Bridal Cave & Thunder Mountain Park

One of America's Most Scenic Cave Tours

A MUST SEE KID-FRIENDLY LANDMARK AT THE LAKE OF THE OZARKS

WE’RE OPEN DAILY AT 9 AM, AND TOURS LEAVE EVERY 30 MINUTES!

Watch our sneak peek video!

Lake of the Ozarks’ #1 Year Round Attraction

Bridal Cave remains a constant 60° inside, so it’s a great activity, no matter what the weather!

Guided tours last approximately one hour. Tours are conducted over concrete pathways through the Cave’s refreshing 60 degree environment. Park interpreters will lead you and your family through room after room of incredible mineral deposits. Giant columns, delicate soda straws and massive draperies abound throughout the cave. Millions of years of struggle between water and rock have created this cavern with more onyx formations than any other known cave or cavern. In fact thousands of school children each year explore Bridal Cave as part of their educational program. A tour through Bridal Cave is a family adventure you will never forget.

We drove 2.5 hours to tour this cave and it was worth it. We were one of the first to arrive for the day and while we waited outside by the lake, they gave us some fish food to feed the carp. The tour guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. The tour isn't terribly long, but it was such a cool cave. There were so many well preserved formations and at the end you get to see this beautiful turquoise "mystery lake".
The size of the tour was just right so that we didn't feel crowded or rushed and we had time to take pictures and just appreciate the beauty around us. I highly recommend this place!

July 24, 2022

We ventured by boat on this all day excursion. We ran from MM25 down to Bridal Cave, stopping for gas once along the way. We parked our boat at their dock and walked up the steep steps to the gift shop. The gift shop had lots of cool rocks and gems for sell. A huge hit was the box of $10 geodes, which included breaking it open. I was super-impressed with mine!

There were 10 in our party (children 4 and under were free), so we signed up. Our tour guide was actually a sweet high school young lady who gave an outstanding tour. The cave itself was spectacular and the concrete trails were were but not slippery at all. There were some tight squeezes and low roofs you have to negotiate but that added to the mystique. It is basically an in and out tour of at least .25 miles but closer to .5 miles in length and takes about an hour to complete. We did purchase the group photo which was high quality and worth the bucks.

We've been in several caves in the past but this one felt raw and unexplored and even a bit dangerous which all added to a great experience. I did bang my head on the low tunnel, but I am just hardheaded enough that it didn't knock me out. I do have a goose egg, however.

As caves go, I rate this one in one of the best and although it is not huge it has a lot to offer.

July 20, 2022

Unique experience through natural caves! Definitely wear good shoes and walk carefully. There are many narrow places and some steep stairs and at times a little bit difficult to navigate. But the views at the end are way worth the trip. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable of the history of the cave and made the excursion very interesting. Would come back any time!

July 8, 2022

This cave tour is the perfect length, with a lot of unique cave features including a beautiful blue cave lake! Our tour guide was knowledgeable and fun. Highly recommend!

June 26, 2022

This cave is ABSOLUTELY one of the best I have ever been to. The guides were very knowledgeable of the history and information about it. Very easy to access and navigate through and STUNNING scenery throughout the whole tour. Highly recommend this perfect little activity to do with family and friends. So much fun!!

June 26, 2022

We chose the Lantern Tour, which is only available on Saturday evenings. The tour is conducted by a docent in period 1870s costume, and each participant gets their own LED keepsake lantern. Our docent was pretty adorable, but she was also extremely knowledgeable about the history of the cave. Although I have not taken the regular tour as a comparison, the lantern tour focused on how the first persons to explore the cave had to be very adept at climbing and quite brave to explore such a dark cavern. She showed us how the caverns would look in candle light and torch light, and we even experienced a few moments of utter blackness, something explorers using these two types of illumination would often risk. The cave itself is beautiful, with long draping stalactites and stalacmites that looked like glistening mushrooms. The cave was both eerie and beautiful and well worth the visit.

June 13, 2022

My husband and I took our kids-- 12 and 10. It was easy to get to and lived up to the reviews. The sights were beautiful, the staff went above and beyond, and we came home with some souvenirs.

We were greeted at the door by Jamie-- she basically took my family under her wing. She made great suggestions and was so so kind. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and funny.

The cave tour itself lasted about an hour. You can walk at your own pace and take as many pictures as you like. There are different rooms that each have their own story. The mystery lake was our favorite. The cave stays cool but the tight spaces got a little warm.

Wear stable shoes, as the interior is slick and steep in some places. I'm happy I didn't wear my sandals, like I had planned. There are several tight spaces which may be difficult to get through if you are 275+ lbs. There is also some crouching, in case you have a bad back or knees. There are several steps to get from the gift shop to the cave and several down to the boat dock, should you decide to go down.

After the tour, we got some free fish food and fed the carp from the boat dock. We also bought the sand/dirt to sift in their awesome mining attraction. Perfect for kids and adults, alike!

Thank you, Jamie and everyone else for a fun afternoon!

April 11, 2022