Bridal Cave & Thunder Mountain Park

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Enjoy Some Bridal Cave Fun Online

We realize that not everyone is lucky enough to live right next to our mid-Missouri family fun attraction year-round. If you're far away but still longing for Bridal Cave & Thunder Mountain Park, you can have some fun on our website! As a matter of fact, you'll even learn a thing or two while you're there.

Look Inside
When you visit www.BridalCave.com, you'll find a lot more than a couple of photos and directions to the park. There are many cool pages to explore. Under the "Look Inside" tab, you can see an entire gallery of photos from inside the cave. You can also take a 360° virtual tour of one of the cave rooms.

You'll even find some information about the history of this natural wonder. Just in case you forgot the story, you can read "The Legend of Bridal Cave" on these pages. Our on-site weather station can be found online 24/7 so that you can prepare for the weather on your next visit, or simply see what it's like here compared to where you are at.

Kids Only
Our website also has a special section especially for children, but grown-ups can learn a thing or two along with the kids. The pages in this section are educational, but the subject matter is so much fun, kids don't even realize that they are learning! This is a great place to check out before you visit Bridal Cave & Thunder Mountain Park to see what you'll be getting into. It's also perfect for reading after you leave, in case you want to expand on subjects you heard about during your tour.

The subject matter covers what caves are, the natural things that are found inside of caves, and the geologist that study them. There's also a great story from "Max the Bat" that teaches kids that bats aren't scary, but cool. Cave safety is covered, and you'll even find a fun hands-on project to try at home. It all wraps up with a simple quiz. Here is a part of that quiz. Think you know the answers? If not, they can be found within the stories on the "Kids Only" pages. (And at the end of this blog.)

1. Organic debris is...
a) An alternative rock band from Seattle Washington.
b) Material that came from living things.
c) A rock deposit in a cave.

2. Molds and bacteria are...

a) The bodily wastes of bats and crickets.
b) The secret ingredient of most snack cakes.
c) A simple form of life.

3. Carbonic acid is...

a) The type of rock that most caves are found in.
b) A weak acid in ground water that over time can create caves.
c) The lead singer from the Organic Debris.

4. Fossils are...

a) A common name for parents.
b) Tennis shoes designed for very old basketball players
c) The evidence of past life.

5. Columns are...

a) A simple plant found in caves.
b) A cave deposit formed when a stalactite and a stalagmite grow together.
c) An acid found in vinegar.

Blogs & Social Media
Following Bridal Cave & Thunder Mountain Park on your favorite social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or LinkedIn) is a great way to keep up-to-date on all of the cool things happening at our scenic Lake of the Ozarks attraction while you're away.

We publish a new blog every week, which you can find links to on our social media channels or directly from the website. We cover all kinds of fun subjects in depth, such as lake area history, life inside the cave, local events and family-fun attractions, and so much more. There's always a great story to be found around here!

So, until you can make your way back out to visit us at Bridal Cave & Thunder Mountain Park, check us out online. It's a wonderful way to take the excitement of the cave home with you, and share a little Family Fun... As It Should Be!

Quiz Answers
1-B, 2-C, 3-B, 4-C, 5-B

One of America's most scenic

cave tours.

Visit us at www.BridalCave.com

Like us on Facebook.

526 Bridal Cave Road

Camdenton, MO 65020

(573) 346-2676

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Celebrate International Rock Day!

Thursday, July 13, happens to be International Rock Day. As you probably know, we love rocks here at Bridal Cave & Thunder Mountain Park! We have one of the coolest rock and mineral shops around featuring specimens from all over the world. We even have a couple of fun activities you can enjoy involving rocks here at our Lake of the Ozarks family attraction. After reading today's blog, we hope you'll become a rock-lover too.

Rocks... well, they rock!
Rocks are a naturally occurring phenomenon, much like the amazing formation of Bridal Cave. Some are composed of only one mineral, while others are made with a mixture of different minerals. When you visit our gift shop, you will see a wonderful variety of rocks, minerals, and gemstones to marvel at. Some of these include Amethyst, Pyrite, Citrine, and Calcite.

Some people may think that rocks are cool simply because of the way they look. The variety of shapes, sizes, and colors is intriguing, and we even carry some rocks that have been carved into incredible sculptures. Other people have a fascination with rocks, minerals, and gemstones because many of them are known to have some metaphysical and healing properties. For example, amethyst is believed to bring about feelings of serenity, peace, courage, happiness, pain relief, and much more.

Fun For Rock Hounds at Bridal Cave
We don't just have rocks on display and available for purchase in our gift shop. You can also have some fun with them while you are here. A very popular attraction at Bridal Cave & Thunder Mountain Park is the great big sluice. As a matter of fact, this is such a well-loved activity that we doubled the size of our sluice this year!

