Time-tested cave with an accessible path & boardwalk, guided tours & historic artifacts.
Although Smallin Civil War Cave doesn’t have drive through access like it’s Springfield neighbor, Fantastic Caverns, it’s an excellent choice for wheelchair users. And owners Kevin and Wanetta Bright warmly welcome everyone to this historic — and wheelchair-accessible accessible — cave.
There’s accessible parking near the office, with a barrier-free pathway to the front door. From there, it’s just a short walk to the cave, down the back ramp and over a wide gravel pathway.
Once home to a group of Osage Indians, the cave also served as shelter for traveling soldiers and reportedly housed a Union spy during the Civil War. Today history-buff Kevin leads visitors on an informative one-hour cave tour, which begins at the natural entrance. There is level access to the cave, and the half-mile cement walkway makes it accessible to wheelchair-users and slow walkers. It should be noted that there are a few patches of the trail that have a slight incline, so some manual wheelchair-users may require a bit of assistance in those areas.
Geologically the cave is quite diverse, as you’ll see tufa, soda straws and a variety of fossils (including a shark tooth) on the ceiling; but by far the highlight is Kevin’s’ historical interpretation of the cave.
HOURS OF OPERATION
