Bridal Cave is a

cave A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...

located near

Camdenton, Missouri Camdenton is a city in and the county seat of Camden County, Missouri, United States. Its population was 3,718 at the 2010 census. The city is enveloped by the Lower Niangua arm of the Lake of the Ozarks and serves as a popular trade point for ...

, in the

Lake of the Ozarks Lake of the Ozarks is a reservoir created by impounding the Osage River in the northern part of the Ozarks in central Missouri. Parts of three smaller tributaries to the Osage are included in the impoundment: the Niangua River, Grandglaize Creek ...

region. The cave is a mile long, but only a quarter of it is accessible to the public due to underground lakes.Missouri Life. (2020, February 26)
Bridal Cave (Lake of the Ozarks) - Missouri life TV season 5 [Video
/nowiki>">ideo">Bridal Cave (Lake of the Ozarks) - Missouri life TV season 5 [Video
/nowiki> YouTube. Retrieved October 19, 2022. Its name is based on an Osage Nation">Osage Native American myth found in R. G. Scott's ''Indian Romances''.Kansas City Star. (2022, May 26)
Home to over 4,000 weddings, the Bridal Cave in Missouri lives up to its name
[Video]. YouTube. Retrieved October 19, 2022. According to the book, Conwee, the son of an Osage chief, wanted to marry Wasena, the daughter of another Osage chief. Wasena did not want to marry him, so Conwee and his warriors kidnapped Wasena and her companion, Irona. The group tried to hide the women in the cave, but Wasena escaped and committed

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

to avoid being with Conwee. Irona did not try to escape as she was in love with Buffalo, Conwee's brother. She would eventually marry Buffalo in the same cave. The cave has been popular since the 1850s due to its

speleothem A speleothem (; ) is a geological formation by mineral deposits that accumulate over time in natural caves. Speleothems most commonly form in calcareous caves due to carbonate dissolution reactions. They can take a variety of forms, depending on ...

formations and mineral coloring. The cave's opening was originally three feet by eighteen inches, and the cave itself had limited room for movement. Rooms and tunnels were expanded, and the first five rooms opened to the public in 1948 for tours. One of its well known rooms is the Bridal Chapel. It features what they call the pipe organ formation, which is a large stalactite and stalagmite fusion. Another known feature is Mystery Lake, which is a crystal clear, 18 feet deep lake that formed through drip water as there is no underwater passage. In the lake, there are old wood structures of unknown origins. Sampling the structures for dating purposes is not possible since the structures started to dissolve when divers touched them. People can pay to host their own wedding in Bridal Cave. The first wedding was hosted in June 1949, and as of 2022, over 4,250 weddings have been held at Bridal Cave since then.Mattiace, Gracee (2020, February 14).
Almost 4,000 couples married in cave since early 1950s
. ''KRCG''. Retrieved October 19, 2022.

References

External links

Official site
Landforms of Camden County, Missouri Caves of Missouri Show caves in the United States Tourist attractions in Camden County, Missouri {{CamdenCountyMO-geo-stub