In case you are unfamiliar with the word "sluice," it's a track which water flows through so that our guests can dump "sluice bags" full of sand (and more!) into it and pan for the treasures hidden inside. Once you discover them, you get to claim the found gemstones as your own and take them home to keep! Some of the treasures waiting to be uncovered are: amethyst, calcite, citrine, garnet, jasper, moonstone, onyx, opal, peridot, quartz, ruby, sapphire, and so many more! Some bags even contain fossils!

The other fun rock activity you can take part in while you are here is our geode cracker. A geode is a mysterious, spherical rock which geologists have long debated about how they are actually formed. In the center of a geode is a cavity that may or may not contain crystals. In our gift shop, you can pick your own geode out of the barrel and place it inside our custom-built, high-pressure geode cracker. With over 10 tons of pressure, your geode will be cracked open right before your eyes, and whatever is uncovered is yours to take home.

Go On A Rock Hunt
While you are here, take to the trails of Thunder Mountain Park and see what different types of rocks you can spot. There are some beautiful Sandstone Bluffs for you to see along the trail, as well as all of the other naturally occurring wonders that can be found here in mid-Missouri. It's a gorgeous place, and there is something new and wondrous to see everywhere that you look.

Bridal Cave & Thunder Mountain Park, Lake of the Ozarks

We'd love for you to visit our family fun Lake of the Ozarks attraction and take advantage of the exciting and educational opportunities that we have for you surrounding rocks. Until you can make it to Bridal Cave & Thunder Mountain Park, do a little rock hunting in your own backyard! Exploring nature is one of the best ways to enjoy Family Fun... As It Should Be!

One of America's most scenic

cave tours.

Visit us at www.BridalCave.com

Like us on Facebook.

526 Bridal Cave Road

Camdenton, MO 65020

(573) 346-2676

Thursday, July 6, 2017

This October 2017 - Join Us For The Thunder Mountain Fall Festival!

Even though summer has just gotten started, and we hope to see all of you at some point before this fall, Bridal Cave & Thunder Mountain Park is already making plans for some really exciting events in October! In addition to all of the wonder and beauty awaiting you at our family attraction at the Lake of the Ozarks, this October we will be hosting a Thunder Mountain Fall Festival every weekend in the month.

Demonstrations & Entertainment
We've got some pretty cool things lined up for you to learn about, listen to, and enjoy! More may be added before October rolls around, but for now we have scheduled each weekend:

9 am - noon
Sarsaparilla Making
1-4 pm
Pumpkin Painting Artist
noon - 3 pm
Live Bluegrass Music

Fun Activities
During our Thunder Mountain Fall Festival, all of the regular family fun activities will still be going on, plus we're adding a few more to fit the season. Included with your Bridal Cave admission ticket, you can:

Pan for gemstones
Get your face painted
Feed the giant fish
Join the Duck Races
Check out the Pumpkin Chunkin range
Play jumbo Tic-Tac-Toe
Toss bean bags
Enjoy the Corn Crib
Explore the hay bale maze
Conquer Hay Bale Mountain
Relax by the fire pits
Take advantage of numerous family photo settings

Exciting Extras
We will also have lots of awesome items for sale that really let you know that fall has arrived! What are your favorite flavors of the season? Well, we're willing to bet that we've got them covered with the following food items that we'll feature:

Pumpkin Fudge
A Caramel Apple Bar
S'mores
Rock Candy
Hot Cider
Red Hot Apple Cider Snow Cones
Hot Chocolate
Coffee

Don't get too full to do a little shopping, because we will have hundreds of spectacular mums for sale to decorate your yard with. You can even hike our Pumpkin Trail and choose from 1,000's of pumpkins to take home and turn into a cool jack-o-lantern. Our photographer will even be on hand to capture the memory of your tour inside Bridal Cave.

While You Wait...
You're probably excited about fall coming, but there's no rush. Bridal Cave & Thunder Mountain Park are packed with incredible things for you to see and do all summer long. Hike a trail, enjoy a lakeside picnic, or climb to the observation deck on our fire tower. Rock hounds will go nuts for our gift shop, with all of the gorgeous rocks and minerals to find from around the world. And of course, don't forget about America's most scenic cave tour!

As a matter of fact, new this year, Memorial Day through Labor Day, you can experience our brand new Lantern Tour of Bridal Cave on Saturday nights. These tours require reservations and are limited to a set number of guests, so the sooner you reserve your spot the better. Kids get a cool hard hat with a light and adults are given a lantern. Once everyone's all lit up and ready, we head into a dark Bridal Cave and explore it just like they had to long ago.

