History of Fishing Museum — Attraction in Branson

Wow,, this place was impressive..I was able to finally get to the museum while my wife was having a zoom meeting, but I think she would have enjoyed it a bit herself...the collection is extensive and displayed very nicely, by era and niche...tho I am not really a fisherman I grew up as an outdoorman so even tho I didnt know specific info or details I recognized items we take for granted now that were ground breaking designs in their day..the lure collection and history was huge and Bill was incredible in his knowledge and info about the collection..tons of various styles of fishing rods and a small wall of Native and prehistoric fishing items..a few old rare wood boats and a ton of old out board motors, and even a few rare hand powered designs..literally a whole wall was lined with every old outboard you can imagine..they have a flyfishing section, which I had a bit more background with, and a section with ice fishing, which was new knowledge to me..there are many examples of various rods set out that arent priceless so you can actually handle them.. it was also very nostalgic to see items from the 70s that I recognized from my childhood( remember the "pocket fisherman" rods)..Bill was very informative and just very nice to speak with..there was even some collections of prehistoric dinasour fossils,etc....overall I would be willing to return since there is that much to see..non-outdoor spouses may not linger as long as fishermen, but the eclectic collection may still provide a bit of entertainment anyway...or as the sign on the building calls it, the " husband...

It was a free ticket, we got as part of a package deal. I looked up prices after and I don't think we would have gone considering the price for us would be $60 or so for a family. That said, the attendant inside the museum is super friendly guy and a wealth of information. I wouldn't say we are necessarily fishing buffs and if the ticket weren't free, I honestly wouldn't have known the place existed. But, it's FULL of fishing stuff, I mean FULL! This guy that owns the place is a true collector and seems to have most everything labeled with years, and what it is. They have a couple old fishing boats, tons of reels, lures, rods, etc. It's pretty unique. I'd say far better than going to a big place like Bass Pro, this guy really seems to be a fishing lover and not just trying to profit. We wouldn't likely go back, as I said, just because we aren't huge into fishing, but this is a unique experience and I guarantee you will love it if you fish and like this stuff. Glad to see someone enjoying the history of this stuff rather than tossing it in the garbage or letting it sit in a garage. Here's a business idea though, they should rent out stuff for fishing or give guided tours and fish with people. The guy who collects the stuff obviously knows a thing or two and people would probably love it... just know he's competing with the big name in...

Tucked among the tawdriness of Branson, Missouri (and truly, the depths can hardly be plumbed) is the History of Fishing Museum, a little marvel packed with displays of fishing technology from ancient times to the present. The museum hits every decade from the mid-1800's, with displays of rods and reels from handmade, jewel-like beginnings designed by watchmakers, to the mass-produced technology in the late 1970's. Co-located with this equipment is a staggering collection of contemporaneous lures, across the span from handcarved to molded plastics. I recommend going on a weekday in the afternoon, when it's least busy, and see if Bill Bramsch, the curator, can give you a guided tour. In addition to rods, reels, and lures, there's an extensive collection of outboard and trolling motors, ice fishing equipment, tackle boxes, and the like. I'd rather take a beating than go fishing, yet I found this little museum fascinating...