The Family Resort Revival

Photo courtesy of Breezy Point Resort

Something remarkable is happening to the Lake’s lodging scene: old family resorts are coming alive again.

by Tegan Shockley, Deborah Wolfe, and Nathan Bechtold

In the first few decades after Bagnell Dam was completed (in 1931), the Lake mostly drew anglers, coming to fish along the many miles of undeveloped shoreline. In the 1950s and ‘60s, the Lake became “family vacationland,” full of zany tourist experiences. Through all those years, the small family resort was central to the Lake of the Ozarks’ role as a vacation destination. 

As these decades-old resorts begin to show their age, some are sold and demo’ed to make way for the next big thing. But for many resorts, a new trend is emerging: new owners have been breathing fresh life into these resorts rich with history and nostalgia. 

Niangua Hills Resort

Photos courtesy of Niangua Hills Resort

Located on the 5 Mile Marker of the Big Niangua Arm of the Lake, this resort was originally built in the 1940s as Singing Hills Resort. Under the new ownership of Robby and Amanda Bax, it has undergone some TLC while paying homage to the history of the Lake through the rental cabins. Many of the cabins are named after sunken townsites, which were flooded in 1931 to make the Lake.