Osage Indians

Legend says in the early 1500s, the local Osage Indians were on a bear hunt. They Chased the bear up to Roark Mountain, and the bear fell onto a ledge in the sink hole. A brave young tribe member climbed down to the ledge with his knife. He stabbed the bear and the bear lunged back, and the bear and the boy both fell through the sink hole landing in the Cathedral Room. The Indians then looked down the hole and saw nothing, but they heard strange sounds and felt warm air, which made them think it was an evil place. The Indians named the cave the Devil's Den, and marked trees around the Devil's Den with their danger sign, and never returned.

Spanish Explorers

There is evidence that the Spanish explored the cave in 1541, hoping to uncover riches and possibly the fountain of youth. There is a legend that the Spanish buried gold in the cave.

The Baldknobbers

Around the mid 1800s, a local group of vigilanties, who later turned into outlaws called the Baldknobbers where known for throwing people through the sinkhole into Devil's Den.

Early Explorers

The first known expedition was in 1869, although the Spanish may have explored before that, because Spanish style ladders where found by Henry T. Blow on his 1869 expedition. The 1869 expedition was lead by Henry T. Blow of St. Louis, a lead mining magnate. He explored the cave with six other miners. The went as far as the Shoe Room, because on one side was the Gulf of Doom, which they believed was the bottomless pit after throwing rocks down the Gulf doom and hearing no sound. On the other side was the Cloud Room, which was filled to the ceiling with bat guano. When they remembered about the name Devil's Den, found the Gulf of Doom, and felt the temperature rise from the Cathedral Room into the Shoe Room, they may have felt that it really was the gateway to Hades. They found no lead before returning to St. Louis, but were convinced that the flat ceiling of the Shoe Room contained marble, so they named the cave Marble Cave.

No more expeditions took place until 1882 when another group of entrepreneurs, led by Mr. T. Hodges Jones and Truman S. Powell of Barton County, entered the cave in hopes of finding lead. Jones and Powell found huge amounts of guano and the flat ceiling, which they also believed to be marble.

Marble Cave Mining and Manufacturing Company

In 1884, Mr. T. Hodge Jones bought the property and, with several of his friends, formed the Marble Cave Mining and Manufacturing Company to mine the marble from the cave. The company hired a geologist, and it was proved that what looked like marble on the ceiling of the Shoe Room was really Limestone. To keep the company alive they mined out the guano, and sold it for $700 a ton. The guano was used for gunpowder and fertlizer. The miners filled ore carts with guano, then the carts were pulled by donkeys to the Cathedral Room, and the carts were lifted out of the cave by a pulley system. The Donkeys that were pulling the ore carts didn't last very long in the cave. The Donkeys usually died of pnumonia in a short period of time. In 1889 after four and a half years of mining the guano, Marble Cave Mining, Co. closed all operation.

Marmaros

Marmaros (Greek for Marble) was a small town that formed along with the Marble Cave Mining and Manufacturing Company in 1884. It was originally called Marble City. It was located on the rough hilltop near the cave and recorded a plat map at the courthouse in Galena, Missouri. Marmaros contained a hotel, general store, pottery shop, white oak furniture factory, and was rumored to have a saloon. The town turned into a ghost town in 1889 after the Marble Cave Mining, Co. closed. When the Lynches bought the cave, the town was burned to the ground by the local group of vigilantes known as the Baldknobbers.

The Lynches

On October 30, 1889, William Henry Lynch, a Canadian miner and dairyman, purchased the cave and the square mile of land around the cave where Marmaros was located for $10,000. After coming to Marvel Cave, he found that Marmaros was burnt to the ground. Lynch, with the aid of his family, proposed to open the cave to sightseers. The Lynches began operation of the sightseeing venture in 1894 with a grand celebration and a few visitors. The cave has remained open since, making it one of the oldest continuously running tourist attractions in the Ozarks.

When William Lynch died in 1927, ownership of the cave passed to his daughters. Shortly there after, the name of the cave was changed to Marvel Cave. The Lynch family operated the cave for over fifty years.

The Herschends

A Chicago vacuum cleaner salesman, Hugo Herschend, purchased a 99-year lease on the cave in 1950, from The Lynch sisters.

After Hugo Herschend's death in 1955, his wife Mary took over the day-to-day operations of the cave. With the aid of her two sons, Jack and Peter, Mary Herschend was able to make vast improvements to the cave. They added concrete paths and stairs to the cave, and a tower from the sinkhole to the top of the debris pile. Also, they added a cable train which pulled visitors a distance of 218 feet, from the depths of the cave up to the surface. Before building the cable train, the Army Corp of Engineers said that it couldn't be built, because a cable train can't make a turn like the one the Herschends planned. The Herschends built it anyway, and has been in operation for about 50 years.

Once the cable train was in operation, the Herschends decided to recreate the mining village Marmaros, for tourist waiting to go on a tour. It opened in 1960, and is called Silver Dollar City.

Tours

Currently there are two different tours offered. The Traditional Tour, and the Lantern Tour.

