When you grow up in a state like Missouri, like I did, caves have a certain familiar

allure.

You expect them to be around.

Any gray and white towering bluff next to a highway or a riverbend might be hiding

something grand inside.

Midwestern folklore also has a familiar allure from Missourians.

Daniel Boone, Mark Twain, George Washington Carver.

These are our local heroes, and we make our own fun out of commodifying their lives and

adventures.

You know, tours of the hometown, gift shops.

I've yet to actually see a Lewis or Clark bobblehead for sale, but it's definitely something

we'd do.

I'm Abigail Keel, and this is Atlas Obscura, a celebration of the world's strange, incredible,

and wondrous places.

Today, I'm taking you to a place that embodies both these aspects of my home state, the caves

and the lore.

Mariamac Caverns is a giant limestone cave just an hour outside of St. Louis.

It's home to a combination of kitch and a world-class scenery that sings a calming tune

to my Midwestern heart.

We'll go deep right after this.

I've been fortunate enough to be in caves all over the world, and your cave is really

special.

...