There's always something amazing happening at our scenic Lake of the Ozarks attraction, no matter what time of year. As always, our goal is to provide you with a memorable experience full of Family Fun... As It Should Be!

One of America's most scenic

cave tours.

Visit us at www.BridalCave.com

Like us on Facebook.

526 Bridal Cave Road

Camdenton, MO 65020

(573) 346-2676

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

4th of July 2017 Fun & Fireworks at the Lake of the Ozarks

Even though the 4th of July falls on a Tuesday this year, the lake area will begin celebrating this weekend! Our family fun Lake of the Ozarks attraction has plenty for you to do during the daylight hours, and once the sun sets, there will be multiple fireworks displays happening all over the place! Here is a suggestion on how you can spend this 4th of July holiday at the Lake of the Ozarks.

A Cave Tour
Start your holiday vacation out with America's most scenic cave tour. Bridal Cave is always a pleasant 60° inside, and the natural beauty that has formed over the years will simply take your breath away. Our knowledgeable tour guides will tell you all about the cave, both present-time and in its intriguing past. It's not only fun, it's also educational!

A Nature Walk
Thunder Mountain Park has a wonderful nature trail to hike. You will even see some interesting sights along the way, including our 3 outdoor classrooms. Keep your eyes peeled, and you may even spot some of the wonderful wildlife that lives here. If you're up for a climb, head on over to the 100-foot fire tower, which has a viewing platform at 80 feet in the air.

A Lakeside Picnic
The gorgeous lakeside pavilion near the Bridal Cave entrance is the perfect place to take a break and enjoy some refreshments from our gift shop, or bring a picnic basket to enjoy with the family. It's large enough to seat up to 80 people and offers a gorgeous view of the Lake of the Ozarks. You can get here by car through Camdenton or by boat at the 10.5 MM on the Niangua Arm of the lake.

4th of July Celebrations & Fireworks!
Like we said earlier, there are lots of different fireworks displays happening all over the lake area, all weekend long, in various locations. Here is a guide to some of the shows plus a few fun celebrations happening over the next few days.

Old Kinderhook Fireworks Fun Fest
Friday, June 30 - 5:00 pm
Old Kinderhook in Camdenton is not only hosting fireworks at dusk, but also a fun fest before the sun sets. They will have entertainment and kids' activities, but parking is limited, so you'll want to get there early.

Eldon's 4th of July Parade & Fireworks
Saturday, July 1 - 10:00 am
The city of Eldon will host a parade beginning at 10:00 am followed by games and vendor booths. At dusk, a fireworks display will take place with live music preceding it at 5:00 pm at the Eldon Air Park.

Windermere's Freedom Celebration
Sunday, July 2 - 5:00 pm
Windermere Conference Center in Roach, just outside of Camdenton, welcomes everyone to an evening full of old-fashioned games, BBQ, live music, and more! That's all followed by fireworks at 9:00 pm. Donations are accepted per carload, and there is a fee for some recreation/food.

Party in the Sticks 2017
Sunday, July 2
The Ozarks Amphitheater is hosting a huge concert event featuring Colt Ford, with special guests Bubba Sparxxx, Struggle Jennings, and Dirt Road Republic. You can even pick up your tickets for the show right here at the Bridal Cave & Thunder Mountain Park gift shop. As an added bonus, all Ozarks Amphitheater ticket holders this summer will be given 25% off of their Bridal Cave admission! Two incredible experiences at a great, discounted price.

Fireworks Displays
In addition to the fun events listed above, the following fireworks displays will be taking place:

Saturday, July 1

Bear Bottom Resort in Sunrise Beach
Main Channel Lake of the Ozarks on the 5 MM (rain date July 2)
Runaway II Resort & Campground in Climax Springs
City of Linn Creek at the soccer fields

Monday, July 3

Captain Ron's Bar & Grill in Sunrise Beach
Point Randall Resort in Lake Ozark

Tuesday, July 4

Bear Bottom Resort in Sunrise Beach
The Lodge of Four Seasons in Lake Ozark
Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach
Lake Valley Country Club in Camdenton

Whether you are going to be at the Lake of the Ozarks the weekend before the 4th of July, the weekend after, or sometime in between those two, we hope you take a little time to visit us at our scenic Lake of the Ozarks attraction. There are so many wonderful things to see and do in the lake area in addition to Bridal Cave & Thunder Mountain Park. Spending time in this magnificent part of the country lets you truly enjoy Family Fun... As It Should Be!

One of America's most scenic

cave tours.

