Fantastic Caverns - Springfield Missouri / Press Kit

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Fantastic Caverns PRESS KIT A N ANCIENT UNDERGROUND RIVER TOOK A WINDING COURSE , CARVING THE PATH FOR A MERICAS ONLY RIDE - THROUGH CAVE .

description

Fantastic Caverns in Springfield Missouri is the America's only ride-through cave!

Transcript of Fantastic Caverns - Springfield Missouri / Press Kit

Page 1: Fantastic Caverns - Springfield Missouri / Press Kit

FantasticCaverns

PRESS KIT

AN A N C I E N T

U N D E R G R O U N D

R I V E R T O O K A

W I N D I N G C O U R S E ,

C A RV I N G T H E

PAT H F O R

A M E R I C A’ S O N LY

R I D E - T H R O U G H C AV E .

Page 2: Fantastic Caverns - Springfield Missouri / Press Kit

A

FM I L D LY A C I D I C

R A I N WAT E R ,

C O N S I S T I N G

O F C A L C I U M

C A R B O N AT E ,

S E E P S S L O W LY

T H R O U G H

T H E C AV E R N S ’

C E I L I N G S

T O F O R M

S TA L A C T I T E S .

single drop of water sparkles on the tip of a

stalactite deep inside Fantastic Caverns. In time —

a few minutes, perhaps hours — the drop will fall,

leaving a tiny trace of limestone to be replaced by

another. This process, a blend of stone, water and

time, created the beauty visitors can see today.

antastic Caverns, America’s ride-through cave, lies beneath the rolling Ozarks hills

just north of Springfield, Missouri. The surrounding countryside doesn’t look like a

typical tourism area - rather than rows of roadside attractions and bumper to bumper

traffic, visitors traveling the quiet country roads are more likely to see a farmer cutting

hay or the neighborhood kids riding bikes. Once they reach the caverns, however,

they’ll be introduced to a unique underground world and its natural splendor.

Fantastic Caverns is a family-owned business. It was discovered in 1862 by a farmer - or

more precisely, by his dog, who crawled through an entrance. It wasn’t until five years later

that the first exploration took place: 12 women from Springfield, answering a newspaper ad

seeking explorers, ventured into the cave. Their names remain on the cave wall today.

Those first explorers had to use ropes and ladders to enter the then-uncharted cave. Access

to Fantastic Caverns is far easier today. Jeep-drawn trams carry visitors on the one-mile, 50

minute tour. No walking is necessary and the trams will easily accommodate wheelchairs,

making the tour convenient for older visitors, parents with small children, and physically

challenged individuals. The trams are reached by wheelchair accessible ramps.

Page 3: Fantastic Caverns - Springfield Missouri / Press Kit

A

FM I L D LY A C I D I C

R A I N WAT E R ,

C O N S I S T I N G

O F C A L C I U M

C A R B O N AT E ,

S E E P S S L O W LY

T H R O U G H

T H E C AV E R N S ’

C E I L I N G S

T O F O R M

S TA L A C T I T E S .

single drop of water sparkles on the tip of a

stalactite deep inside Fantastic Caverns. In time —

a few minutes, perhaps hours — the drop will fall,

leaving a tiny trace of limestone to be replaced by

another. This process, a blend of stone, water and

time, created the beauty visitors can see today.

antastic Caverns, America’s ride-through cave, lies beneath the rolling Ozarks hills

just north of Springfield, Missouri. The surrounding countryside doesn’t look like a

typical tourism area - rather than rows of roadside attractions and bumper to bumper

traffic, visitors traveling the quiet country roads are more likely to see a farmer cutting

hay or the neighborhood kids riding bikes. Once they reach the caverns, however,

they’ll be introduced to a unique underground world and its natural splendor.

Fantastic Caverns is a family-owned business. It was discovered in 1862 by a farmer - or

more precisely, by his dog, who crawled through an entrance. It wasn’t until five years later

that the first exploration took place: 12 women from Springfield, answering a newspaper ad

seeking explorers, ventured into the cave. Their names remain on the cave wall today.

Those first explorers had to use ropes and ladders to enter the then-uncharted cave. Access

to Fantastic Caverns is far easier today. Jeep-drawn trams carry visitors on the one-mile, 50

minute tour. No walking is necessary and the trams will easily accommodate wheelchairs,

making the tour convenient for older visitors, parents with small children, and physically

challenged individuals. The trams are reached by wheelchair accessible ramps.

