The tour was amazing! I totally recommend it if you're in town ! Staff was really friendly, helpful and cheerful!! read more

Stark Caverns - Parks Near Me - Eldon, Missouri

We were looking for a way to beat the heat, and decided on going to Stark Caverns. I hopped online to purchase tickets, and saw that we would need to purchase one for my 18-month old grandson also. Unfortunately, there were not enough available tickets for all three adults and him. I called out to the Caverns to explain the issue and ask if it would be okay. Matt, who answered the phone, said it would be no problem and to just go ahead and purchase the adult tickets. Upon arrival there was ample parking and it was a beautiful place. We headed into the gift shop and checked in for our tour and checked out all of their wares. Gracie led our tour of the caverns. She was so knowledgeable and just a sweet girl. The tour was a great way to spend part of the afternoon. Everyone in our tour group (ages 1-40+) really seemed to enjoy it! If you have some time to spare, you don't want to miss this family friendly, educational, tour. read more

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Genuinely cool cave. There are algae fossils in there from when Missouri was underwater millions of years ago, which is a wild thing to stand next to. Sadly our guide Macy was less "passionate cave enthusiast" and more "reciting a script she's said a thousand times and stopped listening to herself." I still don't know how this part of Missouri used to be an ocean based on the tour. She gave the exact same intro four separate times. Not because groups were bumping into each other, just straight up robot mode, probably from also trying to work in the photo package pitch every single time. Ask a follow up question and you'd get a shrug dressed up as an answer. A kid asked about a mineral and got a confident "nope, not that" immediately followed by "I'm not really a gem expert," which, ma'am, pick one. Nobody could tell us where all the clay that used to be in the cave went (there's a lot of water now after the excavation), how the bootleggers pulled off their operation, or whether the cave's ever taken earthquake damage. Also they sell alcohol at the gift shop right before you head into a dark cave, which feels like a liability seminar waiting to happen. What indigenous tribe did the skeleton remains belong to? How did you know it was an indigenous person(s)? What is the difference between an arrowhead and a spear, and when did those relics be given to be on display? She said the stairs were built by child labor because there are child sized handprints in the concrete, but provided no evidence of truth or why. Was it his 18 kids? No one knows. At least it was cool inside while the weather was hot outside. The cave has a story to tell. Macy just wasn't the one telling it. Would recommend the cave, would not recommend Macy. She already told us she's had a bad Yelp review, and I'm sad to say I understand why. read more

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Stopped here during a weekend trip near Lake of the Ozarks. Missouri has so many caves and I'd been wanting to do one, so glad we picked this one. You can grab tickets online or in person, and they have a really cute gift shop with fun little trinkets worth browsing before or after your tour. Our tour guide Lee was so amazing! He's been there for years and years and you can just tell. Great stories, super personable, the kind of guide that makes the whole experience way more memorable. We even spotted a bat hibernating which was such a cool unexpected moment! The cave itself is fascinating and I loved that it was great for all ages. Our group ranged from little kids to people in their 70s and everyone was into it with no problems. A few spots can get slightly slippery so just watch your step, but there are handrails throughout so nothing felt unsafe. Also found out they host events here too like a black light event and even concerts inside the cave which sounds incredibly cool. Definitely want to come back for one of those. Overall I was really impressed and would highly recommend adding this to your Missouri road trip list. read more

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This was a cool cave, but what made it exceptional was the tour guides Macy and Ethan. Macy, answered all of our questions and was funny. Ethan, was our escape room expert/guide he was very kind and really got into character which made the experience even better. Overall, this was a very unique and fun cave experience! read more

What was nice about these caverns is that they are almost entirely wheelchair/stroller accessible and we were able to take our one-year old daughter on the tour in our stroller. That's pretty rare with cave tours. This was the only cave tour we did during our week-long family summer vacation in Missouri and we enjoyed it. Our guide, Maddie, was wonderful and very enthusiastic. The tour was an hour and we had a smaller group who were wonderful and I enjoyed learning about the cave, the history of the cave, and walking all around. It was fun and well done. If you are nearby, this is something I think you should do. They have plenty of parking, nice grounds, a penny press souvenir machine, a nice gift shop and are great with kids with some other interactive things to do before or after the tour. read more

