Missouri counts about 8,000 known caves, and a handful have tours: three inside state parks (Onondaga, Cathedral and Ozark Caverns) and several privately run show caves such as Meramec Caverns, Fantastic Caverns, Bridal Cave and Mark Twain Cave.
Tour prices, hours and cave temperatures below are copied from each operator’s or Missouri State Parks’ own page. Prices, hours and rules are copied as printed on the page named in the last column on October 30, 2026. They change; confirm with the operator before you drive. Anything a page did not say is marked in the last section.
Why Missouri Is The Cave State
The Missouri Speleological Survey fact page gives 8,000 caves as of March 1, 2026, and says the count keeps changing as caves are added and bad records are removed. It lists 4,670 mapped caves with about 495 miles of surveyed passage, 77 caves with more than a mile of passage, and Crevice Cave as the longest at 31 miles. Source: Missouri Speleological Survey.
Tours in Missouri State Parks
State-run tours, with prices and seasons the park pages print for 2026.
| Cave | Where | Tour | Price as printed | Season and hours as printed | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onondaga Cave | Onondaga Cave State Park, Leasburg | Walking, lit paved walkways from the visitor center; just under 1 mile, about 1 hour 15 minutes; 57°F year-round. Pets not allowed. | Adult $23, teen $23, child 6-12 $13, under 6 free; senior and military $20 | Daily April 1 to October 31 in 2026; last tour begins 3:30 p.m. | Missouri State Parks: Onondaga cave tours |
| Cathedral Cave (lantern tour) | Onondaga Cave State Park, Leasburg | Guided lantern tour, about 2 hours total with a one-third mile walk up Deer Run Trail; the page calls it more strenuous than Onondaga. First 20 people. | Adult $15, teen $13, child 6-12 $10, under 6 free; senior and military $12. Both caves the same day: adult $32 | Saturdays and Sundays from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend in 2026; times not stated | Missouri State Parks: Onondaga cave tours |
| Ozark Caverns | Lake of the Ozarks State Park, near Kaiser | Guided walking tour, about 1 hour and a half-mile round trip, “appropriate for all ages”; 56°F. Purses, backpacks and strollers are not allowed in the cave. | Adult $13, teen $10, child 6-12 $8, under 6 free; tax not included | Late spring and summer only: weekends from May 15, daily June 1 to August 15, then reduced days to September 15; closed to traditional tours September 16 to May 14 | Missouri State Parks: Ozark Caverns tours |
Privately Run Show Caves
Operator pages, read the same day. Several do not print a tour length or price, which we leave blank rather than guess.
| Cave | Where | Tour | Price as printed | Season and hours as printed | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meramec Caverns | Stanton (I-44 exit 230) | Guided tours on lit walkways; the page says a cool 60 degrees year-round | Not readable on the page | Open daily 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (page undated) | Meramec Caverns |
| Fantastic Caverns | Springfield | Three tours listed: Cool 60, Ride-Thru and Missouri’s Cave; tour length not stated | 2026: adult $36, child 6-12 $18, 5 and under free | Daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day; the page showed 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., last departure 6 p.m. | Fantastic Caverns |
| Bridal Cave | Camdenton | Standard tour, Lantern Tour and Black Light Adventure; 60°F year-round | Standard: adult $30, child 5-12 $16, 4 and under free. Lantern $39.95. Black Light $36 | Daily 9 to 5 through October 30, then 9 to 4 from October 31; closed New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas | Bridal Cave |
| Mark Twain Cave | Hannibal | Walking, lit; the page says one hour. A separate Cameron Cave flashlight tour runs about 90 minutes. | Mark Twain Cave: adult $29.99, child 4-12 $16.99. Cameron Cave: adult $32.99, child $16.99 | Varies by month: for example Memorial Day to Labor Day 9 to 7 Sunday to Thursday and 9 to 8 Friday and Saturday; see the page | Mark Twain Cave: hours and prices |
| Talking Rocks Cavern | Branson West | Guided walking tour on concrete walkways, rain or shine, no reservations needed for cave tours | Not stated on the page | Open daily at 9 a.m., last tour 5 p.m. | Talking Rocks Cavern |
| Jacob’s Cave | Versailles | Fully guided, described as mile-long; 53°F; the page says paved, lit and step-free with wheelchairs available | Not stated | The page says the cave is currently closed for renovation, with private tours on 48 hours notice | Jacob’s Cave |
Protecting The Bats
Missouri State Parks’ cave advisory says white-nose syndrome was first found in Missouri in 2010, that it kills bats and that it does not affect people. It says wild caves in state parks that bats use are closed September 30 to May 15, and reopen for recreational caving May 16 to September 29 by permit from the park office. Screening applies to tours at Onondaga Cave, Cathedral Cave, Fisher Cave and Ozark Caverns, and gear that has been in any other cave should stay out of these caves. Source: Missouri State Parks: Missouri Cave Advisory (page dated 2013; see the last section).
What We Could Not Verify
- Marvel Cave at Silver Dollar City: the park’s page would not load for us, so we list no tour, price or access facts. Ask Silver Dollar City.
- Crystal Cave in Springfield: we could not reach an official page and list nothing for it.
- Devil’s Icebox at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park: the park page mentions the cave system but gives no tour, boardwalk or access details. Call the park at 573-449-7402.
- Tour length for Meramec Caverns, Fantastic Caverns, Bridal Cave and Talking Rocks; prices for Meramec Caverns, Talking Rocks and Jacob’s Cave; accessibility for most caves. The pages did not say.
- The Onondaga Cave and Cathedral Cave county, and the Ozark Caverns town and county: the state pages did not print them.
- Whether the cave-advisory wording is current: the Missouri State Parks page shows an active date of April 15, 2013. Check it with the park before you go.
- Fantastic Caverns also answers at fantasticcaverns.com, which redirects to the page we link. We link only the destination.
More Missouri Guides
Questions People Ask
How many caves does Missouri have?
The Missouri Speleological Survey lists 8,000 as of March 1, 2026, and says the number keeps changing.
Which Missouri caves can I tour?
Onondaga Cave, Cathedral Cave and Ozark Caverns in state parks, plus private show caves such as Meramec Caverns, Fantastic Caverns, Bridal Cave, Mark Twain Cave and Talking Rocks Cavern.
What is the temperature inside Missouri caves?
The pages we read print 53°F at Jacob’s Cave, 56°F at Ozark Caverns, 57°F at Onondaga and Cathedral caves, and about 60°F at Meramec, Fantastic and Bridal caves.
What is the longest cave in Missouri?
The Missouri Speleological Survey names Crevice Cave at 31 miles, then Berome Moore Cave at 24.5 miles and Carroll Cave at nearly 22.
Are the state park cave tours open all year?
No. The 2026 pages list Onondaga April 1 to October 31 and Ozark Caverns mostly May to mid-September.
Sources
- Missouri Speleological Survey: cave facts
- Missouri State Parks: Onondaga Cave State Park
- Missouri State Parks: Onondaga cave tours
- Missouri State Parks: Onondaga Cave schedule
- Missouri State Parks: Missouri Cave Advisory
- Missouri State Parks: Lake of the Ozarks cave tours
- Missouri State Parks: Ozark Caverns
- Missouri State Parks: Rock Bridge Memorial State Park
- Meramec Caverns
- Fantastic Caverns
- Bridal Cave
- Mark Twain Cave: hours and prices
- Talking Rocks Cavern
- Jacob’s Cave
Checked October 30, 2026 by It’s Missouri. Cite this page: It’s Missouri (https://itsmissouri.com/things-to-do/caves/), checked October 30, 2026. Free to quote with a link.