2014-10-30 Meramec Caverns Exit 230

For hundreds of miles in any direction from Meramec Caverns you will see this sign, "Meramec Caverns Exit 230". It is painted on barns. It is on billboards. It is in every visitor center and antique store. They know how to market.

We arrived and parked our 5th wheel in the camping area. We were the only ones there so we parked longways by the river.

These two characters are wondering where all the cars are.

Entrance

Too cool. You are IN the caverns and they have exhibits in here. The pay station is just ahead and beyond that is the start of the tour.

The first room is HUGE. When Jesse James was in here, he had it remodeled and tile put in.

Our first "story" was about a couple from the Art Linkletter People are Funny radio show that had to sleep in a cave in the cavern for the first two weeks after their wedding. Google "couple honeymoons in cave" and you'll find an article from 1950 in the St. Petersburg Times about it.

We were in a group of 12 people so there was plenty of room to move around and take pictures of the cave system. By the way, these caves are CAVERNOUS. They are really huge.

They are big enough that groups can go in opposite directions and pass each other.

There were some areas where there were actual stalagtites and stalagmites. They dammed up the water in here to create an artificial reflecting pond.

They've added colored lights for a great effect.

They have room for stadium seating inside the cavern. They project a video on a curtain of the rocks.

Outside by the river they have a dock where their river boat has tours during the summer.

And they've added a Zipline Adventure as well that goes across the Meramec River a couple of times.

We had a great time here. The caverns were so much more than we had imagined. We've been in other caves as I've blogged about before, but these were so extensive and massive.

And if you can't find your way there, then you're asleep at the wheel.