Bridal Cave & Thunder Mountain Park

Getting married is one of the most important things that you will do in your lifetime.  Making the experience fun and unique will make it even more special. One of the most incredible places to get married at the Lake of the Ozarks at Bridal Cave.   If you are planning a small wedding of under 100 people and you are a couple with a flair for adventure, then Bridal Cave may be the perfect wedding venue for you.  It is an absolutely breathtaking backdrop for your nuptials with a lot of history.  Over 3,000 couples from around the world have exchanged vows here with us.       Get Married Any Time of the Year Bridal Cave is a perfect place to get married, no matter what time of year it is. Our stalactite adorned chapel inside of the cave is available year round and can fit up to 50 people.  The temperature remains at a constant, comfortable 60 degrees, so you know exactly what to expect on your wedding day, no matter what the temperature is outside.   If you would prefer to

The days are getting colder outside and a lot of attractions around the Lake area have closed down for the season.  Well, the best year-round attraction at the Lake of the Ozarks is still open, and we will stay open, no matter what the weather.  It doesn't matter what's going on outside because Bridal Cave remains a pleasant 60 degrees all of the time.   Bridal Cave has been in continuous, year-round operation since 1948.  It can be freezing in the winter and blistery hot in the summer outdoors, but our cave temperature remains at a comfortable 60 degrees.  This phenomena has a name - the "Mean Temperature."  If you add together the high temperature of each day for a year and average those, you will come up with 60 degrees.  Cool, huh! This constant temperature allows us to host a reliable and fun attraction to visit any day.       COLD WINTER If it gets below freezing outside, you might be tempted to hide in the house, all cozy and warm.  This is fine fo

The most scenic cave tour in Missouri is surrounded by the natural beauty of Thunder Mountain Park .  This incredible Lake of the Ozarks attraction  covers hundreds of acres.  It spreads over more than a mile of Lake of the Ozraks shoreline, a mile of highway frontage along Old Missouri Route 5, and all the acreage in between.  That is a lot of nature to be explored! Establishing the park Thunder Mountain Park was established in 1950 in order to protect the caves within it.  The amazing colors and incredible onyx formations inside of Bridal Cave  are all formed by minerals from rain water that seeps into the ground. This is a process called deposition.  Preserving the natural state of the park above the cave prevents any changes to the surface area, which could have a detrimental impact on the deposition process.  Protecting the surface area protects the water quality, which in turn protects the cave.     Aerial view of Thunder Mountain before 1950 A unique, rural attra

Bridal Cave has a very interesting past.  It's story goes back long before the Lake of the Ozarks was created.  As early as 8,000 BC, Native Americans were using caves in the area for shelter, and more than likely Bridal Cave was one of those used.  We will begin this tale with the first organized exploration over 150 years ago of what is now known as one the best attractions at the Lake of the Ozarks . Bridal Cave Visitors Center, 1968 1856   The first organized exploration of portions of Bridal Cave is recorded.  B.D. Dodson is credited with this feat.  The next major exploration is done by S.W. Burke four years later.   1894 Over 5400 acres of land is purchased by Colonel R.G. Scott.  That area is now known as Ha Ha Tonka State Park, and it includes Bridal Cave.  Colonel Scott is very impressed and wants to know how it got the name Bridal Cave, so he begins researching the subject.  He is credited for being the first person to publish the now famous legend of Brida