Visit us at www.BridalCave.com

Like us on Facebook.

526 Bridal Cave Road

Camdenton, MO 65020

(573) 346-2676

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Get Your Bridal Cave Season Pass!

Bridal Cave is one of America's most scenic cave tours, and there are so many magnificent things to see everywhere that you look, it's impossible to take it all in in one trip. This is one of the reasons that our family fun Lake of the Ozarks attraction has season passes available for purchase. Pay once and visit the cave as often as you like, all year long!

An Exciting Adventure, Every Visit
In addition to discovering something new every time that you take a tour through Bridal Cave, Thunder Mountain Park offers all kinds of additional fun things to do while you are here. There are trails to hike, a fire tower to climb, and a lakeside pavilion with an amazing lake view to picnic in. We have a public boat dock so that you can reach us by water, and some hungry fish always hanging around, waiting to be fed. We are also conveniently located by land in Camdenton.

You can find all kinds of interesting items in our gift shop, plus some great Bridal Cave & Thunder Mountain Park souvenirs. Our unique Thunder Mountain Mining Company rock and mineral shop contains specimens from around the world. You can even pick up a sluice bag and pan for treasures in our giant outdoor sluice, and take home what you find!

Our season passes are perfect for anyone that lives in the lake area, has a second home here, or travels to the Lake of the Ozarks more than once a year. Every time you're in town looking for something to do, a "free" cave tour will be waiting for you.

Year Round Fun
Our Lake of the Ozarks attraction isn't just a seasonal stop, because we're open all year long. Even when the weather's not the most favorable for a trip through the park, (due to rain, snow, extreme heat...) Bridal Cave is always a comfortable 60° inside.

Owning a season pass allows you to head on over and take a trip through the cave whenever you need to entertain house guests, keep the kids busy, do something fun for a birthday treat, want to learn something new, or simply need to get out of the house and cure a little cabin fever. The season pass holder's admission will already taken care of, so all it will cost you is the price of your guest. (And they'll probably want to pick up a season pass of their own after the tour!)

An Inexpensive Ticket Upgrade
A single tour of Bridal Cave is currently $18 for adults ages 13 & up, $9 for children ages 5-12, and kids under 4 are free. (Hours and rates are subject to change without notice.) Once your tour is over and you can't wait to go again, all it takes is an additional $5 to upgrade your one-time admission ticket into a season pass! For that small additional cost, you will be able to take unlimited tours of Bridal Cave for an entire year from the date of purchase! These are not transferable, and we will ask for a photo ID when you use it.

We hope you get the chance to visit our scenic Lake of the Ozarks attraction soon. After you fall in love with the beauty and wonder of Bridal Cave, we'll be happy to upgrade your ticket to a season pass. Then you'll have a whole year in front of you of Family Fun... As It Should Be!

One of America's most scenic

cave tours.

Visit us at www.BridalCave.com

Like us on Facebook.

526 Bridal Cave Road

Camdenton, MO 65020

(573) 346-2676

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

World Famous Violinist Kyle Dillingham Plays For A Wedding Inside Bridal Cave

You will find one of the most amazing and unique wedding venues at the Lake of the Ozarks inside Bridal Cave. The stalactite-adorned underground wedding chapel is a popular destination for many couples from around the world to get married in. Every wedding ceremony has something special that sets it apart from all of the others, and recently that special-something happened to be a world renowned violinist performing the wedding music.

Sara and Levi became Mr. & Mrs. Graves on June 2, 2017 inside Bridal Cave. They traveled from New Alla, Oklahoma to say "I do" here with us, and they brought an incredible entertainer along with them to play the violin at their wedding. This unbelievable 360 video was shared on Levi's YouTube page.

Kyle Dillingham is known worldwide for his brilliant performances on the violin. In addition to playing as the bride entered the cave, as well as at the end of the ceremony, he also played an unbelievable rendition of "Amazing Grace" that stunned everyone in attendance. The brilliant sound that emanated throughout the cave was absolutely magnificent. He shared a video of another song played inside our cave while he was here too.

Dillingham is from Oklahoma City, OK, and he has been playing the violin since he was 9 years old. He was featured on Nashville's Grand Ole Opry on two occasions while still in high school. After earning a bachelor's degree in instrumental music performance from Oklahoma City University, he became an Oklahoma Creativity Ambassador at the University of Central Oklahoma. He is able to use his "musical diplomacy" to help develop and strengthen new overseas relationships for the university.

