Smallin Civil War Cave — Attraction in Ozark

This place is one of THE best caves I have ever visited. Kevin and Wanita are exceptional people who have a true passion for sharing their joy and love for people and caves. Not only do you have the opportunity to learn about cave formations and how caves are formed like every other cave tour, the cave at Smallin has a story that’s told through their passionate employees! I won’t give away all the details, but the history of this cave and the importance that it played throughout history is just amazing. Kevin and Wanita are both extremely knowledgeable about the cave and they regularly have professionals who come into the cave and delve deeper into the history of this magical place. This cave also has several amphibious creatures and bats that can be seen on a regular basis. The bats are almost always asleep and don’t cause problems, but are really cool to see and experience! Hieroglyphs are also drawn on the cave walls and is pretty amazing to see too.

My wife and I have been going to this cave for a while and they ALWAYS keep things interesting throughout the year. They have a Winter Solstice Tour that’s just amazing, they do school group tours, Lantern tours which are REALLY cool, but are held during certain times only (serve dinner and tell stories around a campfire at night and then do a lantern tour), and they always have the regular tour which is definitely a treat to experience! I recommend doing the guided tour to start and you can receive a basic idea of the history, after that every tour is an add on and a great accompany to the original tour. Never to disappoint!

For those who are slightly more adventurous, they have what’s called “the Wild Tour” and they take you back into the cave. For those who are interested in getting some spelunking experience, be sure to take advantage of this! The tour guide takes you all the way to the end of the regular tour, but then you get to continue back further into the cave in about knee deep to waist deep water. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that is so much fun. The things you get to see and experience back there are really amazing, especially if you enjoy nature! Get a glimpse of what the Indians were doing when traversing the cave so many years ago! If you have only one cave to visit in your time down in Southwest Missouri, be sure to check these guys out! They also have a little interactive area for kids to enjoy and play with, and a souvenir shop with amazing gifts, tokens and keepsakes that will be treasured for years to come! Enjoy Smallin Civil War Cave and enjoy the history through the passion of this...

I went during the day about 2:00 PM. when I got there I had to use the restroom right away. I walked into the main building and no one was there or greeted me. I moved right through the next door which led outside to use the bathroom. (they had both public men and women's restrooms.) I came back in and my friend was taking to a man at the desk up front. We paid and got a time to go. The wait time for our party of (3) was maybe 15minutes. Not very long at all. The wait provided us plenty of time to look around the gift shop and check out some of the cool gem stones and fossils found from the area that were on display or for sale. The rain was on and off, but they did have a bucket of umbrellas to use if you didn't bring one which was thoughtful and would allow someone to still enjoy the tour. Our guide got a call from the office as we had already started down the path and we're in the first cave-the office wanted to add one more guest who had just arrived for a tour to our group of 3 making it a group of four and the tour guide. It really wasn't an issue by any means. the tour had just started and they made sure to fill him in on any details he may have missed. But I kept feeling that it was impromptu and strange. We continued on the trail to the next cave which was much bigger and were told about fun events that occur in certain times of the year where they tell stories around a fire while eating ham n beans. It sounds like a great time, unfortunately they didn't have anything of the sort for us at the time. Understandably because it was raining, daytime, a week day. The tour lasted roughly an hour and was a good time, but felt that the price we were charged was a bit expensive for all that we did. The group wasn't very big which was good as we could hear better and see more, but felt like more people could have made it more fun or if there was more interaction. The host of our tour was very kind and well informed so definitely appreciated that. They also offered to take our photo but from at least what I heard never offered to send the picture to us or offered it for purchase. So I guess they just took our photo to have? Haha either way we were smiling. It was fun time and the cave is beautiful. I'd...

The cave is set on an absolutely beautiful property, I could sit out on the public gathering area for hours easily. I had Eric as my tour guide and he was absolutely phenomenal. He was extremely knowledgeable and well cultured, I've visited quite a few caves in Missouri and I learned quite a bit while I was here, A much more in-depth explanation of things rather than just explaining the basics of stalagmites versus stalactites like most places I've visited.

I'm also extremely impressed at how accessible this place is, when they say wheelchair friendly they mean it. The amount of concrete ramps that have been laid down is nothing short of impressive, I also believe the walkway is a superior way to enjoy a cave and hope to see more places implement this, it keeps tourists from tracking things directly onto the ground and you're also able to see a higher up in the cave because of your elevated position.

If you have any inkling about visiting this place, I would highly recommend going. The only thing I would like to mention is that The best time to visit this cave would be shortly after some rainfall, as you'll be able to see the flow of water through the cave on full display.

As far as the reviews mentioning price, conservation is expensive and these guys are doing an undeniably amazing job at it. The gift shop is also pretty modestly priced from most other caves I've seen...