This US State Has a 7-Story Cave and Fall is the Perfect Time to Visit

Missouri has a completely different world beneath the Earth’s surface.

Deep beneath the surface of Missouri, a state perhaps best known for Kansas City-style barbecue, Anheuser-Busch, and a strange collection of extremely large objectsThere is a completely different world: an underground world.

“The Cave State” gets its nickname from 7,500 registered caves that extends beneath him, including a vast network under St. Louis. But while the caves beneath St. Louis are largely inaccessible, just an hour southwest of the city lies the iconic underground world of Meramec Caverns and the more than 40 caves of Meramec State Park.

The caves are easily the Meramec Valley’s biggest draw, but in the fall, half of the draw is above the Earth’s surface, when the maples, ash, hickory and Missouri oaks begin to change color. At Meramec State Park, you can take in the colors and pass through several of the park’s caves in the Natural Wonder Trail before making the 15-minute trip to Meramec Caverns.

Home to the largest cave west of the Mississippi, Meramec Caverns has some of the largest and rarest cave formations in the world, including ancient limestone”wine table” Formation. The caves are impressive on their own, but part of what makes them such an interesting place to visit is the role they have played in history.

The initial cave was used for the first time by the Osage Nation as a refuge from extreme weather. Saltpeter, also known as potassium nitrate, was then mined and used as a Union-controlled gunpowder manufacturing plant during the Civil War. Furthermore, according to local tradition, the cave was the penultimate stop on the underground railway.

In the 1890s, the cave underwent a dramatic change. It became a destination for underground parties, allowing locals to escape the summer heat. Partygoers turned the large room near the entrance into a giant dance floor dubbed “the ballroom.”

Meramec Caverns became a veritable show cave and tourist site when it was purchased by Lester Benton Dill in 1933. While working in his cave, Dill found a crevice that led to a higher level. The discovery included what became known as “the stage curtain,” the largest cave formation in the world at 70 feet high and 35 feet thick. Dill used it as a backdrop for his shows and it remains one of the main attractions of Meramec Caverns today.

Thanks to all of Dill’s discoveries, there are seven levels of caves to explore, all steeped in history. The caves and their stories are safeguarded by Dill’s descendants, who continue to own and operate Meramec Caverns.

Tours of Meramec Caverns are conducted daily (except Thanksgiving and Christmas) with a trained ranger. Above ground, the Meramec Cavern resort includes a campground and motel, plus a zip line, climbing wall, and river boat tours.