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Meramec Caverns in Sullivan, Missouri

Meramec Caverns in Sullivan, Missouri is a staple site on Route 66. Its place as a popular roadside attraction was firmly cemented by a marketing campaign that put murals on barns spanning across the road. Today you won’t see many of those barns left, but you will see billboards for miles and miles to come. Follow the signs and take a tour, you won’t regret visiting this road trip stop.

Meramec Caverns is the collective name for the 4.6 mile cavern system that runs through the Ozarks near Stanton, Missouri. At 400 million years old, it’s probably the oldest attraction in Missouri, though it has only been open as a tourist attraction since 1933. With around 150,000 annual visitors, it is the most visited cave in Missouri.

The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book - Everything You Need to Have and Record an Epic Road Trip! By Valerie Bromann

The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book

Everything You Need to Have and Record an Epic Road Trip!

Enjoy fun games and challenges to pass the time on your next road trip and have a keepsake to look back on for years to come with this entertaining must-have for your next vacation.

A guided tour of the limestone caves takes around an hour and twenty minutes. A guide leads you through the breathtaking natural formations, intricately lit one room at a time, so you can appreciate their beauty. Stops include the large Ballroom used for dances, weddings, and community events; the Mirror Room with a stream of reflective water; and the Wine Room with a 6-foot tall onyx table.

The tour ends with the “Greatest Show Under the Earth,” a patriotic musical light show projected onto one of the cave walls.

On the tour you’ll also hear more about the history of the Missouri caves. One of the most popular pieces of trivi is that Meramec Caverns is reputed to have been used by Jesse James and his gang as a hideout.

Meramec Caverns in Sullivan, Missouri Route 66 tourist attraction
Meramec Caverns in Sullivan, Missouri Route 66 tourist attraction
Meramec Caverns in Sullivan, Missouri Route 66 tourist attraction
Meramec Caverns in Sullivan, Missouri Route 66 tourist attraction
Meramec Caverns in Sullivan, Missouri Route 66 tourist attraction
Meramec Caverns in Sullivan, Missouri Route 66 tourist attraction
Meramec Caverns in Sullivan, Missouri Route 66 tourist attraction
Meramec Caverns in Sullivan, Missouri Route 66 tourist attraction
Meramec Caverns in Sullivan, Missouri Route 66 tourist attraction
Meramec Caverns in Sullivan, Missouri Route 66 tourist attraction
Meramec Caverns in Sullivan, Missouri Route 66 tourist attraction
Meramec Caverns in Sullivan, Missouri Route 66 tourist attraction
Meramec Caverns in Sullivan, Missouri Route 66 tourist attraction
Meramec Caverns in Sullivan, Missouri Route 66 tourist attraction
Meramec Caverns in Sullivan, Missouri Route 66 tourist attraction
Meramec Caverns in Sullivan, Missouri Route 66 tourist attraction
Meramec Caverns in Sullivan, Missouri Route 66 tourist attraction
Meramec Caverns in Sullivan, Missouri Route 66 tourist attraction
Meramec Caverns in Sullivan, Missouri Route 66 tourist attraction
Meramec Caverns in Sullivan, Missouri Route 66 tourist attraction
Meramec Caverns in Sullivan, Missouri Route 66 tourist attraction
Meramec Caverns in Sullivan, Missouri Route 66 tourist attraction
Meramec Caverns in Sullivan, Missouri Route 66 tourist attraction
Meramec Caverns in Sullivan, Missouri Route 66 tourist attraction
Meramec Caverns in Sullivan, Missouri Route 66 tourist attraction

Looking for more must-see Route 66 stops? Also look for the Munger Moss Motel in Lebanon, the World’s Largest Amoco Sign in St. Louis, Red’s Giant Hamburg in Springfield, and the Missouri Route 66 Welcome Center in Conway.

Meramec Caverns

Address: 1135 Hwy W, Sullivan, MO 63080
Cost: Adults $23.99, Military $20.99, Children 5-11 $12.99, Children under 5 Free
Hours: Hours vary by season
Visit the Route 66 tourist attraction’s official website for up-to-date hours, admission fees, and information.

Pin this Missouri Route 66 tourist attraction:

Meramec Caverns in Sullivan, Missouri is a staple site on Route 66. You will see billboards for miles and miles to come inviting you to visit this Missouri tourist attraction. Follow the signs and take a tour, you won't regret visiting this road trip stop.  #RoadTrips #RoadTripStop #Route66 #Route66RoadTrip #MissouriRoute66 #Missouri #MissouriRoadTrip #MissouriRoadsideAttractions #RoadsideAttractions #RoadsideAttraction #RoadsideAmerica #RoadTrip
Meramec Caverns in Sullivan, Missouri is a staple site on Route 66. You will see billboards for miles and miles to come inviting you to visit this Missouri tourist attraction. Follow the signs and take a tour, you won't regret visiting this road trip stop.  #RoadTrips #RoadTripStop #Route66 #Route66RoadTrip #MissouriRoute66 #Missouri #MissouriRoadTrip #MissouriRoadsideAttractions #RoadsideAttractions #RoadsideAttraction #RoadsideAmerica #RoadTrip

VALerie BROMANN

Founder & Head Road Tripper

Val is the founder and head road tripper at Silly America. Having grown up near Berwyn's famed car kabob, The Spindle, and a restaurant with a cow on its roof, her fascination with roadside attractions started early. Today, Val has visited hundreds roadside attractions across the United States and is constantly on the lookout for the next BIG thing!

The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book - Everything You Need to Have and Record an Epic Road Trip! By Valerie Bromann

The Road Trip Journal & Activity Book

Everything You Need to Have and Record an Epic Road Trip!

BY Valerie Bromann

Enjoy fun games and challenges to pass the time on your next road trip and have a keepsake to look back on for years to come with this entertaining must-have for your next vacation.

The road trip you’ve been dreaming of starts here! Journal about your stops and get to know your fellow passengers with activities and exercises designed to pass the time and bring you closer together. Instead of “Are we there yet?” you’ll find yourself asking, “We’re there already?”. Complete with prompts you can turn to while driving between locations, this journal will one day be a memento of your life-changing trip.