The more than century-old Crystal Cave north of Springfield, Missouri, will reopen Wednesday for the first time nearly in a decade after landing a new owner who made improvements to the property.
The cave, with its 72 acres and an 1892 house, had been for sale since 2016, the Springfield News-Leader reports.
Now, the cave is opening up March 23 for paid guided tours along with putt-putt golf, trackless train rides, panning for gemstones, an expanded gift shopping experience and more, said property manager Duncan Lang. […]
Lang said Dirk Dole, a businessman who owns “other outdoors properties in a few states,” purchased the property about a year ago and began renovations.
“Previously, it was just the cave tour itself and there was a minimal gift shop in the welcome center,” Lang said.
Along with the expanded gift shop and indoor putt-putt golf course, Lang said there’s a sluice set up where folks can mine for gems or participate in a fossil dig. […]
The guided cave tour will take about 55 minutes walking along a concrete path with handrails. Lang said the old lighting has been replaced to better illuminate the cave’s features.
Hours will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, though Lang said that may change depending on the season.
According to the Crystal Cave website, it features the Ghost Room with its 13 white stalagmites that are over 2 feet tall; the Rocky Mountain Chamber with the Washington Monument; Concert Hall with hundreds of soda straw stalactites; Cathedral Chamber that contains evidence of the Earth’s movement 6,000 years ago; and Chimes Room with stalactites that produce a musical tone when gently struck.
Tours also include Loyd’s Room, Rainbow Falls, Witches Bathtub, Jacob’s Room, Helictite Room and more.
Crystal Cave was the second commercial cave in Missouri when it opened in 1893. The first was Mark Twain Cave in 1886.
Ozarks Alive had a few years ago researched the history of the cave, previously was known as Jenkins Cave:
It was opened in 1893 by the Mann family, who immigrated to the United States from England. Mrs. and Mrs. Mann, their three daughters and one son had by 1887 made their way to Springfield, where patriarch Alfred Mann owned a mattress and furniture store on South Avenue.
According to one article, (Alfred) Mann purchased the cave property the same year he came to Springfield. Another say he traded his furniture store for the property later on. […]
Whatever the circumstance of the purchase, it seems that initially the Manns used the cave to grow food more than harvest dollars from tourists.
“For a period of time it was only used to grow mushrooms and celery, the former use being one common in Europe and one with which the Manns were familiar,” according to an article in Springfield! Magazine. Another article mentioned they also grew rhubarb.
Confirmation of the cave’s status as a full-fledged tourist destination was published in 1899, when a newspaper article noted that Fourth of July festivities would take place on the grounds.
After Alfred Mann died in 1925 and his wife died in 1930, their three daughters ran the cave until the late 1960s. After the last sister’s death, longtime caretaker Estle Funkhouser was willed the property.
Funkhouser operated the cave until 1982, when it was given to her sister and brother-in-law, Loyd and Edith Richardson. During their tenure, Greene County designated Crystal Cave as a site of significance.
The cave’s closing date remains uncertain, but it likely occurred when Edith died in 2011 and Loyd died in 2014.
Crystal Cave is just of State Highway H about six miles north of Glenstone Avenue and Highway 744, both of which are prominent alignments of Route 66.
(Interior image of Crystal Cave near Springfield, Missouri, via Realtor.com listing)