Rushing rivers and waterfalls rarely seen in caves carry over a  million gallons of water through Squire Boone Caverns every day.

EXPLORE a living and growing ecosystem deep below the earth's surface. Stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, and more adorn the cavern walls, ceilings, and floors. Come see what has taken nature millions of years to make. For more educational information scroll down the page.

CAVERN TOURS: Summer Months: Memorial Day thru Labor Day the caverns can be toured daily. The Guided 1-hour tours leave every 30 minutes 9:00 – 5:00 EDT.
Spring & Fall Months: Cavern tours depart at 10:00, 12:00, 2:00 and 4:00 EDT seven days a week. During heavy rains please call ahead.
January & February: Cavern tours depart at 10:00, 12:00, 2:00 and 4:00 EDT seven days a week. During bad weather please call ahead. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Years Day. Cavern tour admission is $14.50 per Adult, $8.00 per Child (6-11) and $12.50 per Senior.

CAVE FACTS : The terms cave and cavern are not always precisely used. A cave is a natural underground cavity. A cavern is a connected system of caves and passages. Caves and caverns are often found in the sides of cliffs and hills.

Speleology, one of the newest of the sciences, is the study of caves. One who studies Speleology is known as a speleologist (from the Greek words "spelaion," meaning cave, and "logos," meaning study). A person who explores caves or caverns is known as a spelunker. Spelunking is the act of exploring a cave or cavern.

Solutional caves are found in rocks which can be dissolved by a weak natural acid, carbonic acid. This acid is formed when rainwater mixes with carbon dioxide in the upper layers of the soil. Squire Boone Caverns is a solutional cave.

Soda Straw Stalactites are thin-walled, hollow tubes about a quarter inch in diameter. They form as water runs through their centers and deposits rings of calcite around the tips of the formations. Stalactites grow down from the ceiling and form as mineral layers are deposited by water flowing over the outside of the soda straws. They form after the centers of the hollow soda straws become plugged. Stalagmites grow up from the floor where mineral laden water drips from above.

Stalagmites are often, but not always, found beneath stalactites. They have flat or rounded tops as compared to the carrot shaped stalactites.

Columns are formed when stalactites and stalagmites grow together or when one of them grows all the way to the floor or ceiling.

Cave Coral or Popcorn is irregular clusters or rough knobs of crystalline calcium carbonate. They build up on walls and existing formations as mineral-laden water seeps through the pores of the rocks.

Draperies form where drops of mineral-laden water trickle down the undersides of inclined ceilings, leaving deposits in lines which fold and curl as if they were drapes of curtains.

Flowstone forms where films of water flow over walls, floors and formations, depositing sheets of calcium carbonate like icing.

This is only a small sampling of all the great things there are to learn about caves. Check out your local library or the National Caves Association website for more information.