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Onondaga Cave State Park

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Park Information

Descend into the depths of Onondaga Cave State Park and drop into a world of wonder: towering stalagmites, dripping stalactites, and active flowstones help make the cave a National Natural Landmark and illustrate why Missouri is often called “The Cave State.” Visitors can take guided tours into the underground wonderland. But if you prefer the surface, the park’s Vilander Bluff Natural Area provides a panoramic view of the Meramec River. Easy access to the Meramec River allows visitors to canoe or fish in a bucolic setting.

Park Hours

The park is open year-round for camping and day use.

Onondaga Cave hours

Onondaga Cave tours 

  • Tours are offered April 13 through Oct. 13 at scheduled times throughout the day, depending on the season and available staffing. 
  • At a minimum, tours are offered every two hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and increase to several tours per day from Memorial Day through Labor Day. 
  • Please call 573-245-6576 for a definitive tour time schedule.

Cathedral Cave tours

  • Cathedral Cave will open for school group tours starting April 13 and public tours starting May 11.
  • May 11-31 and Sept. 1 - Oct. 13 - 1 p.m., Saturday; 10 a.m., Sunday
  • Memorial Day through Labor Day - 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., Saturday; 10 a.m., Sunday
  • Tours may be available by special arrangement.  Please call 573-245-6576 to speak to the park naturalist for more information.

Visitor Center hours

  • Summer Hours (On-Season)
    March - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday through Sunday
    April through October - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily
  • Winter Hours (Off-Season)
    November through February - Closed

Store hours

  • Summer Hours (On-Season)
    March - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday through Sunday
    April through October - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily
  • Winter Hours (Off-Season)
    November through February - Closed

Related Content

Missouri State Parks and Historic Sites
May 23, 2013
Fifty years ago, if you had arrived at the natural tunnel in Bennett Spring State Park, you would have seen a lake. Around 1964, a dam created from gravel and silt and reinforced with rebar and concrete blocked the upstream entrance of the natural tunnel. There is no record of how long the resulting lake lasted, but historical accounts state the dam failed after heavy rains, leaving only the portion of the structure seen today at the end of the trail. Walk the Natural Tunnel Trail today and imagine what it would have been like 50 years ago. For more information about this trail, other trails at the park, and all the other things you can do at Bennett Spring State Park, visit mostateparks.com.