The holidays are more than any one thing, right? You can’t just look at lights and get in the Christmas spirit. You can’t just put up a tree and expect to feel jolly. But what if you could go some place, where every single thing makes your heart fill with the joy of the season — as corny as that may sound?
For me, that place is Big Cedar Lodge in Branson, Missouri. Branson may be our state’s least secret destination. The self-proclaimed live-music capital of the world is tourist destination No. 1 for folks from all over the Midwest with its star-studded shows, flashy museums, zip lines and, of course, Silver Dollar City.
This one-room log cabin at Big Cedar has a sleeping loft, fireplace, kitchenette and a deck looking out at Table Rock Lake.
But tucked away from Branson, just to the southwest, sits Table Rock Lake and its shining jewel, Big Cedar Lodge. Consistently named to best-resort lists, Big Cedar continues to grow and impress. Opened in 1988 by Bass Pro founder Johnny Morris, the resort is known for its attention to detail and customer service. And that seems to be compounded for the holidays.
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Start with the cabin itself: Big Cedar offers a number of different lodgings, from a basic hotel-room-like space (though I’m not sure anything there is actually basic), to homes you can rent. We opted for a one-room cabin with a loft. It had a wood-burning fireplace, a deck ringed in holiday lights and its own Christmas tree. I wasn’t sure I wanted to leave.
But of course I did. There’s so much to do at Big Cedar, especially during its “Home for the Holidays” season.
A tree that dances with the music is a highlight of the synthetic ice skating rink at Big Cedar.
At Big Cedar
The center of Big Cedar’s holiday extravaganza is just between the main buildings that house registration and the buildings of Devil’s Pool, on the area called the Swimmin’ Hole Lawn. In that space, fire pits are lit nightly, a concession sells hot cocoa and s’mores kits, a Santa’s Wonderland Outpost allows kids to shop with an elf, and a synthetic ice skating rink holds a large lit tree that dances in time to the music.
Every Saturday, folks gather around the rink at dusk for a tree-lighting ceremony. It features music, “Frozen”-like sisters, the Grinch, singing and dancing and then Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive to much fanfare. The ceremony closes with a fireworks display.
Big Cedar Lodge and Top of the Rock are lit for the holidays.
Every night, running about every 15 minutes or so, a tram departs from that general area. Sit back and let the driver guide you through the property’s light displays, including a stretch with the 12 days of Christmas. It becomes extra fun when everyone on the team spontaneously sings along. The tram ride is $25 for guests ($30 general) but includes cider or hot chocolate and a s’more snack. Or you can drive the route in your own car (it’s free for guests; $35 a car for the public).
Big Cedar also offers a variety of holiday classes and events (most for an extra charge), such a a gingerbread charcuterie class, baking with Mrs. Claus and more.
The waterfall inside the four-story cave on the Lost Canyon Nature Trail is illuminated for Nature and Night.
Lost Canyon Nature Trail
I’ve been on the Lost Canyon Nature Trail, at Big Cedar’s nearby Top of the Rock area, twice before. It is quite incredible to see the waterfalls, rock formations and even the cave you can drive through right from the comfort of your golf cart. But even that did not prepare me for the sheer wonder of the holiday lights version.
A golf cart drives past one of the many light displays at the Lost Canyon’s Nature at Night.
Music — a combo of Christmas songs and native spiritual sounds — and narration are piped into your four-seater golf cart. The message is one of peace with nature and an emphasis on taking care of the planet. As you drive (very slowly because there are golf carts ahead of you), the forest seems to come alive. Lights dance on trees, illuminated animals seem to emerge from every corner: squirrels on trees, deer in the distance, a family of bears. Every corner you turn feels more magical than the next. Somehow, between the light, the waterfalls and the music, you feel completely transported for about an hour. The cost is about $45 a person and includes admission to the Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum.
The Worman House is an upscale restaurant in the Big Cedar Lodge resort.
Where to eat
Worman House: When you walk in the Worman House, you are greeted by a roaring fire in the waiting room. Take a few steps into the main dining room, and there are giant picture windows that look out over the holiday lights that surround a lake. The food is as upscale as it gets (wagyu steak, lobster thermidor and the amazing signature seafood pot pie), and the prices follow suit. But you are paying for that ambience and the excellent service ... and the crooner belting out holiday tunes while you dine. The Worman House also hosts extravagant brunches with Santa.
Devil’s Pool Restaurant: From our cabin, it was only a walk across a footbridge, past a waterfall, to the Devil’s Pool area. There, you’ll find a heated swimming pool and hot tub open during the holidays, a fitness center, a restaurant and the fabulous Buzzard Bar. Late one evening, I went there alone and found a bunch of new friends singing along to a talented band belting out “Devil Went Down to Georgia” and other favorites. It felt exactly like a basement band in upscale Branson should.
The interior of the one-room cabin, with a view from the loft.
Big Cedar also has a cafe, Truman, and a restaurant inside Fun Mountain, which is a huge entertainment center on campus (bowling, bumper cars, laser tag, arcade games, and in warmer weather go-karts and a ropes course). A shuttle ride away are the restaurants at Top of the Rock.
Or you could get takeout from one of these and head back to your cabin. Dine in front of a roaring fire, snuggled under a blanket, taking in the holiday lights outside your deck. By then you will for sure have found the Christmas spirit.
View life in St. Louis through the Post-Dispatch photographers' lenses. Edited by Jenna Jones.
