Fantastic Caverns

cmeekins03
cmeekins03
First Reviewer
4 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
2
Reviews
6
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Editor Pick

Fantastic Caverns

  • August 15, 2007
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Jaysour from Maryville, Illinois
Fantastic Caverns

So our last day in Branson was scheduled to be another scorcher. We had a dilemma. What to do and fun while staying cool. We browsed through the little Branson entertainment brochures and came across Fantastic Caverns located in Springfield, MO. The best part was that it would take us in the general direction of home.

Fantastic Caverns is located down a few back road country roads. Getting to it, you thought you might have taken a wrong turn at some point, but soon enough the building and signs proved that wrong.

We bought our tickets for the ride. Soon enough we were on our way in the back of a long trailer with bench seating. See in this cavern, you ride through the entire tour of the cavern. It is that big! We passed through the entrance and the air soon became a nice cool 55 degrees. Such a great relief from the Midwest heat. The tour takes you through a mile-long ride where the tour guide stops at several points to explain things about the geology of the cave, the history of the cave and answer any questions people may have. Our guide took great care and time to answer any and all questions from people young and old alike.

As we continued through the cave, we moved through area where the ceiling was 30 feet or more higher. The formations were just amazing from stalagmites to stalactites, this cave was truly a wonder. And the one stop everyone really enjoyed was where the tour guide wanted to point out how dark it is. Basically total darkness. That was truly an amazing thing to experience especially when your young son grabs your arm very tightly.

As we left the exit of the cave, the scorching air of the sun once again hit us square in the face. This was certainly a neat way to spend a hot afternoon. And the beauty and history of this cave will not leave you disappointed. Plus, you don't have to walk. I like that idea.

From journal Family Weekend Trek to Branson

Fantastic Caverns

  • June 9, 2005
  • Rated 3 of 5 by cmeekins03 from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
Fantastic Caverns

The size of the cave is enormous in comparison to Talking Rocks Cavern. All the rooms are very large and you can see quite a distance in all directions. If you are looking for family-friendly cave or have trouble walking, this would be a suitable choice as you ride through the cave in Jeep-drawn trains. The jeep is fueled with propane as to not produce much in the way of fumes. I would also think that if you have a fear of enclosed areas, this cave would make you feel more at ease. This cave can have bats, but they were all gone by the time we went through (late May).

In comparison, I preferred Talking Rock Caverns over this one. Both are beautiful, but because Fantastic Caverns is so huge, there are areas in the cave with rock formations of little interest near the beginning of the tour. There are several huge sink holes which are quite impressive. The best part of the tour was in the last 'room' before exiting the cave. There you could see lots of stalagtites and stalagmites along with other interesting formations. Also some of the rocks glistened and were quite gorgeous. Actually the last room really does make it worth the trip.

After exiting the cave, the guide points out what was the original entry into the cave when it was discovered and then explored by a group of young women. You can also walk along a short path after the tour to see the water source for the cave.

The tour is around 1 hour and is a bit pricey at $17.50 per adult or $9.50 per child. Still, if you intend to take in multiple caves, I would add this one to your itinerary.

From journal Branson - More Than Just Country

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