Page 4: Fantastic Caverns - Springfield Missouri / Press Kit

O

S TA L A C T I T E S P O I N T C R A G G Y

F I N G E R S D O W N F R O M T H E

C E I L I N G S T O WA R D S TA L A G M I T E S

T H AT S T R U G G L E U P F R O M

T H E F L O O R S T O F O R M T H E

A M A Z I N G F O R M AT I O N S T H AT

S U R R O U N D T H E T R A I L O F

T H E J E E P D R AW N T R A M .

nce inside, tour guides explain the

origins of the cave and its formations,

including stalactites, stalagmites, columns,

soda straws, glistening flowstones, cave

pearls, and draperies, some of which are as

thin and translucent as fine china.

One of the early stops on the tour is

the Auditorium room, a vast natural

theater capable of seating several

thousand people. It has, in fact, held

many audiences in its time. From the

late 1950s to the mid 1960s, the cave

was home to a weekly live country music

show whose performers sometimes

included nationally known stars. The

Auditorium room also has been the scene

of symphony concerts and grand opera.

Tour guides make no attempt to give a

precise age of the cave or its formations.

It’s impossible, they say, because the water

flow and mineral deposits that formed the

cave have probably varied through the

ages. They will only estimate the cave’s age

as ranging from the tens of thousands to

the hundreds of thousands of years. The

exact age is known for only one formation

— a tiny stalactite that began growing

when a well driller’s bit accidentally pierced

the cave’s ceiling in 1941.

Page 5: Fantastic Caverns - Springfield Missouri / Press Kit

O

S TA L A C T I T E S P O I N T C R A G G Y

F I N G E R S D O W N F R O M T H E

C E I L I N G S T O WA R D S TA L A G M I T E S

T H AT S T R U G G L E U P F R O M

T H E F L O O R S T O F O R M T H E

A M A Z I N G F O R M AT I O N S T H AT

S U R R O U N D T H E T R A I L O F

T H E J E E P D R AW N T R A M .

nce inside, tour guides explain the

origins of the cave and its formations,

including stalactites, stalagmites, columns,

soda straws, glistening flowstones, cave

pearls, and draperies, some of which are as

thin and translucent as fine china.

One of the early stops on the tour is

the Auditorium room, a vast natural

theater capable of seating several

thousand people. It has, in fact, held

many audiences in its time. From the

late 1950s to the mid 1960s, the cave

was home to a weekly live country music

show whose performers sometimes

included nationally known stars. The

Auditorium room also has been the scene

of symphony concerts and grand opera.

Tour guides make no attempt to give a

precise age of the cave or its formations.

It’s impossible, they say, because the water

flow and mineral deposits that formed the

cave have probably varied through the

ages. They will only estimate the cave’s age

as ranging from the tens of thousands to

the hundreds of thousands of years. The

exact age is known for only one formation

— a tiny stalactite that began growing

when a well driller’s bit accidentally pierced

the cave’s ceiling in 1941.

Page 6: Fantastic Caverns - Springfield Missouri / Press Kit

HI S O L AT I O N F R O M L I G H T F O R T H O U S A N D S

O F Y E A R S H A S L E F T T H E C AV E ’ S S E V E R A L

A N I M A L S P E C I E S B L I N D A N D C O L O R L E S S ,

A S E V I D E N C E D B Y T H E O Z A R K S B L I N D

C AV E C R AY F I S H A B O V E .

owever old the cave and its formations are, it is clear that their creation took a

very long time, that they are irreplaceable, and that a moment’s carelessness or mis-

management could destroy them.Equally fragile are the species of wildlife that live in

the cave,which include several rare or endangered animals. Creatures such as the

Ozarks cavefish, the cave crayfish and the grotto salamander are tiny, white and blind,

having lost eyesight and body pigmentation after living in darkness for countless gen-

erations. Most live in the cave’s lower passage, an area inaccessible to visitors. But, they

have a direct link to the world above, and to us. Their food supply is washed down

from the surface via groundwater.

