Caves

Fantastic Caverns

Posted at June 30, 2006 13:44

By Gerry and George Watkins

A farmer’s dog discovered Fantastic Caverns just north of Springfield in 1862 after crawling through a hole. Five years later, a local newspaper advertised for explorers. Surprisingly, only twelve Springfield women responded. Dressed in long skirts, they used ropes and ladders to enter the uncharted cave.

The adventurous women carved their names into a wall, marking a significant tour stop. In America’s only ridethrough cavern, the centuries-old riverbed creates the perfect route. Guides explain cave origins and speleological formations on a fifty-minute tour that is convenient for seniors, physically challenged individuals, and groups with small children. Temperatures hover at sixty degrees, and the well-lit route gives visitors a superb view of formations while they learn about relationships between cave life, ground water, people, and their stewardship responsibilities.

Unusual species inhabit Fantastic Caverns, but you won’t see them. The grotto salamander, cave crawfish, and the blind Ozark cavefish live deeper than the tour route. Thousands of years without light have left these species blind and colorless.

The cavern’s past uses also pique visitor interest. The vast Auditorium Room seats several thousand people and has accommodated a variety of audiences over the years, including symphony concerts and grand opera. During the 1920s prohibition, the cave served as a speak-easy, with a large dance pavilion. Vigilantes made the room their headquarters during the 1930s. From the 1950s to the mid-1960s, the cavern hosted a weekly, live country music show, Farmarama. Nationally known stars such as Buck Owens, Ray Price, and Tom T. Hall all made appearances.

A classroom that houses the Fantastic Caverns Science Research Program sits adjacent to the Auditorium. Cave employees introduce students from area schools to caves and their ecological role. The family-owned business also arranges special tours for students throughout the year.

The owners protect delicate formations by monitoring water quality and using clean-burning propane to fuel the trams. The trams also help cave ecology by reducing the amount of annual traffic to thirty-one percent of what it would be if all 140,000 visitors toured the cave on foot, says Kirk Hansen, Fantastic Caverns public relations director.

Fantastic Caverns is open daily except for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Call ahead for tour times 417-833-2010 or visit www.fantasticcaverns.com.

June 2006

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