Stark Caverns

Experience an evening of educational ideas at Stark Caverns. Educators and youth leaders, as you begin making your plans for the new school year, Stark Caverns wants to support your efforts by inviting you to experience our new education programs inside the cave. Join us on Tuesday, August 4 for an evening of refreshments and preview our learning options for students and youth groups. In cooperation with the Museum at Prariefire, an affiliate of the American Museum of Natural History, Stark Caverns has developed an exciting new curriculum that aligns with Missouri Learning Standards. Students will experience a series of learning stations with lessons in Social Studies, Science, and English Language Arts, designed with auditory, visual, and hands-on elements. Stark Caverns also offers opportunities for youth organizations to earn merits towards their individualized program goals. A few options include exploration, historical research, event planning, and even camping in the cave. Compli...

New to Lake of the Ozarks? Be sure to add Stark Caverns to your summer to-do list. Stark Caverns has been providing guests with tours for seventy years. Open year-round, daily tours are given hourly during the summer from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, and every half-hour on the weekends. Gorgeous formations and waterways can be experienced with ease due to our wide walkways. See the Ballroom and Moonshiner's Dam and learn about Native American artifacts and ancient bear beds. In addition to our daily tours, Stark Caverns offers a variety of specialty tours where you'll see the cave in a whole new light. Learn about the science of fluorescence as you study the colorful array of "glowing rocks" using hand-held black lights. Or, see the caverns the way early explorers did with our Lantern Tour, which includes a sneak peek at our growing museum collection. Problem solvers and adventure seekers will love playing the Escape Room inside the cave. All-new for 2020 is a ...

Rocks that glow. That’s the easiest way to describe  fluorescent minerals . A more technical definition is that certain minerals absorb light, and under the right conditions, release it to reveal a different color. Experts agree the best conditions for viewing fluorescent minerals are in the dark using an ultraviolet light. Putting these thoughts together, Stark Caverns has developed a unique, guided tour that allows you to view a number of these minerals first hand.  Outfitted with helmets, safety goggles, and a hand-held black light, guests are able to experience a variety of colors that naturally occur inside of the cave. Your experienced and knowledgeable tour guide will explain the science of fluorescence while highlighting unique formations and deposits of calcite, iron, manganese , and nickel.  Stark Caverns is one of only a handful of caves in the country able to offer this experience, due to the prevalence of calcite and our wide walking ...

Geodes are like nature’s own Easter eggs. Often spherical in shape, their tough outer layer hides a beautiful lining of minerals that vary in size and color. Formed by a number of different methods, they are most often found in specific geological areas, including volcanic and sedimentary deposits. Popular not just among geologists and rock hunters , people from all walks of life are intrigued to discover what lies inside a geode. To discover the hidden secret, geodes are cracked open in a variety of ways, from chisel & hammer to sophisticated machines. Stark Caverns offers guests a hands-on experience to crack open their own geodes using the pipe cutter method . After purchasing a geode in the gift shop, visitors are able to proceed to the front porch cracking station where their guide will oversee the process. Wearing protective goggles and gloves, guests place their geode inside a segment of chain which creates pressure points around the geode. Pressing the le...

Interested in taking a cave tour, but not sure what to expect? That is often the case as tourists ponder the option of visiting one of Missouri’s amazing caves. Stark Caverns is a great experience for first-time cave-exploration. Our wide, paved walking paths make the cavern 85% wheel-chair accessible, and allow even the most claustrophobic individuals plenty of breathing room.  Stepping inside the cave is always a wow moment as visitors are exposed to the grandeur of Stark Caverns. The vast width and breadth of the cave is immediately visible as folks begin the tour by crossing the boardwalk through the center of the cavern. Surrounded by unique formations, your tour guide will explain how people and wildlife have utilized the cave for shelter, food, and protection across the ages. Carved by water from dolomite and chert , visitors will be able to see formations like soda straws, draperies, and cave bacon. Fossilized seaweed and crinoids offer a glimpse of the M...

A New Adventure Based On The Caverns History With Moonshining! This summer, you are invited to play “Bootlegger’s Bequest”; a new Cave Escape Adventure at Stark Caverns ! Friday and Saturday evenings, the cave becomes an escape room where you and your friends can try your luck to find the clues, solve the puzzles, and unlock the secrets to beat the clock and escape the cave. “Cave Escape has been a fan favorite for the past few years here at Stark Caverns,” says Operations Manager, Chaz Jesiolowski. “With this new storyline, we’re tapping into the history of the cave, which was used by moonshiners in the late 1800s. We want to give players a chance to really immerse themselves into the story which is what makes escape rooms so much fun.” Escape rooms have grown in popularity over the past decade, but Stark Caverns is still unique as one of the only places to play inside an actual cave. Operational changes have been put in place this year amid current health concerns to create...

Come Inside & Enjoy The Great Outdoors! Stark Caverns is excited to announce that we will open for tours on Thursday, May 7, 2020.   The safety and wellbeing of our guests and employees is our first priority, and we will continue to do our part to prevent the spread. Stark Caverns is closely following the recommendations provided by the CDC .   Each tour size is limited, and tickets must be purchased in advance online. Guests will also have the option to purchase the entire tour time. During your visit, we recommend following normal social distancing guidelines, maintaining 6’ between non-family members, washing your hands before and after your visit, and avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Masks and facial coverings are appropriate and welcome. In fact, Stark Caverns is so committed to helping stop the spread, that we are donating $1 to the UnitedWay of Central Missouri’s COVID-19 Response Fund for every paid guest that chooses to wear a mask during t...