7 Fairy-Tale Small Towns In The Ozarks

The Ozarks seem like the farthest place from a fairy tale. A rugged ecocultural region in the bowels of America, it evokes shotguns and poverty, not swords and sorcery. But look a little higher in this high-elevation enclave to find expansive castles, winsome fairy trails, wild white "unicorns," and other staples of European fables, plus mystical attractions from native folklore. Learn where to see such stereotype-shattering sights in the elevated Ozarks.

Farmington, Arkansas

Though highlands, the Ozarks have only two designated mountain ranges: the St. Francois Mountains in Missouri and the Boston Mountains in Oklahoma and Arkansas. It is from the Arkansas side of the latter range where Farmington fulfills folks' fairy tale fantasies.

They look no further than Briar Rose Bakery & Deli. A lone story-book sight diverting drivers off Main Street, Briar Rose's proposed name was, in fact, Storybook Bakery. Later, adopting a Sleeping Beauty motif, the owners named their bakery after Princess Aurora's pseudonym. Inside is similarly spellbinding, comprising a dining room decorated like a great hall and layer upon layer of cakes, cookies, cinnamon rolls, and sandwiches that can waft you off your feet. Their flavors are just as uplifting.

If snacking like a fairy tale princess, you might as well act like one at the Firefly Fling in neighboring Fayetteville. Held each July, this festival lets you cosplay "your favorite fairy, superhero, fantasy, or woodland creature" at the already enchanting Botanical Garden of the Ozarks.

Eminence, Missouri

Having fueled up in Farmington and dressed up in Fayetteville, giddy-up to Eminence. This tiny Missouri city centers the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, whose federally protected fauna includes wild horses. Multiple herds, which are said to descend from Depression-era livestock, roam the riverways as veritable Ozark unicorns and perfect steeds for an Ozark fairy princess fantasy. "Fantasy" is key, since, being protected, the horses are not to be touched—let alone ridden (even if you tried, good luck not being bucked off). One can fantasize about mounting such a creature and riding it to other eminent Eminence-area sights, especially the Alley Spring and Mill. No fantasizing needed for this double-charmer: a historic, red mill rimmed by a blue spring that, as if by magic, stays 57 degrees year-round.

Jasper, Arkansas

Horses dominate fairy tales. Elk, not so much. Yet the elk near Jasper, Arkansas, have a more fantastical tale than Eminence's equines. Undoing domestication is amazing, but undoing extinction, like Jasper's elk did in the 1980s, is downright mythical. Before that successful reintroduction—and an earlier failed attempt where the elk mysteriously vanished—elk were absent in not just the Jasper area, but all of Arkansas, since the 1840s. Having grown to comprise roughly 450 individuals, the herd is now thriving.

Search for such supernatural elk along the Buffalo National River and then celebrate their existence at the Buffalo River Elk Festival in Jasper in June. If you would rather a more conventional fairy tale foray, visit the Enchanted Ozark Fairytale Camp south of town. In-camp attractions include fairy trails and fairy tea parties.

Branson, Missouri

Branson is like a fairy tale told by a Vegas promoter. Instead of rustic fairy trails and whimsical wild horses, this Missouri city boasts the Branson Entertainment District, a Strip-style smorgasbord of fantasy fare. Lining "The Strip," AKA West 76 Country Boulevard, are the Castle of Chaos, which houses a 5D shooting game and a mirror maze with a trapped princess; Dolly Parton's Stampede Dinner Attraction, where white horses are ridden during dynamic dinner shows; and the Americana Theatre, formerly home to "Once Upon a Fairytale," which moved to The Majestic on Gretna Road.

But there is one Branson-area attraction far off The Strip that you might call "rustic" and will almost certainly call "whimsical": Talking Rocks Cavern. Also known as Fairy Cave, it was so named by an Ozark explorer for resembling, according to his grandson, "an underground fairy land." Tours run regularly.

Lead Hill, Arkansas

Inspired by 13th-century European architecture, a French crew in Lead Hill, Arkansas, began building the Ozark Medieval Fortress in 2009. Beyond making it look medieval, they made it medievally, as in using materials and methods from the Middle Ages. Thus, for the next couple of years, the crew hand-cut and horse-hauled stones from their Ozark surroundings to create the castle, which was expected to span 40,000 square feet with 45-foot towers. Due to financial strife, however, the project folded in 2012, leaving the unfinished fortress still standing but closed to the public. Pair potential peeks at the castle with Lead Hill's other story-book-style sights, such as Tucker Hollow Park on Bull Shoals Lake.

Camdenton, Missouri

Lead Hill's Medieval Fortress is not the only incomplete Ozark palace. Ha Ha Tonka Castle, which sits atop a lakeside bluff near Camdenton, MO, was completed in the 1920s but was destroyed by fire two decades later. Despite ending the castle's functionality, the flames seared it with authenticity, making Ha Ha Tonka (inexact Osage translation of "laughing waters") appear like genuine medieval ruins misplaced in the Ozarks. The ruins became so popular that they were bought by the state and preserved as Ha Ha Tonka State Park on the Lake of the Ozarks.

Also lining the lake just north of Ha Ha Tonka is Bridal Cave & Thunder Mountain Park, whose name derives from Osage folklore. Said to have historically served as an Indigenous wedding venue, Bridal Cave now serves the same purpose for couples from around the world. It has hosted more than 4,000 fairy tale weddings since 1949.

Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Nothing screams "Ozark fairy tale" like Eureka Springs. This small city, situated at approximately 1,400 feet in northwestern Arkansas, is rich in Victorian architecture and offbeat attractions, many of which overlap. It boasts the 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa, an enchanting 19th-century estate with alleged paranormal activity; Quigley's Castle, which, though not from the Victorian era, evokes Victorian eccentricity as "The Ozarks' Strangest Dwelling"; and numerous story-book-style retreats courtesy of Eureka Springs Treehouses, Caves, Castles, & Hobbits and a similar company called Enchanted Treehouses, whose suites are named "Hansel & Gretel," "Briar Rose," and "Snow White."

A specific story book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, comes to life in Eureka Springs at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge. It houses lions, tigers, and bears, oh my!

A Fairy Tale Experience In The Ozarks

From The Wizard of Oz to Sleeping Beauty, to herds of odd animals, medieval architecture, and Osage myths, the Ozarks draw diverse inspiration for their fairy-tale towns. If you thought the Ozarks were homogeneous before, we hope you now know that this stereotyped region is a colorful collage of folklore, fables, and storybooks. Still do not believe us? See these seven settlements for yourself during your next vacation.