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It seems that kids are always anxious for school to let out and summer vacation to begin. Yet after a few weeks, they can begin to run out of fun things to do. One great way for families to spend their hot summer days is by visiting one of Missouri’s several natural cave attractions. KSMU’s Theresa Bettmann talked with local cave experts and has this report.
Summer family fun is about spending days having fun together, staying cool, and maybe even learning a thing or two. A great way families can enjoy summer is by exploring and learning more about some of Missouri’s natural resources. Missouri has been nicknamed “The Cave State” as it currently holds the second place title in the country for its numerous caves. Jim Vandike is a spokesperson for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, and he says that there are currently around 6300 caves identified in the state. About 20 of those are open to the public.
“One of the reasons that Missouri has so many caves is basically that the southern half of the state contains very thick carbonate rock, like limestone and dolomite. And both of these are rocks that are susceptible to being dissolved away by slightly acidic groundwater.” Said Vandike.
There are several caves that have become tourist attractions throughout Missouri; they are a popular way to cool off and learn more about the local environment at the same time. One reason many people are drawn to caves is the cool 60 degree temperature year-around. Vandike says that while people enjoy the cool climate, there is also much to see and learn about in the world below the surface.
“Well aside from being just an interesting thing to look at, [caves] they’ve also got a lot of scientific things to see inside.These things can also help us understand too a little bit about southern Missouri’s ground water.” Vandike said.
Kirk Hansen is spokesperson for Fantastic Caverns, which is one of several local public cave attractions. He says people have enjoyed visiting caves for a long time.
“I think, probably one of the most important things about cave attractions is that they were some of the states’ very first tourist attractions. Of course caves have been here before tourists or entrepreneurs were here. But all across the United States caves were opened up as probably the very first tourist attractions that were of interest to the folks traveling.” Hansen said.
Fantastic Caverns is located just north of Springfield and is the only local cave that gives drive through tours. Other nearby caves include: Marvel Cave at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Smallin’ Cave in Ozark, Crystal Cave in Greene County, and Talking Rock Caverns in Branson West. Click here to find a link to more information about where to find public caves in Missouri. For KSMU News, I’m Theresa Bettmann.