Fantastic Caverns

If you find yourself near Springfield, Missouri in the beautiful hills of he Ozark's, this is a little afternoon adventure for a couple or a family who wants to go inside a cave.  Or for someone who wants some adventure without having to get their hands dirty:)

Today for Travel Tuesday I want to introduce you to Fantastic Caverns.  This is actually the name of the business.  It is also a family owned business and I could tell they take a lot of pride in the area and it's surroundings. Additionally, they are America's only Ride Thru Cave.

Yes, that is correct.  You actually get inside a I guess you could call it large wagon pulled by a jeep.  The wagon has seats, and I think when I went we had around 16 people sitting comfortably in it.

Additionally, no matter what time of year you go, the cave is always around a comfortable 60 degree's.

This isn't just your chance to ride through a cave, but you also get to enjoy a little bit of Civil War History too!
My tour guide told us a few stories of the caves history.
One of the unique things about this cave, the owner hid it's existance from both sides on the Civil War because he didn't want either side to use it to gain an advantage over the other.
Also, when the owner asked for cave exploers, it was actually a group of 12 women in a  Woman's Athletic Club that were the caves originally explorers.

Another unique thing about this cave, that you don't normally get to do in most caves.  They actually let you reach out and touch some of the low ceiling stalacites

This cave has a rich history of different uses.  It was once used as a Speakeasy during the Prohibition era.  It also once hosted music concerts in the 50's and 60s.

IF YOU GO:
* It's about an hour long tour.
* They are open year round except certain holidays.  You can check their hours of operation and other infomation HERE.
* They do charge to go through, and I remember it was a little pricey.  You can check their website if you are planning to go, to know what the current fee's are.
* It's just a 1 hour drive north from the famous Branson, Missouri.

FYI - I am not being paid to promote this.  This was just a place I visited and enjoy and wanted to share with you all.