Traditional Tours

The first guided tours in the cave where in 1894 Run by the Lynches. They lasted 6 hours and where by candle or lantern. You climbed through this sink hole on a 100' ladder down to the top of the pile. Then you where instructed to slide down the pile to the bottom. You received a candle to guide your way. The tours included the Egyptian Room (now the Shoe Room), the Lakes Passage, and you saw formations such as the Great White Thrown (now the Liberty Bell), and the Spring Room Sentinel (now just the Sentinel). After the Hershends started tours in 1950, they removed the wooden stairs, and added concrete stairs and paths through the cave. Current tours last for about an hour, and are limited to 60 people.

Traditional Tour Experience

After being briefed in the Hospitality House, the tour starts by walking down towards the entrance of the cave. The tour enters and walks one flight of stairs down on the tower, and the guide starts talking about the Indian history of the cave, and also about the bats in the cave. Next, the tour walks down the tower and the rock pile. The tour stops to get individual pictures taking. After the pictures, the tour stands near the Liberty Bell. The guide now talks about the cathedral room, formations, connecting rooms, and passages. The tour continues down the Serpentine passage, to the Shoe Room, named for the foot shaped ceiling. The guide then turns the lights out, and lights a candle to show what early explorers saw. The guide continues in the candle light to talk about early explorers, the mining company. Finally, the guide blows out the candle so the tour sees the little natural light in the cave. The lights are turned back on and the tour continues. You walk down the cloud room to the bottom in which you encounter tall man's headache, the smallest passage on the guided tour. You walk down further, and if it is the Summer, you will take a right and walk down a passage the bottom of the Gulf of Doom. The guide then tells you that you will go down the Domino Staircase, named because if you fall forward, everybody will fall forward, like dominos. After walking down the staricase, you will be at the bottom of the Waterfall Room. After looking at the sight you go up the stairs and through the Mud Passage. During the fall and winter months, you don't go to the bottom of the Gulf of Doom, or the Waterfall Room, you go by the Harold Bell Wright Passage, where they tell you about Harold Bell Wright's visits to the cave. You then follow a passage down to the top of the Waterfall Room, look at the view of the waterfall, and go through the Mud Passage. You then will enter the Mystic Pool Room where they tell you about Blondie's Thrown and the Mystic River Passage. Also, they will tell you that you will now walk 10 stories up the Huff and Puff Staircase, and the two osbstacles on the way up. There is the Noggin Knocker, followed by the Rock of Many Names. Next, you will go up the staircase, and get a better view of Blondie's Thrown as you go up. Finally you will enter the last room, where most of the formations are living. You can look down at "Mother-in-law's Leep" and see the Mystic Pool Room you just were in. Before entering the cable train, the guide may tell you that the stone on the right before the door to the cable train is called "Feeler's Rock", and is the only formation in the cave that has been designated to touch, because it is already dead. Now you will enter the cable train and take a three minute ride back to the Hospitality House, which concludes the tour.

Lantern Tours

In 2006, Marvel Cave started to offer a new tour, the Lantern Tour. In this tour they turned out all the lights in the cave, and give all the people on the tour lanterns. Unlike the regular tours which are free, this tour costs $10, and is limited to 20 people. Currently, It follows the same route as the regular tour, but you get to see both the summer and fall sections if the Waterfall Room isn't flooded, and it lasts about an hour and a half. The guide tells you more history and information about the cave. In the future the tour will be extended into the Mammoth Room, After paths are made, Making it the first tour open to the public that includes the Mammoth Room in over 50 years.

Lantern Tour Experience

In the Hospitality House, you briefed and are told about "Lantern Edicate". You then walk down stairs toward the entrance of the cave. You walk onto the top of the tower, and are told about the Osage Indians, and early tours of the cave. Then you walk to the bottom of the tower, and the guide tells you about other rooms that connect to the Cathedral Room (such as the Dungeons), that are little known. You walk down to the bottom of the Cathedral Room, where they take individual group photos. You then get a chance to look around at the nearby formations and passages. They may tell stories about ghosts such as how sometimes the ghost of William Lynch is seen by tours in the middle of the towers. Later the ghost takes some steps back and vanishes. They also tell the first person to explore the Disappointment Passage said there were bones of strange animals all over. Later an explorer discovered that it was caved in. Also, about how the Spring Room contains the fountain of youth, and how a man died by drinking the water after he had climbed to the top of the pile in the Cathedral Room. You may also be instructed to turn your lantern off to show the natural light in the cave. You follow the Serpentine Passage to the Shoe Room. They tell you about the early explorers, and how early guests signed their name on the wall. They tell you why it was called the Egyptian Room when the Lyches owned the cave. Also, they tell you that early explorers left candles to retrace the their steps, and leave an electric candle over the Gulf of Doom. You then walk through the Cloud Room.

The Cathedral Room

Is one of the largest cave entrance rooms found in North America. The room measures 204� high, 225� wide, and 411� feet long. Entrance to the cave is made through a sink hole which is 94� deep. Two large openings are at the bottom of the sink. Rocks, trees, dirt and animals falling through the sinkhole and falling boulders from the ceiling throughout the centuries has left a debris pile measuring 124� tall. This pile is sometimes referred to as the Underground Mountain. On July 7, 1963 an underground altitude record was set by Don Piccard by flying a hot air balloon around the massive room. Later, in 1994 five hot air balloons were flown simultaneously in the Cathedral Room in celebration of the 100th year anniversary of giving cave tours.

