Cosmic Cavern facts for kids
Cosmic Cavern is a really cool limestone cave found in northern Arkansas, close to a town called Berryville, Arkansas. Many people say it's "Arkansas' Most Beautifully Decorated Cave." It's also the warmest cave in the Ozarks, staying at a comfy 64°F (about 18°C) all year round. Most other caves in the area are much colder, usually between 55° and 60°F.
This cave is packed with amazing rock formations, which scientists call speleothems. You'll see stalactites hanging from the ceiling and stalagmites growing up from the floor. There's also flowstone, which looks like frozen waterfalls, and tiny bumps called cave popcorn. You might even spot "cave bacon" and lots of thin, hollow tubes called soda straws, plus twisty formations known as helictites.
One special part of the cave is called "Silent Splendor." It has an incredible collection of soda straws. Some of these straws are super long, reaching up to nine feet! They are among the longest soda straw formations in the entire Ozarks region.
Exploring Cosmic Cavern's Lakes and Wildlife
Cosmic Cavern has two underground lakes. People used to think they were "bottomless" because cave divers couldn't find the very bottom! These lakes are some of the biggest underground lakes in the Ozarks. In 1957, fish were put into the south lake so visitors could feed them. However, the fish are no longer there, letting the lake return to its natural state.
The water level in the cave can change a lot when it rains. The lakes can fill up and empty out quite quickly.
You can find different kinds of animals living in the cave. One special creature is the Ozark blind salamander. This salamander lives only in the Ozarks and is found in several caves there. It's related to a famous cave animal called the Olm. While there are also tiny creatures called isopods and crawdads in the cave, they might not be native to this specific cave. Sometimes, you might even see tri-colored, pip, or brown bats hanging around, taking a nap during the day. Near the entrance, in what's called the "Twilight Zone," you might spot the grotto salamander with its cool orange and black colors.
The Discovery and History of Cosmic Cavern
Cosmic Cavern was first found way back in 1845 by a person named John Moore. He was looking for lead at the time. When the cave was first discovered, people mined the areas near the entrance for a shiny stone called onyx. You can still see black marks from their torches on the cave walls! Early visitors were scared of bats, so they would drop burning tires into the cave to try and smoke them out. Because of this, it took about 70 years for the bat population to start coming back.
The cave was bought and sold many times, changing owners more than 14 times. Finally, in 1980, the Randy Langhover family bought it and still owns it today.
There's a story that in the early 1930s, two famous outlaws, Bonnie and Clyde, were in the area. They reportedly used a road west of the cave to get away from law enforcement. They were said to have driven past the cave with a storekeeper they had taken with them, on their way to release him in the town square of Berryville.
Publicity and Tours at Cosmic Cavern
When the "Silent Splendor" room was discovered in 1993, it became very famous! It was written about in newspapers all over the country and even shown on CBS news. Cosmic Cavern has also been featured in IMAX movies, including Journey into Amazing Caves and Ozarks Legacy & Legends.
Today, Cosmic Cavern offers different ways to explore. There's a regular tourist tour that's easy for everyone. They also have a "wild" cave tour. This tour takes visitors into parts of the cave that haven't been developed, where you can see some of the most amazing formations up close. The cave's gift shop has a small museum upstairs. It shows off some of the cave's history, including a large sign that was found crumpled up, which shows the cave used to be called "Mystery Cave."
Cosmic Cavern is part of the National Caves Association, which means it's recognized as an important show cave.
