/juniordugan the illustration was part of an ad in the Ozarks Mountaineer magazine in August of 1980.

[thelarsonsix]

Junior, do you have any more scans of that ad or just the one page?

[Junior]

Let me dig those ads up and post them. It will just take a little bit of time.

[thelarsonsix]

Thanks. I kept trying to "turn the page" on the one you had up, but there wasn't anything else there.  I'd love to see them whenever you get the chance.

[Junior]

Three old Mutton Hollow Ads from the Ozarks Mountaineer magazine, from 1972, 1978, and 1980 posted on the Flickr site. http://www.flickr.com/photos/juniordugan

[thelarsonsix]

Awesome Junior, many thanks!

It's still hard for me to believe that was ever "5 miles west of Branson". Where did they have the rodeos at? I'm guessing there was an arena there somewhere?

[Junior]

If you look in the ads with the mutton hollow village drawings, the rodeo arena is way in the back. The arena sat on the location of the Celebration City parking lot. They have cut the trees and built many buildings on this property over the years, but I walked that old parking lot and was in and out of the arena so much in 1979, I can still tell where the arena was from the lay of the land. 

[SDC Gal]

I always loved to go to Mutton Hollow.  Since I've always had an interest in Quilting, I always liked to go to Amanda's.  Think I've got a picture of it around here.  I've been working on digitizing some old slides I took in 1983, and I have a handful of Mutton Hollow pictures.  I always liked things related to Shepherd of the Hills, and was surprised when Mutton Hollow disappeared for a stinkin amusement park.   I can't believe they just let some of those SOTH artifacts just go like that and not renovate them.  I have been to SOTH since my late 80's trip.  Always had the kids along from then on and just didn't think it was worth all the money when they weren't that interested in that kind of thing.  Wondering if it's changed much that I wouldn't enjoy it as much as I did.    That late 80's trip, we took along our first video camera, a big honking thing, and I have video of the tour and all the street entertainment they had at that time. (moonshiners and a medicine show)   

Lori