Fantastic Caverns facts for kids
Fantastic Caverns is a cool show cave located in Springfield, Missouri. What makes it super unique? It's the only cave in North America where you can explore the whole thing from a ride! You sit in a Jeep-drawn tram for a 55-minute tour. The tram follows a path carved out by an ancient underground river. It's like taking a journey through time!
History of Fantastic Caverns
The cave was first found by a man named John Knox and his hunting dog in 1862. John kept the cave a secret for a few years. He didn't want it to be used by the government for things like making saltpeter, which was important for gunpowder back then.
In 1867, John finally put an ad in the Springfield newspaper. He was looking for people to explore the cave. The first official exploration happened on February 14, 1867. A little later, on February 27, a group of twelve women from the Springfield Women's Athletic Club explored the cave. These ladies are often called the first true explorers! They even carved their names into the rock. A newspaper article from that time mentioned their adventure. The cave got its current name, "Fantastic Caverns," in the 1950s.
Later, the caverns became a popular spot for music concerts during the 1950s and 1960s. These shows were even broadcast on KGBX radio in the 1970s, bringing the cave's unique sounds to many listeners.
Fun Facts About the Cave
The temperature inside Fantastic Caverns stays pretty much the same all year round. It's about 60 °F (15 °C)! This means it feels warm in the winter and fall, and nice and cool in the summer and spring. Billboards outside the cave often mention this perfect temperature.
More than 100,000 people visit Fantastic Caverns every year. It's a very popular spot! The cave is also located about 6 miles from the Jefferson Avenue Footbridge and close to Ritter Springs Park.
