One Of The Best Christmas Towns Is Right Here in Missouri

What makes a town a great Christmas town? Is it the things you can do in the town? Is it how close the town looks to a Hallmark Christmas movie? Is it something else? Well, Only In Your State thinks that if the answer to both these questions is yes, then there's a pretty good chance your town is a pretty cool place to experience Christmas.

Only In Your State goes on to write about the towns they highlight, "Featuring everything from Christmas markets to holiday light displays, these small towns across America transform during the holiday season to become magical winter wonderlands full of holiday cheer."

So what towns make their list in the Midwest? First, there's Galena, Illinois. Galena makes their list because of the Jeep Jingle Parade which is how Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive. It continues from there with festive storefronts, great local shopping, and outdoor adventures.

Frankenmuth, Michigan makes their list too. According to Only In Your State, Frankenmuth is Michigan's Little Bavaria, and great Bavarian architecture that is just beautiful around the holidays. It's also home to Brooner's Christmas Wonderland, apparently the world's largest Christmas store.

Then there's Santa Claus, Indiana. I mean the name alone makes it a slam dunk to make Only In Your State's list. Only In Your State lists Santa Claus as one of the best Christmas towns in America because, "Santa Claus, Indiana is a themed wonderland that’s hard to resist at Christmastime. Holiday World offers themed roller coasters, and you’ll find themed holiday attractions galore; shop ‘til you drop at the Santa Claus Christmas Store, wonder at the fantastic light shows that illuminate the area, cheer at the Santa Claus Christmas Parade, and more."

So what about Missouri's town that made the list? I'll give you three guesses and the first two don't count. In Missouri, the best Christmas town is Branson. They cite the holiday train rides you can take on The Branson Scenic Railway, and The Dolly Parton Stampede's Christmas show as two of the must-do holiday things in Branson. Then, of course, there's Silver Dollar City's An Old Time Christmas. So there is no shortage of things to do around the holidays in Branson.

So yes, for Christmas you could point your car towards Michigan, or head to Santa Claus, Indiana. Or you could stay close to home and hit Branson. It might be a great way to change your latitude and attitude this holiday season. You can learn more about all the Christmas stuff going on in Branson at the Explore Branson website.