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We had Macy as our tour guide today and she was a wonderful guide! Funny, witty and knew her stuff! We thought she might have been a geologist! read more

Such an amazing experience!! It was my first time going to a cave and the tour was the best! Our guide Gracie was so informative and made the experience so fun! She was so sweet and even offered a helping hand to my littles when making it up the 4th floor of the cave!! This cave was so big and it was fun because they had just started setting up the Christmas lights for the season and we got a little peak of that! The echos and darkness was too cool lol! Will definitely go back when the kids are older, there was so much history of the cave that made it so awesome! read more

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Thoroughly enjoyed my tour at the Stark Caverns, a history lesson and some cave humor, 10/10 would recommend to anyone visiting the area. I did the day tour not the night/blacklight tour, would return for the blacklight tour but I really loved seeing the details of the cave one might miss if doing it in the dark. read more

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We had such a fun time in the escape room. My husband and I have seen several caverns and decided to do an escape room adventure in this one. Oh my it was super tough but a lot of fun. Ethan and Sara were so nice. I would totally do it again. read more

Gracie was an amazing tour guide. So much history and funny stories made it a real adventure for the whole family. The caverns were beautiful and we took so many photos. read more

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Tour guide Lee was super engaging and knowledgeable, made an hour long tour fly by. Time-slot worked out perfectly with our other plans, will definitely plan to come back with more family ! read more

Stark Caverns - Entrance to the cave - Parks Near Me - Eldon, Missouri

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We loved this tour! We have done many cave tours over the years, in several states. This was the first where the cave went up! The lighting was dramatic and Julie did a great job telling the history amd novelty of this particulatlr cave. This one was great for photos because some caves the pictures were very one note. It was well run amd on schedule. We were very impressed. read more

Such a fun thing to do with the family if you are nearby. A tour guide takes you on an hour long journey through stark caverns. We learned about different rock formations, explored a variety of crevices and passageways. I had a bit of anxiety but it was so worth it! Loved the end where we went to the "little Grand Canyon" and our guide turned off the lights and showed us what it was like to be in complete darkness and then shined a black light on the fluorescent bacteria. Such a fun experience! Highly recommend and super affordable. They even have a gift shop too! read more

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What an amazing experience! Got to learn about and see a lot of awesome formations. Lee was very personable had lots of information about the cave and its history. read more

Julie was an awesome tour guide! Such a fun cave tour, can get steep at some points but worth it! read more

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Stark Caverns was incredible, but our guide Lee made it unforgettable! He had all the best facts--Native American history, geology, even moonshine lore--and kept us laughing with his top-tier dad jokes. He told us about the purest water in the cave, the one the natives called the Fountain of Youth... and judging by his energy, I believe it, because he swears he's 140. Bonus points: the acoustics at the cave entrance are amazing, and while Lee will accept cash tips, he will also accept a great song sung in the acoustics of the cave entering. How cool is that? If you get the chance, go--and hope you get Lee as your guide. You won't regret it! read more

My husband and I wanted to do something fun on our trip and found Stark Caverns, we went on the luminescent tour and had a blast. Not only was the cave beautiful and such a cool experience the staff was awesome! Wes and Patty made the trip, they made the tour fun and were so knowledgeable. They even hung out after chatting it up with my husband and I giving us information on other things to do while visiting. I would 100% recommend any of their tours and we will definitely be coming back with our kids. read more

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Husband and I took the tour yesterday with Lee. We enjoyed the cavern as well as all the information Lee provided throughout the cave tour. Would recommend visiting Stark Caverns and taking the tour. read more

Ethan was a great guide for the black light tour! He clearly has a lot of experience and is knowledgeable on what he does. It was really fun to listen to his stories on the cavern :) read more

