Caves stay at a constant temperature year-round making them the perfect winter or summer activity to escape the bitter cold or intense heat. Missouri, known as the “Cave State”, has almost 6400 caves. Bluff Dwellers Cave is one of eighteen caves in Missouri that offers tours.
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Where is Bluff Dwellers Cave?
Bluff Dwellers Cave is in the small town of Noel, Missouri in the southwest corner of Missouri. It is just two hours from Tulsa, one hour from Rogers, and two hours from Springfield, Missouri. It makes for a great day trip!
Bluff Dwellers Cave History
Bluff Dwellers Cave was discovered in 1925 by Arthur Browning. After two years of digging to make the cave more tourist-friendly, the first guided tour was given in 1927. The tours have been going ever since, and the Browning family still owns and operates the cave.
As Arthur dug out the cave, he found evidence that ancient Native Americans used the caves. Known as “Bluff Dwellers”, these Native Americans became the inspiration for the cave’s name. You can see some artifacts that were found during the cave tour.
Things to Do at Bluff Dwellers Cave
Bluff Dwellers Cave Tours
Our tour guide was Nicole. She was extremely knowledgeable of the cave. I could tell that she cared about this cave and caves in general. She was incredibly patient with my girls.
Our tour started in a large room and we branched off into different areas of the cave. This is the first cave that I have been to where you walked through. I was so impressed. Some areas were tight and low, but those sections didn’t last long.
Nicole navigated us through and pointed out so many different features in the cave. She explained the cave terminology in a basic way that my young kids understood. During the winter, bats hibernate in the cave. We were able to see two on our trip!
The guided tour lasts about an hour. There are no designated tour times. I was there on a weekday when they opened and it wasn’t busy. We waited about 20 minutes to see if anyone else showed up and we ended up being the only ones on the tour. There was only one person running everything. So while we were on a tour, the gift shop/museum was closed.
Gift Shop
There is a small gift shop and museum outside the cave. They sell a variety of items including geological souvenirs, jewelry, or clothing. The museum has an arrowhead collection and multiple types of rocks on display from various parts of the world.
Gemstone Panning and Kids Play Area
Gemstone panning is available outside of the gift shop. My girls had a lot of fun with this! There are three different “dirt” options with gems in them that can be bought in the gift shop. You get a clear bag to put your gems in and an information card to identify the different gems.
In this area, there is also an interesting little “shed” for the kids to play in. It is like a maze. The kids climb into a small opening and climb their way through the structure until they get to the exit. My girls climbed through this four times and had a blast. If the tour isn’t starting immediately, this can keep the kids busy while you wait.
Things to Know Before Your Visit
- Hours: November-February 10 AM – 5 PM, March-October 10 AM – 6 PM (Last tour is 1 hour before closing)
- Location: 163 Cave Rd, Noel, Missouri 64835
- Cost: Ages 12+: $26, Ages 4-11: $16, Ages 3 and under: free
- Suggested Duration: Guided tours last 1 hour, spend another 30 minutes in the museum and activities out front
- Restrooms: There are restrooms outside of the cave. There are no restrooms inside the cave, plan accordingly.
- Parking: There is plenty of parking on site. It is a little confusing because you have to park at the bottom and walk up a lot of extremely steep steps to get to the gift shop and cave area.
- Bluff Dwellers Cave Website: https://bluffdwellerscave.com/
Interested in Other Caves?
The Missouri Cave Association consists of 18 Missouri and 6 Arkansas Caves. Many of them are close together and could be viewed on the same trip. In fact, the Old Spanish Treasure Cave is only 7 miles away from Bluff Dwellers Cave.
Things to Do Near Noel, Missouri
If you are in the area and want to discover even more fun attractions nearby, here are some more suggestions!
- Grove, Oklahoma is only a 30-minute drive away. In addition to Grand Lake, there are other interesting things to do in Grove including Har-Ber Village and Lendonwood Gardens.
- Bentonville, Arkansas is a short 30-minute drive from the cave. Bentonville has a huge list of attractions including the incredible Crystal Bridges Art Musem.
- The George Washington Carver National Monument, which tells the story of the life and legacy of the “peanut man”, is a 40-minute drive north.
