Caves
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The diverse scenery of the Ozarks is not limited to what you can see outdoors.
There’s another world underground awaiting your exploration.
Missouri, the “cave state,” contains about 5,000 registered caves, and the Table Rock Lake area contains some of the
most dramatic examples. The enormous Marvel Cave is the foundation attraction for the world-renowned Silver Dollar City
theme park, and Talking Rocks Cavern is known as one of the most formation-rich caves in America.
Feared by native Americans at its discovery in about 1500 A.D. and called the Devil’s Den, Marvel Cave was first explored by Spanish adventurers in the mid-1500s. It was explored again in 1869 by St. Louis miners in search of mineral deposits. They didn’t find the lead ore they sought, but were convinced that the cave contained marble. The Devil’s Den was renamed Marble Cave, although no marble was mined from it. Instead, it was found to be an important source of bat guano, which was used for making black powder for explosives and ammunition, and other products as well. A small town called Marmaros, now known as Silver Dollar City, sprang up at the cave’s entrance.
Talking Rocks Cavern, originally known as Fairy Cave, was discovered in 1896 by the Truman S. Powell family. Their lantern-lit
explorations showed a spectacular display of stalactites, stalagmites, draperies and cave pearls in sizes from soda straws to large
houses. The Powells began conducting tours, and they began making improvements to allow easier access to the cave. The installation
of electric lights allowed them to see subtle colors and details that magnified the cave’s beauty.
In 1970, Fairy Cave was acquired by the owners of Silver Dollar City. It was renamed Talking Rocks Cavern. Cave tours are available
year-round in the original cavern. For the more adventurous “spelunker,” tours of “Powell Cave” and “Mud Cave” are offered.
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