Page 7: Fantastic Caverns - Springfield Missouri / Press Kit

HI S O L AT I O N F R O M L I G H T F O R T H O U S A N D S

O F Y E A R S H A S L E F T T H E C AV E ’ S S E V E R A L

A N I M A L S P E C I E S B L I N D A N D C O L O R L E S S ,

A S E V I D E N C E D B Y T H E O Z A R K S B L I N D

C AV E C R AY F I S H A B O V E .

owever old the cave and its formations are, it is clear that their creation took a

very long time, that they are irreplaceable, and that a moment’s carelessness or mis-

management could destroy them.Equally fragile are the species of wildlife that live in

the cave,which include several rare or endangered animals. Creatures such as the

Ozarks cavefish, the cave crayfish and the grotto salamander are tiny, white and blind,

having lost eyesight and body pigmentation after living in darkness for countless gen-

erations. Most live in the cave’s lower passage, an area inaccessible to visitors. But, they

have a direct link to the world above, and to us. Their food supply is washed down

from the surface via groundwater.

Page 8: Fantastic Caverns - Springfield Missouri / Press Kit

hile viewing the colorful formations

along the well-lighted tour route, visitors

also learn about the relationship between

cave life, groundwater and people. Scheduled

tour stops include a brief video narrated by

a hydrogeologist — a scientist who studies

groundwater.

Although Fantastic Caverns is a small

family owned business, its owners realize

the cave’s system is delicate and they are tak-

ing several steps to protect it. Water quality is

monitored closely for pollutants. The jeep-drawn trams

are powered by clean-burning propane. And the trams, which touch the cave

floor only with their eight wheels, are less intrusive than the thousands of walking feet

that might pass through on any given day.

Future generations also are getting an introduction to caves and their ecological role.

Through the Fantastic Caverns Science Research Program, cave employees work with

area schools to help educate children about the environment.

Fantastic Caverns is an all-weather attraction open year ‘round. The temperature is

inside the cave hovers around a comfortable 60 degrees all of the time.

W

For Additional Information Contact:Kirk HansenPublic Information DirectorFantastic Caverns4872 N. Farm Road 125Springfield, Missouri 65803Phone: (417) 833-2010Fax: (417) 833-2042

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60

65

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WONDERS OF WILDLIFE

BASS PRO SHOPS

FA N TA S T I C C AV E R N S I S L O C AT E D I N

S O U T H W E S T M I S S O U R I N E A R T H E

E N T E RTA I N M E N T A N D AT T R A C T I O N S

O F T H E B R A N S O N -S P R I N G F I E L D A R E A .

Fantastic Caverns4872 NORTH FARM ROAD 125SPRINGFIELD, MO 65803

Page 9: Fantastic Caverns - Springfield Missouri / Press Kit

hile viewing the colorful formations

along the well-lighted tour route, visitors

also learn about the relationship between

cave life, groundwater and people. Scheduled

tour stops include a brief video narrated by

a hydrogeologist — a scientist who studies

groundwater.

Although Fantastic Caverns is a small

family owned business, its owners realize

the cave’s system is delicate and they are tak-

ing several steps to protect it. Water quality is

monitored closely for pollutants. The jeep-drawn trams

are powered by clean-burning propane. And the trams, which touch the cave

floor only with their eight wheels, are less intrusive than the thousands of walking feet

that might pass through on any given day.

Future generations also are getting an introduction to caves and their ecological role.

Through the Fantastic Caverns Science Research Program, cave employees work with

area schools to help educate children about the environment.

Fantastic Caverns is an all-weather attraction open year ‘round. The temperature is

inside the cave hovers around a comfortable 60 degrees all of the time.

W

For Additional Information Contact:Kirk HansenPublic Information DirectorFantastic Caverns4872 N. Farm Road 125Springfield, Missouri 65803Phone: (417) 833-2010Fax: (417) 833-2042

60

60

65

160

13

13

160

44

44

WONDERS OF WILDLIFE

BASS PRO SHOPS

FA N TA S T I C C AV E R N S I S L O C AT E D I N

S O U T H W E S T M I S S O U R I N E A R T H E

E N T E RTA I N M E N T A N D AT T R A C T I O N S

O F T H E B R A N S O N -S P R I N G F I E L D A R E A .

Fantastic Caverns4872 NORTH FARM ROAD 125SPRINGFIELD, MO 65803