Stark Caverns - Parks Near Me - Eldon, Missouri

Mads our guide was great and very informative. We had a great tour, with the money. We went during a great spell and the 58 degree temperature inside was fantastic. read more

The caverns are absolutely beautiful and filled with rich history! We learned so much from Lee, he's an incredible guide who's spent years educating visitors with fascinating facts and great jokes. Lee made the tour both fun and informative. I highly recommend this tour and can't wait to go back again! read more

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Sort of a tourist trap the cashier couldnt even identify the rocks they were selling, i could and they think is most had labels, need to educate your work staff!! they were well over priced merchandise. the caves is what it is all about and thats what is worth it skip the gift shop! read more

Our guide, Wes, made this tour so interesting and educational. We had a couple kids in our group and they stayed engaged through the whole tour! Overall a top notch experience that is well-crafted for tours without feeling over-commercialized. They also have a nice gift shop and clean bathrooms :) read more

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Was in the Ozark area for work and signed up for an afternoon tour to the caverns. I love finding unique things to do when I travel and especially love nature tours or historic sites unique to an area. This was such a cool and unique experience and did not disappoint. Even though it was the off-season in the Ozarks, I was happy to find that they were open and tours were still running. I was the only one for the 2 o'clock tour so got my own personal guided tour from Julie. She was very knowledgeable and respectful about the history of the caves and native Osage people who originally inhabited the area. I would highly recommend the daily tour to anyone interested in any type of nature, hiking, history, or just finding something unique to do. It was a very easy walk through the caverns and the tour was an hour long so can easily be squeezed into one's schedule. It was a few miles away from the touristy area of the Ozarks and very easy to find using the directions from the Yelp link. It's just a bit past a very large antique store where I also stopped (also worth it) and Stark Caverns also have a cute little gift shop there where I bought a geode and cracked it and took it home as a souvenir. I also learned that they have a blacklight tour on the weekends as well as an escape room within the caves. Since I was there on a weekday, I wasn't able to go to either of those, but should I ever be back in the area on weekend I would definitely sign up. Because it was around the holiday season they had a few Christmas decorations, which made it extra beautiful and helped make up for my disappointment for not getting to do the black light experience. Definitely a five out of five experience for me. And I think I convinced the young lady that works in the hotel I was staying at to go visit it. She was fairly new to the area herself and had never been and I told her all about it and told her she should definitely check it out. read more

Very interesting tour that goes into detail on how humans have used these extensive caverns from 2000 BC, up through prohibition and up to today. Our guide Gracie, was perfect. Her knowledge and enthusiasm for her job made the experience both interesting and fun. read more

Not only the cave but the store restrooms and lake area were well cared for and the tour guide made it fun.

We had an amazing time at Stark Caverns, from beginning to end! It was so easy to book, and easy to find our way there. When we arrived, we had a very warm welcome from the staff. Our tour guide Julie was incredibly knowledgeable about the cave, and told us innumerable stories about the history and science, with some added entertaining commentary! Prepare to be surprised about the amount of history contained in one cave. The cave itself is beautiful and very accessible, but there are some more challenging parts for those who want to feel like true spelunkers. There are also some very cool artifacts inside! The tour allows you to see quite a bit of the cave and various cave features. We still had some questions after the tour so Julie took us back to the visitor center, and her and manager Holly let us look at some old documents and photos! Overall, we found the site incredibly fascinating and worth the visit for sure. The staff is incredibly accommodating and kind, and it is clear that they are engaged with the cave and love to share it with others! It does not surprise me at all that this is Missouri's top rated cave experience. 10/10 highly recommended!!!!! read more

Stark Caverns - Parks Near Me - Eldon, Missouri

When looking for things to do in the Lake of the Ozark area this is a must see. You can purchase your tickets online, but you can also do it in person. The team at the gift shop was an absolute treat. We took our tour with Lee, who had been with the Caverns for 42 years. His knowledge of the cavern was amazing and he made plenty of jokes to keep the tour fun and interesting. This tour is an hour long and the sights are gorgeous. They also offer an escape room in the cavern, black light, lantern, and regular tours. We did the regular tour as we were just passing through the area. Family's with small children will need to keep in mind that this cavern is not stroller friendly. So an adult will need to carry their little one through the cavern. read more

