Dewey Short Visitor Center

outside of Dewey Visitor Center walking in path way

April 20, 2024

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The drive to the Dewey Short Visitor Center is very pretty from Big Cedar Lodge and was only about 15 minutes away. The lake was low when we were here so we couldn’t see the dam working but the visitor center had lots of good information and fun little interactive display.

map of table rock lake surrounded by wood

When you enter the Visitor Center there is a 20 minute video that runs every half hour. There are restrooms and three levels to explore. We started going to the top and went out on the deck and looked out at the dam and beautiful landscape on both sides.

table rock dam seeing it from the deck of the dewey short visitor center

Then on the third level there is history of the dam and the US Army Corps of Engineers and the history of how the castle logo came to be from West Point. There is a section about the fish in the lake and what they like and seasons you tend to find them.

castle against a column, with table sharing how the castle and corps came to be

There are a few stuffed fish on the wall. On the other side of the back wall are other animals like a bald Eagle with a fish, heron, turkey and more. I love the life jacket tester for kids. It’s great to help them realize how important life jackets are especially on a lake. One of the center boards has an area to lift up to learn how using water in your home area can be different.

back corner of the visitor center with stuff animals and fish, shows guide so you see can't touch them

You will enjoy testing your strength in generating enough power to run an LED light bulb and other things. There are turbine parts to show you what it looks like inside the dam to create power. Don’t forget about to look down at the floor to see a picture Table Rock Lake. Upstairs on the main level check out the video and sand table.

table with light bulb, hair dryer, and other appliances to show how much each uses.

The dam is 6,423 feet long. Each concrete section is 1,602 ft long and using 1,230,000 cubic yard of concrete. It cost $65 million by the time it was finished in August 1958, which now would have cost $350 million.

inside the museum visitor center showing the inside of a turbine

The video talks about construction of the dam, rebuilding the bridges, and roads to get supplies from the railroad in 1954 to 1958. There are nine cemeteries that had to be moved before the land could be flooded. There was a flood during construction that made lots of problems for other areas. Especially because the new roads, bridges, and land wasn’t ready to be flooded yet. They build the dam faster between the months of February and May trying to stay ahead but the water won. They also talk about hydropower and how the water falling on it produces electricity.

There is also a sand table across from the movie area that helps you show elevation. The buttons on the table have some cool effects like making water drain off the mountains created. There is also a cool storm function to “flood” the area to see what runoff looks like.

sand table to show how rain and evaluation to see how it all gets effected

This is a fun free thing to do with your family while at Table Rock Lake. Since the dam wasn’t running, we didn’t go to the other side, which is the river side. Make sure to check it out if the dam is running! Seeing a dam running is very different watching the water fall.

There are many other things to check out in the area from Branson to Arkansas. Enjoy your trip and don’t forget to check out some other great places to explore!

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