Stark Caverns

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Stark Caverns Explore Stark Caverns, open since 1950, revealing millenniums of history, geological wonders, and ancient artifacts. Discover a whole new world underground.
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Family-friendly tours, a charming gift shop, picnic spots, trails, and community events await on our scenic property. Located near Lake of the Ozarks, Stark Caverns takes you on a journey through the ages as you explore amazing geological formations, Native American artifacts, & ancient bear beds. See vistas like Moonshiner's Dam, the Wishing Well, and our own Grand Canyon. Learn all about stalagmites, stalactites, and fluorescent minerals. Plus, be sure to take time to enjoy the scenic view from our wrap-around porch at the Visitor's Center, try your hand at sluice mining or even crack open a geode. Our daily tours are open to all ages, and our caverns are 85% wheelchair accessible with wide walking paths and areas to rest. Open year round, we look forward to seeing you at Stark Caverns! Learn more by visiting us online at www.StarkCaverns.com!

10/15/2026

When the lights go out, the creatures come out. And the Ozark Howler is the worst of them. Glowing red eyes, huge sharp claws, and a body bigger than a grizzly bear. 👀 It's quick, it's hairy, and it's looking for blood.

THIS WEEKEND, see if you can escape Stark Caverns on the Ozark Howler Ghost Walk 😳

📅 Every Fri-Sat in Oct
⏰ 5:30- 7 PM
🎟️ Tickets below!

We decided we couldn't stay away all day, sooo the 12 PM and 4 PM tours are now open! 🙌 Come explore with us on this bea...
10/13/2026

We decided we couldn't stay away all day, sooo the 12 PM and 4 PM tours are now open! 🙌 Come explore with us on this beautiful day, we'll see you soon 😉

Who else is happy it's officially hoodie season 🙋‍♀️ Stark Caverns merch is a great way to look like a real explorer 🙌 I...
10/13/2026

Who else is happy it's officially hoodie season 🙋‍♀️ Stark Caverns merch is a great way to look like a real explorer 🙌 I mean, have you seen a better looking crew!?
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Stop in for a cave tour and explore our uniquely curated gift shop, too!
🗓 Tour availability at https://www.starkcaverns.com/buy-tickets

We will be closed after 10 AM on October 13, 2026! Something special is happening (hint: 🎬) and will open at normal hou...
10/11/2026

We will be closed after 10 AM on October 13, 2026! Something special is happening (hint: 🎬) and will open at normal hours the following day, October 14. We'll miss you more 🥰

Did you know Stark Caverns didn't always go by that? 🤔 Floyd Hammitt opened Stark's Cave in 1950, but later changed "Cav...
10/09/2026

Did you know Stark Caverns didn't always go by that? 🤔 Floyd Hammitt opened Stark's Cave in 1950, but later changed "Cave" to "Cavern" due to the large opening and front room. Before Hammitt, the cave went by Aurora Cave, Aurora Springs Cave, Miller County Cave, and the Mammoth Cave of Miller County. There's two names the cave was known by that we didn't include. Comment if you think you know! ⬇️

10/07/2026

Have you heard the story of Josie Hawkins? She was the tour guide in charge of closing the cave on October 26, 1996. That was also the last day anyone saw her as she simply disappeared without a trace 😳

What happend to Josie? Where did she end up? Is she still out there? The answers could be right under your feet. Venture through the spooky passageways of Stark Caverns on the Ozark Howler Ghost Walk and discover the truth behind Josie's dissappearance.

There's still time to squeeze in a field trip before the end of the year! Field trip destinations are limited this time ...
10/05/2026

There's still time to squeeze in a field trip before the end of the year! Field trip destinations are limited this time of year, but the good thing about going underground is you never have to plan around bad weather! ✅ Check off MO learning standards while exploring the great outdoors. Your students deserve a fun learning experience (and you deserve a fun adventure😉) Visit https://www.starkcaverns.com/field-trips for more info!

📚✏️🏫


teachers. educators. educational. easy booking.

🚨 BREAKING NEWS! 🚨 We just stumbled upon a hard drive from 1986 containing these haunting photos that sent chills down o...
10/03/2026

🚨 BREAKING NEWS! 🚨 We just stumbled upon a hard drive from 1986 containing these haunting photos that sent chills down our spines. It seems as though the Howler has been lurking in the shadows, watching and waiting, for much longer than we thought. Now we have more questions than answers... We are in need of some brave explorers to help solve the area's strangest disappearances before we end up like the first guy 🫣

It's officially ONE WEEK away from opening night of the Ozark Howler Ghost Walk ‼️This is the ONLY Halloween cave experience in the state! The Howler might come after you if you miss out on this limited time tour...

🎟 Tickets and more info at the link below!

October is Bat Appreciation Month! 🦇 These critters do more than bring the vibes for spooky season.🌎 Missouri is home to...
10/01/2026

October is Bat Appreciation Month! 🦇 These critters do more than bring the vibes for spooky season.

🌎 Missouri is home to 14 species of bats and Stark Caverns sees the brown bat, grey bat, and tri-colored bat

🦟 Bats use their skill of echolocation to track their food while flying at night. They make great pest control specialists as it’s estimated bats save farmers over $1 billion each year for the cost of the pesticides they'd have to purchase otherwise

💐 The diet of many bats includes fruit or nectar from different plants (not the blood of humans like many cartoons have led us to believe) so they are actually pollinating as they travel from plant to plant, contributing to our overall food supply

‼️ Over half the United States’ bat population is at risk for severe population decline over the next 15 years. This trend can only end with the help of humans! So, what can we do?

🍂 Leave the leaves this fall. Bats use them for warmth in the winter months when they can't find proper shelter.

💡 Turn off unnecessary outdoor lights. Keeping your yard dark helps support bat's ability to fly and their flight paths.

🌿 Plant native species in your yard. Area bats are dependent on native plant species for survival (and good for that pollination we talked about 😊)

Together we can help support bat populations all over the world, one small change at a time. Next time you spot one of these midnight fliers, take a second to think about all the things they do for you. Happy Bat Appreciation Month! See if you can spot one at Stark Caverns 👀

Stark Caverns here to provide your fun fact for the day, featuring nature’s original drinking straws! 🥤Ever look up at t...
09/29/2026

Stark Caverns here to provide your fun fact for the day, featuring nature’s original drinking straws! 🥤
Ever look up at that cave ceiling and notice bundles of thin, dangling tubes? Those are soda straws, and they represent the very first growth phase of a stalactite!
The science behind how they form, drop by drop:
🌧️ Rainwater picks up carbon dioxide from the soil, making it slightly acidic. As it seeps through the ground, it dissolves the surrounding limestone rock.
💨 When a mineral-rich drop finally reaches the cave ceiling, it pauses. It releases carbon dioxide into the cave air, much like opening a can of soda!
💧 Because it lost that gas, the water can no longer hold the dissolved minerals. It precipitates a very tiny, circular ring of calcite around the outside of the water droplet.
⬇ The drop falls, a new one starts to take its place, and it leaves behind another ring. Over centuries, this builds a hollow, translucent tube exactly the diameter of a single water droplet!
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Now you get to tell your friends you learned something new today 😉

Address

125 Cave Drive
Eldon, MO
65026

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 9:30am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

(573) 867-2283

Website

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