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Beautiful . Went at night. Was truly incredible. Gets tight in some places but plenty of places to rest. Wheelchair accessible, but it will take work to traverse. read more

I had a wonderful time at the cave. My tour guide Julie was very knowledgeable of the formation and the history of the cave. I highly recommend this cave. If you down at the lake of the Ozarks you must come see this cave. Julie was funny and nice too. read more

Amazing adventure! Lee was an amazing tour guide and we had the best time! I highly recommend. read more

Stark Caverns - Parks Near Me - Eldon, Missouri

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Was a good time and something different to do when in Missouri. Big cave and recommend good walking shoes

AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING! If you're in the Ozarks DO THIS CAVE TOUR! Lee was our guide and he was informative, funny, and happy to answer any questions we had. I honestly don't have a real interest in caves but holy moly this place was breathtaking. The history and stories behind all the sediments and formations was so cool! There's such a unique history to it and if you're looking for something exciting to do then I highly recommend it! At the end of the tour in the gift shop there are countless gems, minerals, stones to buy and crack and even go through the sediment as well! I bought a beautiful crystal geode and got to break it myself, if you're looking for something fun and different to do then definitely try this! read more

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Did the black light tour with Ethan as our guide to experience a cave in a new way. Very interesting. Ethan is exceptionally knowledgeable and peppers his tour with plenty of dad jokes for laughs and few groans. What looks like dull grayish limestone under a normal flashlight glows brilliant blue, chunky black, or vibrant orange under black light. Highly recommend for the those looking for something new and exciting. I was especially happy to see the fossils hanging from the ceiling and walls about half way through the tour. read more

My kids and I have always enjoyed caves. In fact, we have been to many across Missouri and other states. Each one has its own unique personality, but what really brings it to life is the tour guide, who led me to Stark Caverns, just outside of Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. July 3rd, 2024, was a hot and humid day. Clouds were rolling in, and raindrops would soon come down in droves. The cave is an easy trek from LOTO and a nice distraction for those long trips to the lake. We figured that underground would be one of the few places in the Ozarks where we would not see an Anna Marie billboard. A gravel road took us from Highway 54 to the cave entrance. We purchased our tickets from Lee, who has worked there for 34 years! He was friendly and helpful. Soon we would meet Holly--the best tour guide in history! Our group was small, and that's just what we had hoped for. Holly was friendly, informative, energetic, and FUNNY! I could tell right away that she had a real passion for this kind of work. She gave us detailed information on all aspects of the cave and happily answered all of our questions. Another tour group passed us, and the woman leading that tour sounded a little cranky - I'm glad we wound up with Holly. It was a great afternoon, and I look forward to visiting the cave again in the near future. read more

Stopped in for a tour and all 6 of us was very impressed. Not a "dangerous" walk - it was a paved path. Our guide Gracie was spectacular!! She was informative and we enjoyed her jokes!! We have been driving through Eldon for 40 years and can't believe this has been right there off the highway!! Just go! It's a great hour! read more

Stark Caverns - Parks Near Me - Eldon, Missouri

I made reservations for a family outing to the cave, 10 people. Turns out I made the reservation for the wrong day!! When we arrived, they helped us sort out my mistake and they still accommodated us. We paid nothing extra and they were happy to get us on a tour, which was fantastic. I will always recommend this cave tour! read more

This was the best tour--the high today was 99 degrees F and the cave was in the 50's. Our tour guide, Lizz's knowledge of every part of the cave and its history was only matched by her dry humor and self-proclaimed "bad dad jokes". I'm so pleased we happened upon this activity and would recommend it to anyone. Lizz, if you're reading this, I hope you pick a very expensive restaurant tonight :) . read more

Stark Caverns - Parks Near Me - Eldon, Missouri

An amazing experience! I highly recommend trying the black light tour if you haven't before. Even seen a bat which was very cool. read more

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