He has had the privilege of taking his music to over 30 countries, which leads some to call him "Oklahoma's Musical Ambassador." One of his performances at the Beijing Central Conservatory was even broadcast on Chinese national television. In 2009, Dillingham was the recipient of the Oklahoma Governor's Arts Award. It was quite an honor for all of us to be able to hear this talented man perform inside Bridal Cave.

Weddings At Bridal Cave
Rural Missouri Magazine's readers voted Bridal Cave as a best wedding destination in their 2017 contest! Since we began performing weddings inside the cave in 1949, we have hosted over 3,500 ceremonies, and that number grows more and more every month.

The underground wedding chapel, which can hold up to 50 guests, is the most popular spot for tying the knot here at our scenic Lake of the Ozarks attraction. It is always a comfortable 60° inside the cave, so it's a perfect venue, no matter what the weather is like outside.

We have also hosted some lovely weddings in our outdoor pavilion overlooking the gorgeous Lake of the Ozarks, which can hold up to 80 guests. The park is in full bloom right now, so the scenery around the pavilion is beautiful, even before any wedding decorations are added to it.

A couple of different wedding packages are offered at Bridal Cave. Both offer you the choice of using the stalactite adorned bridal chapel or the outdoor lakeside pavilion. They also include the following:

Sweetheart Special

Wedding officiant to perform your ceremony
Recorded pipe organ music
2 Toasting glasses & a bottle of sparkling cider
Free admission for your guests to the ceremony
A lifetime pass to Bridal Cave for the bride & groom

Romance To Remember

Everything in the Sweetheart Special, plus...
Silk or fresh flowers for the bride & groom
Services of a professional photographer
15 color prints in a souvenir embossed album and an 8x10 wedding portrait

You can make a wedding reservation on our website, or give us a call at 573-346-2676. We will need a minimum of 7 days notice along with a MasterCard or Visa to guarantee your date. If you have been looking for something beautiful, unique, and memorable to do for you upcoming wedding, say your vows at Bridal Cave & Thunder Mountain Park. It's a ceremony your guests will be talking about for years to come!

On the other hand, if you are already married, you can join us for our FREE wedding vow renewals held every year near Valentine's Day. Keep an eye on our social media pages for more information about that next winter.

One of America's most scenic

cave tours.

Visit us at www.BridalCave.com

Like us on Facebook.

526 Bridal Cave Road

Camdenton, MO 65020

(573) 346-2676

Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Come & See Thunder Mountain Park In Full Bloom

The gorgeous botanical gardens that we added to Bridal Cave & Thunder Mountain Park last year are in full bloom and ready to be enjoyed this season! Along with all of the other natural beauty you will experience walking around the trails of our scenic Lake of the Ozarks attraction, as well as the underground beauty inside the cave, these gardens are certainly quite a sight to behold.

Botanical Garden & Waterfall
Just outside of our Lake of the Ozarks gift shop you will find a magnificent botanical garden featuring over 20 different blooming flowers and shrubs. These plants provide lovely, fresh flowers throughout the season until sometime in October. The garden also contains a relaxing waterfall feature, and it's all in perfect view from our lakeside picnic pavilion. While enjoying an afternoon picnic you'll have the beautiful garden on one side and the breathtaking lake view on the other!

Outdoor Weddings
Many of the weddings that we host take place in our unique Lake of the Ozarks underground wedding chapel inside the cave. Our lakeside pavilion, which can accommodate up to 80 guests, is the perfect outdoor area for a lakeside wedding. The gorgeous gardens add an excellent backdrop of picturesque beauty to the ceremony site, not to mention some incredible photo opportunities.

Nature Walks
You can enjoy all of the foliage that Mother Nature herself added to our Lake of the Ozarks family attraction while walking through the trails of Thunder Mountain Park. The forest is lush and green, and you're very likely to see animals such as deer, rabbits, squirrels, and more scurrying about during your hike. If you enjoy a bit of bird-watching, you are sure to see lots of activity in among the treetops too. Taking the time to climb our 100-foot tall fire tower, which has a viewing platform at 80-feet, gives you a brand new view of all of that fantastic natural beauty.

This is the perfect time of year to take a walk through nature at our Lake of the Ozarks family fun attraction. The sun is shining, the wildlife is active, the park is in full bloom, and the weather's not too terribly hot. Of course, if it is an extra-hot day, or if those rain clouds decide to hover, it's always a comfortable 60° inside Bridal Cave! Visit us at Bridal Cave & Thunder Mountain Park soon to see all that nature has to offer both above and below the ground. It's a gorgeous natural dose of Family Fun... As It Should Be!

One of America's most scenic

cave tours.

Visit us at www.BridalCave.com

Like us on Facebook.

526 Bridal Cave Road

Camdenton, MO 65020

(573) 346-2676