Exploring Meramec Caverns in Missouri
Meramec Caverns is in the heart of the Missouri Ozarks. The caverns are one of the state’s best-known destinations. Famous for its stunning limestone rooms, rich history, and outdoor recreation opportunities, the park has been a favorite stop for travelers along historic Route 66 for generations.
Meramec Caverns is a 4.6-mile-long cave system filled with jaw-droppingly beautiful stalactites, stalagmites, and intricate formations shaped over millions of years. Guided tours take you deep inside the caverns, showcasing awe-inspiring chambers like the majestic “Wine Table” and the towering “Stage Curtain.”
Touring Meramec Caverns: A Natural Underground Wonderland
We visited on a fall weekday afternoon. To our surprise, the parking lot was packed! Clearly, this was a popular place! We managed to get tickets, and as it would happen, our tour was not all that busy. Clearly, everyone in the parking lot caught the early one!
Jesse James and the Outlaw Connection
One of the first few things we came across and one of the most intriguing aspects of our tour was Meramec Caverns’ connection to the legendary Jesse James Gang. Our guide stopped at a cabin that looked old and explained. “It’s said Jesse James and his gang used the cave as a hideout during their outlaw days in the 1870s.” He went on explaining, “It’s said that one time the law chased them nearly to this room. Rather than risk getting shot, they tried to smoke them out. But Jesse and company made a make-shift raft out of some cabin timber and floated right out on the river right over there.” Pointing past the cabin to a stream.
It was easy to see how the caverns’ hidden passages and underground river would have provided the perfect escape route for the gang after their daring robberies.
After the James history lesson, we continued along the tour route. I thought the cave was remarkably well preserved, especially since it’s been used as a show cave for more than 100 years and, before that, as a Saltpeter mine during the Civil War. Saltpeter, or potassium nitrate, was needed to manufacture gunpowder at that time.
The “Ballroom”
The “Ballroom” is a large open room. It was first used in the 1890s to host dances and other community events. It’s now one of the first stops on the tour.
The “Mirror Room”
The “Mirror Room” was my wife’s and my favorite—this part of the caverns is where the stream is only about a foot deep. But here your eyes can play tricks on you. The water is so perfectly calm that the depth of the water can seem as though it is 50 feet deep due to the reflection of the cavern’s roof. As you can see in the photo, it’s a very cool optical illusion.
The “Hollywood Room”
The Hollywood Room is a blast, especially if you’re into movies. A portion of the 1973 movie version of Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer was filmed here. If you’ve seen it, remember the part where Tom Sawyer (Johnny Whitaker) and Becky Thatcher (Jodie Foster) got lost in a cave? That was filmed in this room.
The “Wine Room”
A few things during the tour definitely stood out, however. The “Wine Room” contains one of the rarest cave formations in the world. The room is filled with round clusters called botryoids. The famous formation in the room is called the “Wine Table,” which is covered in the round grape-like clusters. It stands 6 feet tall and is supported by three legs. You can see it above.
The route finishes up with the self-proclaimed “Greatest Show Under The Earth.” I have to say it was pretty darn cool. You enter a room with a massive formation called the “Stage Curtain,” which literally takes up essentially an entire wall of the room. The milky white formation is impressive by itself, but after sitting down on some benches, a show begins.
The lights go off, and it’s in cave dark… total darkness…. Then the projector beams the American Flag onto the Stage Curtain. Then the national anthem starts and fades into God Bless America, all the while patriotic scenes are shown on the cave wall. It was honestly very cool!
After the show, we made our way out of the cave, thoroughly impressed! If you haven’t visited Meramec Caverns, make time; it’s well worth it.
Planning Your Visit
Meramec Caverns is open year-round, and guided tours are available daily. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes, bring a light jacket for the cave’s cool temperatures, and carve out time to enjoy the museum, gift shop, and picnic areas.
Beyond the caves, Meramec Caverns offers plenty of activities for outdoor enthusiasts. You can enjoy ziplining, riverboat rides on the Meramec River, hiking trails, and even campgrounds for those who want to extend their stay. It’s a full day—or weekend—destination for families, road-trippers, and nature lovers alike.
