Storm-damaged Meramac Caverns barn near Chandler is restored

A small barn along Route 66 near Chandler, Oklahoma, that was damaged by a storm 2 1/2 years ago recently was restored. The Oklahoma Route 66 Association reported that the barn's roof and half of its mural were torn off during a windstorm in April 2023, putting it at risk of demolition. The Association sprang … Continue reading Storm-damaged Meramac Caverns barn near Chandler is restored

Volunteers repaint Meramec Caverns barn near Cayuga

Less than a week after Landmarks Illinois declared Meramec Caverns barns one of the state's Most Endangered Historic Places, volunteers for the Illinois Route 66 Association repainted one near Cayuga. The association hailed the restoration project: Penny Black posted on Facebook a bunch of photos of the repainting process here. John Weiss of the association's … Continue reading Volunteers repaint Meramec Caverns barn near Cayuga

Meramec Caverns barns among Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois

Meramec Caverns barns, a few of which still stand along Route 66, were included on Landmarks Illinois' annual list of its Most Endangered Historic Places. This is what the nonprofit organization said about Meramec Caverns barns: Meramec Caverns is a cave network and tourist attraction located on Route 66 near Stanton, Missouri. In 1933, amateur … Continue reading Meramec Caverns barns among Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois

Revamped finale at Meramec Caverns

A few days ago, a friend of mine commented on Facebook she and her children took a tour of Meramec Caverns in Stanton, Missouri, including the big light-show-and-music finale in the caverns' Theatre Room. She mentioned Celine Dion sang "God Bless America" during the finale. Not Kate Smith's version? It had been a mainstay of … Continue reading Revamped finale at Meramec Caverns

A chat with Meramec Caverns owner Les Turilli

The Washington Missourian newspaper recently sat down with Les Turilli Sr., owner of Meramec Caverns in Stanton, Missouri, who talked about its troubles in 2016 and the cave's storied history. Meramec Caverns, which has been open to the public since 1933, doesn't sit on Route 66. Instead, it's about three miles from the Mother Road. … Continue reading A chat with Meramec Caverns owner Les Turilli

Meramec Caverns reopens today

Meramec Caverns in Stanton, Missouri, will reopen and resume partial tours today after a three-month closure because of cancer-causing fumes believed to have come from a Superfund site. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: The Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that the upper portions of the caves with ancient mineral formations no longer pose a health risk … Continue reading Meramec Caverns reopens today

Meramec Caverns may be closed until mid-summer

Toxic fumes have forced the closing of Meramec Caverns near Stanton, Missouri. until at least mid-summer. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported the historic roadside attraction off Route 66 closed March 10 after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found trichloroethylene vapors above the acceptable limit in the caverns. TCE is a solvent used mainly to remove … Continue reading Meramec Caverns may be closed until mid-summer