Lee Mace’s Ozark Opry

Ask most Americans where in Missouri they might find live country music and most will name Branson, the well known small town in the Ozarks famed for its’ forty nine theaters. Country music fans who seek the oldest running live country show in the state, however, need to head for Osage Beach on the Lake of the Ozarks.

Along Highway 54 in Osage Beach, Lee Mace’s Ozark Opry has been up and running since 1953. Countless visitors have clapped their hands and tapped their feet to the traditional rhythms of the music at Lee Mace’s Ozark Opry. Lee Mace and his wife Joyce founded the show in their native Ozarks to preserve the old time music of the region. The couple also noted many talented young people and wanted to provide them with an outlet for their music.

The show first began in a small theater with dirt floors down beside Bagnell Dam, the dam that creates the Lake of the Ozarks in 1953. The current theater a few miles away on Highway 54 was built in time for the 1957 season. When it was built, the theater was out on the far edges of the tourist attraction area. Today, other attractions and amusements have grown up around the theater but Lee Mace’s Ozark Opry remains one of the area’s most popular shows. Many families have attended for generations – parents bring their children, the children grow up and bring their children until seeing the show becomes a family tradition.

Prices are less expensive than most Branson shows – an adult ticket is just $15. Shows run nightly Monday through Saturday from April into late October at Lee Mace’s Ozark Opry and no audience is ever disappointed. The Mace’s original standard was to give their best and that committment to quality continues today. Doors open at 7pm and the show begins at straight up 8 o’clock.

Although Lee Mace passed away a few years ago, his wife Joyce Mace remains the owner and producer of the show. Talented musicians perform – some newcomers and others who have been with the show from the early years. These musicians are more than just a cast – they’re family.

At Lee Mace’s Ozark Opry – often called the longest running original Opry show behind the Grand Old Opry – audiences delight in the traditional country sound, the hillbilly style humor, and the gospel music that made the show famous.

Lee Mace’s Ozark Opry is located on Highway 54 in Osage Beach near Lake of the Ozarks in one of Missouri’s premier vacation destinations.