Meramec Caverns was the farthest stop on our Missouri trip, and I’m so glad we made the extra two-hour drive to get there—it was absolutely worth it! The cave itself is massive and truly impressive, with a guided tour led by friendly and knowledgeable staff. The colorful lighting throughout the caverns created a stunning, almost magical atmosphere unlike anything I’ve seen before. It was also surreal to think we might’ve been standing in the same spot Jesse James once stood—such a cool bit of history to experience firsthand. The gift shop was amazing, filled with so many unique and beautiful items that it was hard to choose just a few souvenirs! While in the area, we also took advantage of the rock climbing and zip lining, which added even more fun to our visit. We had hoped to try the fan boat tour too, but unfortunately ran out of time. If you’re anywhere nearby, definitely make the trip—Meramec Caverns is a must-see!

What a fantastic cavern. So much to see with interesting stories about the many different activities that happened took place in this cavern. The grand hall is so large that at one time people drove their cars straight in. I was very thankful that our guide was patient and did not rush us. I have a leg that has issues and was moving more slowly than everyone else and he did not try to rush me. So much natural beauty to see. After walking around in awe of all I had seen they then took us to a theatre where the project directly on the caverns gorgeous wall. I was very moved by the positive and uplifting film they played with the patriotic theme. As a first generation American I always am so thankful when places give us a beautiful gift of patriotism and love for God like this grand finale! What a way to end such a stunning tour. Thank you so much for such a memorable adventure

This was my second time here and the first time for the kiddos. The tour guide was great. He was very interactive and informative. All of the staff were very courteous. Gift shop had a lot of stuff to look at and choose from. The café had a very delicious black bean burger. Very generous veteran discount at the café as well as entry to the cave.

We had a great time on the tour which left about every 20 minutes and took about an hour and 15 minutes. Beautiful formations and caves and very interesting history. The path was very walkable and felt mostly accessible with just a few sections with a slight slant to the path, one section that requires steps (though this room can easily be skipped if you can’t do stairs), and overall dim lighting.

Perfectly fine family adventure day trip. The cave tour is one of the most accessible I have been on which makes it a pretty casual experience. It's just that much of the cave is pretty boring. I'm not a cave expert, but have been to a few others and those had interesting things to look at the entire time it seemed. The price they charge for the tour makes that harder to accept. I wouldn't call it a tourist trap at all, just not a great value for what you get. The guide was good.

We didn't go in the cave this time. I'll have to update later but we do love this park. They have zip lining and a mining area for treasures, of course the cave tour, a cute shop, and little restraunt inside as well.

Meramec Caverns is a must-visit attraction. The tour guide was very kind and made the experience enjoyable. Just note that the caverns are privately owned, not a government site. Our hotel was in downtown St. Louis, and the drive was about 1 hour and 10 minutes each way—but absolutely worth it. It was the rainy season when we visited, so not many nearby stores were open, but the experience itself made the trip memorable. Highly recommend.

I took my kids so we could celebrate one of there birthdays. From the moment we walked in, the owner, Lynn, and the tour guide, Veronica, where supper friendly. And excited to help celebrate a birthday with my family. All of my kids had a blast, not just getting to see some rally cool animals, but getting to help feed, take care of, and hold them. And our wonderful tour guide, answered all of my kids questions about all the animals. As soon as we got home all my kids could talk about was getting to go back.

We had so much fun learning about all the different animals they have here. We got the chance to hold and feed a bunch of them and our tour guide was awesome!

Wonderful place for an up close experience with all types of animals. Veronica was a fantastic and very knowledgeable tour guide and was absolutely wonderful with all the animals. We will definitely be back again.

Highly recommend this place! My girlfriend and I went there and had a great time! Our tour guide Veronica was great! Very knowledgeable and friendly!

Upon entering everyone was friendly and energetic. I met the owner, Lynn, and her husband, Heath. It was evident how passionate and how much they care about the animals there. They had a lot of cool skulls, pictures, weapons, and other scenery on display in the building you first enter. My tour guide, Veronica, was very smiley and energetic. Veronica had extensive knowledge of all of the animals and it was obvious that she has a deep personal connection to many of the animals she cares for. There's a really cool 9 foot alligator that would left up out of the water when Veronica walked out on the dock, use to her feeding him. Cool to see. There was two other 7 foot alligators that would get up and come close to you with there mouths open when you approached them. It was cool to see. You usually don't see them move so much or are able to get so close even at the Zoo. They had different birds but the really big birds, Emus, were really cool. One of them kept trying to get our phone as we were taking pictures/videos. They also have two arctic foxes that are neat as well. I can talk Veronica has a special connection with them. As she entered their enclosure she was able to play with and hold one of them as she talked with us. For me the capybara, world's largest rodent, was the coolest thing. I had never seen anything like it. These were some of the highlights for me, but there were several other animals; bobcat, giant turtles, fainting goat, etc. On the inside, they had just about every type of snake you could think of. There had to be 40 or 50 different types of snakes. There was a King Cobra and even a 20 foot long snake! They had a Huge Alligator Snapping Turtle named Ivan. I think Veronica said he is over 160 years old! Wow! He is really cool. Veronica let me hold a Ball python (smaller snake), a different 7 foot snake, a small alligator, and a frog the size of a Big Mac!!!!!! Super Cool experience! Never been able to do that before. They had several cool lizards, Torantullas, Crocodiles, etc., and even a Lemur. There was a huge alligator pit as well. Probably 40 smaller alligators in there. Thank you Riverside Wildlife Center for this experience! Will definitely be back!

