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Current River Cavern is a
Current River Cavern is a show cave
A show cave—also called tourist cave, public cave, and, in the United States, commercial cave—is a cave which has been made accessible to the public for guided visits.
Definition
A show cave is a cave that has been made accessible to ...
located in one mile west of Van Buren, MO on U.S. Route 60
U.S. Route 60 is a major east–west United States highway, traveling from southwestern Arizona to the Atlantic Ocean coast in Virginia.
The highway's eastern terminus is in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where it is known as Pacific Avenue, in the ...
. The cave is located inside Cave Spring Park.
The cave was first opened as a show cave in 1940 under the name "Cave Spring Onyx Caverns".
Current River Cavern was formed exclusively by the stream that still runs through the cave; a rarity among Missouri caves. The cave is set in the Eminence Dolomite.
The commercial section of the cave extends 240 ft before ending at a flooded passage."Caves of the Current River Valley", Journal of the Missouri Speleological Survey, Volume 22, Numbers 3-4, Pages 82, 84. A 1996 survey reported 2,384 ft of passages extending far beyond the commercial section. The owners are seeking an alternative entrance and hope to open more of the cave to visitors in the future.
Current River Cavern is the first show cave to use all battery powered, wireless LED
A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor Electronics, device that Light#Light sources, emits light when Electric current, current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy i ...
lights for illumination. The LED lights do not promote algae
Algae (; singular alga ) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular mic ...
growth or harm cave life. In addition, the lack of wires through the cave creates a more safe and natural experience.
See also
*Caves of Missouri
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 ...
References
External links
* Caves of Missouri Landforms of Carter County, Missouri Show caves in the United States Roadside attractions in Missouri Tourist attractions in Carter County, Missouri 1940 establishments in Missouri {{CarterCountyMO-geo-stub