The Tan-Tar-A Resort was a place for relaxing and meeting with friends and family long before the first walls were constructed. In the 1950s, Burton Duenke traveled from St. Louis to the Lake of the Ozarks to meet his brother for a fishing getaway at his brother’s cabin at Mallard Point. While sitting around the lakefront one evening, the brothers came up with an idea to develop the land and share their fishing spot with others by purchasing 3,800 acres down a gravel road on Turkey Bend and constructing 12 picture-perfect cottages and an arrowhead-shaped pool overlooking the lakefront.
Duenke chose to name the resort Tan-Tar-A, a Blackfoot Indian word that means “one who moves swiftly,” and as if to honor the namesake, he opened the resort in record time and welcomed his first guests on July 4, 1960. Today, the Tan-Tar-A Resort has grown into a popular gathering space for families and offers some of the most sought-after spaces for hosting small meetings in the region.
The 420-acre resort offers more than 650 guest rooms, including 125 suites; an indoor waterpark; a marina; and convention and conference venues with than 90,000 square feet of flexible indoor meeting space. The resort is split into two complexes: the Estates Complex and the Resort Complex. The Resort Complex comprises multiple interconnected buildings with guest rooms and suites within walking distance of the resort’s dining and recreation facilities. The Estates Complex, located 10 minutes from the main resort, is reminiscent of a quiet suburb, with houses of various floor plans, the largest of which offers six rooms in one building.
Although Duenke passed away in 1994, his legacy at the Tan-Tar-A lives on through his five children who continue to own and manage the long-standing family business with Duenke Enterprises, LLC, including the Tan-Tar-A Estates. The family welcomes small groups to gather and unwind in the same way their father did many years ago, now in one of 32 meeting rooms with space for up to 3,500 guests.
Meeting Space
Tan-Tar-A offers 90,000 square feet of flexible indoor meeting space, including the Grand Ballroom, with more than 23,000 square feet that holds up to 2,700 guests, and the 30,000-square-foot exhibit area called Windgate Hall that holds up to 3,300 guests. Although the resort’s large spaces are great for big gatherings, it’s the resort’s small meeting spaces that shine for more intimate events. The resort offers 28 small to medium-size meeting rooms that can accommodate groups of from 12 to 1,000. In addition to the traditional meeting space, Tan-Tar-A has many suites for meetings in a more casual setting.
Extras
Tan-Tar-A has continued to grow and improve over the years; recent renovations have included new guest rooms in Building A, upgrades in the remaining guest rooms, new wall coverings and carpet in most of the meeting rooms and public space areas, and upgrades to the Oaks golf course. In addition, the resort continually upgrades the high-speed internet access to accommodate overnight and meeting guests’ needs. Meeting guests also have access to the 120-passenger Tropic Island Cruise Yacht, which is available for chartered cocktail or dinner cruises, as well as breakfast, brunch and lunch cruises.
Catering
Along with a variety of on-site dining options from casual to upscale, Tan-Tar-A offers a wide variety of catered menus. Menus range from breakfast buffets with enhancements like European coffee bars and granola bars to hot hors d’oeuvres priced in 50-piece increments. Elaborate display stations provide a visual feast with international cheese and antipasto options. Although the menus cover most tastes and preferences, the dedicated culinary team specializes in crafting creative customized menus to satisfy all palates. Alcohol is allowed.
After Events
Tan-Tar-A has multiple recreation activities for guests, each accepting group reservations so that meeting guests can continue to interact before and after events. The resort features 27 holes of championship golf, a full-service marina with boat and Wave Runner rentals, a bowling alley with eight lanes, a miniature golf course, horseback riding, an arcade for children of all ages and multiple shopping options on-site. The most popular attraction at the resort is the Timber Falls Indoor Waterpark, where visitors can play among 600 feet of waterslides, an oversize whirlpool and a lazy river beneath a three-story wilderness treehouse.
Tan-Tar-A Resort
Location: Osage Beach, Missouri
Size: 700 rooms
Meeting Space: 90,000 square feet
Access: Approximately two and a half hours from Lambert-St. Louis International airport and approximately three hours from Kansas City International Airport
Contact Info:
573-348-3131
