Hours
| Summer (Memorial Day to Labor Day) | Daily, 10 am to 5 pm |
| Winter | Wednesday to Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm |
| Closed | Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day |
Walk-ins welcome. Reservations encouraged, not required.
What to expect
- The guided tour takes about one hour.
- You walk down a flight of steps at the entrance and two more to reach the cave floor, and there is a stairway up to the Cathedral Chamber.
- The cave stays cool all year. Bring a light jacket.
- Comfortable closed-toe shoes are a good idea.
- The Wild Cave Tour is a separate two-hour, ages 16 and up experience.
Frequently asked questions
How much are Crystal Cave tickets?
A guided cave tour is $30 for adults and $18 for children ages 4 to 12. Children under 4 are free. The Cave Adventure Tour adds a walk on the Dino Trail and is $40 for adults and $26 for children 4 to 12. The Wild Cave Tour is $100 per person.
How long is the Crystal Cave tour in Springfield, MO?
The guided cave tour takes about one hour. The Wild Cave Tour takes two hours.
What are the Crystal Cave hours?
From Memorial Day to Labor Day the cave is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm. In winter it is open Wednesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm. It is closed on Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.
Do I need a reservation?
Walk-ins are welcome and reservations are encouraged but not required. You can book online ahead of time.
Where is Crystal Cave?
Crystal Cave is at 7126 N Crystal Cave Lane in north Springfield, Missouri 65803.
How old is Crystal Cave?
Alfred Mann opened the cave to the public in 1893, making it the second commercial cave in Missouri after Mark Twain Cave in Hannibal.
Are there caves near Springfield, MO that you can tour?
Yes. Crystal Cave is a historic show cave in north Springfield with a one-hour guided tour and a two-hour wild cave tour.
Is the cave cold? What should I wear?
The cave stays about 60 degrees all year. In summer that feels cool, so bring a light layer, and in winter it actually feels warm and cozy. Comfortable closed-toe shoes are a good idea, because the tour includes flights of steps.
Does the tour have stairs?
Yes. You walk down a flight of steps at the entrance and two more flights to reach the cave floor, and there is a stairway up to the Cathedral Chamber on the upper level.
What is the Wild Cave Tour?
A two-hour guided tour off the beaten trail. Guests walk, crawl and climb through a creek bed, with running water, loose stones and mud. You must be 16 or older, and helmets, headlamps and knee pads are provided.
Who was Alfred Mann?
Alfred Mann was an English-born Springfield furniture dealer who traded his store for 140 acres that included the cave, then opened it to visitors in 1893. His three daughters ran it until 1969.
What makes Crystal Cave special?
It has soda straw stalactites in the Concert Hall, an Upside Down Well that pours like a waterfall in heavy rain, columns snapped by an ancient shift in the Cathedral Chamber, old chimes still visible in the Chimes Room ceiling, and helictites, a rare twisting formation found in few Missouri caves.