Craig forwarded the below excerpt and photo from his local coop paper.  I went to the website and spotted an additional photo (above). Here’s the location of the caverns.

Here is the text from Craig’s news article:

“Missouri is blessed with a number of remarkable show caves open to the public. One of the most unique is Fantastic Caverns, located just north of Springfield. The cave, which is served by Ozark Electric Cooperative, was first discovered in 1862 when a farmer’s dog crawled through what was then a narrow opening.

It wasn’t fully explored until 5 years later when a group of intrepid women responded to a newspaper challenge. What makes Fantastic Caverns so unique are the Jeep trams that carry visitors through the cave on a guided tour. This makes the 1 mile, 50-minute tour accessible to just about anyone, including seniors, children and those in wheelchairs.
Inside the cave are natural wonders created by the constant drip of acidic water through soluble limestone. Tour guides point out stalagtites and stalagmites, towering columns with colorful mineral stains, large deposits of flowstones and delicate draperies.

They also tell how the auditorium room was once used for weekly country music concerts in the 1950’s and mid-1960’s. A trip through Fantastic Caverns combines equal parts of awe and wonder with a lesson in history and science. In fact, the cavern is known as “Missouri’s oldest classroom.”

The tour costs $22.50 for adults and $14.50 for children. A discount for groups of 20 or more is available. The cave is open from 8 a.m. to dusk year-round except for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas.
For more information, call 417-833-2010 or visit www.fantasticcaverns.com”