The Mammoth Room

Is where the majority of the bats choose to hibernate. In 1869 Spanish style ladders, small trees with notches carved in them, were found in the Mammoth Room by Henry Taylor Blow, one of the first known explorers of the cave.

The Dungeon

Is a passage located next to the Cathedral Room. The entrance can be made through a small crevice located 80� below the sinkhole entrance. Blood like stains cover the walls due to the abundance of Iron Oxide, which led some early cave guides to claim the Dungeon Passage a torture place of the Spanish Explorers. The passage has an entrance through the Mammoth Room as well.

The Lakes Passage

Is past the Mammoth Room and contains two lakes named Genevieve and Miriam, after the daughters of William Lynch. Divers have explored the lakes and have found several under water passages. The deepest they went was around 110�. The two lakes are long and were once thought to be a river, known as No-Name River. Genevieve later led an expedition of the passage and discovered that there was an end to the water filled passages. Her party found that the cave continued up hill. The passage has been explored, but not entirely. The last room explorers have discovered is a tall terminal dome pit that contains two small water falls that makes climbing to the top very difficult. Many have tried and failed.

The Spring Room

A small crevice behind a tall column known as the Sentinel lies the Spring Room. The room is covered in orange calcite and contains several waterfalls that looks and sounds like rain fall. Legends have spread about the water being magical, possibly the Fountain of Youth.

Serpentine Passage

Connects the Cathedral Room and the Egyptian Room. The route displays perfectly the way that water use to flow through the cave passages.

Egyptian Room / Shoe Room

Genevieve and Miriam Lynch had a fondness for the study of Egypt and this flat smooth desert like room reminded them of a pyramid. Within the rocks of the room they saw King Tutankhamen�s Sarcophagus, The Sphinx�s Nose, Arrow Head Entry, and Cleopatra�s Sandal. The ceiling is shaped like a large sandal or shoe, leading some to call it the Shoe Room. The flat smooth ceiling was once mistaken for Marble.

The Gulf of Doom

Is located under the �heel� of the shoe print ceiling. The great pit was once thought to be bottomless. Rocks would be thrown into the darkness, but no sound would ever resonate. The superstitious thought it was a gateway to the underworld, when the true reason was simple, large amounts of clay and bat guano was covering the bottom of the gulf�s floor over 100� below.

Cloud Room or Cloud Land

Has a rough porous ceiling. The ceiling is made of dolomite and looks like low hanging clouds.

The Harold Bell Wright Passage

Is before the Waterfall Room during Fall and Winter tours. Harold Bell Wright, the author of The Sheperd of the Hills, was friends of the Lynches, and stayed in the cave for days at a time. There is a cabin locatated in the passage where Harold Bell Wright stayed. Some people believe that he wrote parts of his book in the cave. Inside the cabin he painted a picture of his book's character, Maggie. The Cabin that is there now is a replica, not the original, although it uses some of the same wood.

Tall Man's Headache

Is a passage with a low ceiling, the smallest passage in the guided tour. It is about 4' 7" tall, and 7' long.

The Mud Passage

Is located between the Waterfall Room and the Mystic Pool Room, named for the mud in the passage during early tours, which has been cleared out.

The Mystic Pool Room

Is the room in which the Mystic River Passage is located.

The Mystic River Passage

Is a small water-filled passage that has not yet been explored to its end.

The Waterfall Room

Is the lowest room on the tour, 505' below the surface. The source of the water is from the underground stream named The Lost River. This room can flood to the ceiling during times of rain.

Notable Formations

Blondie's Throne

Is a flow stone located near the end of the tour of the cave, the name comes from its obvious resemblance to a throne. The name "Blondie" comes from a story about a boy (Charles Smallwood) who was lost in the cave in the late 1800s or early 1900s. He was later found sleeping near this formation, and the first thing they saw in the candle light was his blonde hair. While there is a legend that some substance in the cave turned his hair blonde, it is more likely that the boy was known for his blonde hair.

The Liberty Bell

Is a 55' stalagmite, Although it started out on the ceiling near the Serpentine Passage as a stalactite. It gets its name from its shape, and the crack on its side. The crack was made when it fell from the ceiling, and now it's on the cave floor. After falling, it continued to grow on the floor. It is hollow and can fit four to five adults inside. It was originally called "The Great White Throne".

The Sentinel

Is a column located in the Cathedral Room, right in front of the passage that leads to the Spring Room. It used to be referred as "The Spring Room Sentinel" Tour guides also say that it is the only thing supporting the dome of the Cathedral Room.

Life in the Cave

Marvel Cave is host to a variety of Bats and Salamanders. Marvel Cave has been recognized for its outstanding work in preserving its colony of endangered Gray Bats.

Bats

Eastern Pipistrelle

Little Brown Bat

Big Brown Bat

Gray Bat (Endangered)

Salamanders

Cave Salamander

Grotto Salamander

Ozark Blind Cave Salamander (Endangered)