Such a neat place to visit. Owner Lynn knows so much about all the animals, and her guide Veronica knows just as much, and as she's showing you around it shows how much the animals actually love her and her energy with them too!

During a road trip on the way to the caverns we lucked up on this awesome place. From the outside we weren't expecting much but we were surprised. The staff is super friendly and knowledgeable. They have exotic birds, alligators, emu and so much more. The highlight was getting to see the tigers get hand fed. Can't wait to go back.

We booked here not knowing what to expect. If we wanted to pick a spot, it was an extra $20, so we just let the staff pick the spot. Upon arrival, there was only one campsite taken from the beautiful shaded area. Yet they put us in a non-shaded area. We only booked one night, so I think they could have put us in the “empty” shaded area. This is what I call, Good ole Fashioned American Midwest Greed.” There was no office or host person around because the office was closed. Otherwise, we would have spoken to someone at the campsite.

This was a great find. We had originally hoped to book a stay in St. Louis, but the parks were full. We're so glad we ended up here instead! We had a fantastic time visiting the caverns nearby and enjoyed the peaceful stay here, with just the amenties we needed: laundry and bathhouse and a dog park (& more when it's not off-season). The office staff was friendly, and we had a great week. To check out our full review, watch on YT ("TK n Earl").

Very nice staff, clean facilities. No frills. This is a great option to get off the road for the night or if you need to be in the area for work, etc. It's close to Meramec Caverns and shopping and dining in Sullivan or adventures at Meramec State Park are just down the highway.

Peaceful and amenities were clean and easily accessible- the new site manager was amazing!!! Baby Girl is a wonderful addition

Restrooms and showers were nice and clean. Our spot was quiet and very comfortable.

Nice park convenient to the freeway level parking. The manager was friendly. Would stay again

The cabins were fine. But when we rented on line thet said 6 people. That was not correct. It barley slept 4. The couch bed was ridiculous.

Wow what an experience this was! Local zoo with a large variety of animals and petting zoo. Great for all ages. Zoo is spotless clean with lots of shade so anytime of the day is good to visit. Don't miss out on feeding the animals and playing with the Lemars while you're there and ask about the Veterans discount.

We absolutely loved this place! We typically go to the zoo, but decided to give this wildlife attraction a try since it was closer to home and we’re so glad we did. For two adults and a four-year-old, admission was around $45, and it was worth every penny. We were genuinely impressed by the variety of animals and how close you could get to many of them. The park is spacious and well laid out, so even though we arrived when they opened at 10 a.m. on a Saturday (and there were about 20 cars in the lot), it never felt crowded. One of the highlights for our little one was the scavenger hunt they had going. Kids were able to collect stickers as they explored and there was a fun prize at the end. It added an extra layer of excitement for her to search for them. We highly recommend bringing your own water bottles, as there aren’t concession stands throughout the park. However, there is a snack/drink and souvenir area at the exit. Admission also includes access to their Jurassic Park-themed mini golf course, which was such a fun bonus. You can purchase food to feed select animals, and there are also hands-on experiences available with animals like lemurs and dogs. All in all, this was such a fun and memorable visit. We’ll definitely be back again soon!

What A Fun Place. Super Cool Experience For The Family. The Staff Are Great. The setup is nice and a great walk thru to view lots of different animals. Plus they have activities along the walk for kids to stop and play. A mini golf course as well as a great playground too! 💙 Highly recommended!!!

I found this place because of Liondad (he works with the wolves in the park). We were planning a trip to Branson, and decided to start here and let my girls have some animal interactions. They LOVED it. So many animals to see. The staff are very informative and friendly, and my girls got to pet some dingos and feed lemurs (including 2 babies). It's not far from old Route 66, and you should give it a shot. You can feed sharks, too. And you might get to hold a baby alligator!!!!!!

Parking was tough for a rig (truck and 24ft trailer). They do have a separate lot for oversized vehicles but it’s a little narrow and steep. The zoo was a good stop for us and the kiddos to stretch their legs. They had quite the animal exhibits-from porcupines to lions, tigers, and a bear! Plan on spending 2-3 hours here We were pretty surprised how big the zoo was for it being right off the highway in a rural area.

We visited Wild Animal Adventures for the lemur encounter, which was absolutely the highlight of our trip — the lemurs were adorable, and the staff running the experience was friendly, knowledgeable, and engaging. On the way, we stopped at a painted rock garden near the bear enclosure. The large posted sign encouraged guests to “leave a rock or take a rock” to share with the world. I selected a small painted rock to take with me, only to be approached by an employee (carrying a snake) who asked me not to take their rocks. I explained the sign’s instructions, and after reading it herself, she realized I was correct and apologized. While I appreciated the apology, the misunderstanding left an unfortunate impression — especially given the cost of admission. That said, we chose to focus on the positives: the lemurs were delightful, other staff members we met were welcoming, and the rescued animals are clearly well cared for. Overall, a great visit — just one star off for the awkward exchange earlier in the day.

Does cost but cheap and a great place for kids and adults. I recommend leaving a tip to help them. Amazing animals. Lions, Bears, White Tiger, and other wild life animals. They even have a singing dingo.