crystal city underground

This place was found purely on accident! But it was well worth the find. It is really off of the beaten path but if you can find it Awesome.This place is an old sand stone mine tbat has been converted into a playground for grownups. With stages( with great acoustics) volleyball courts, disc golf, laser tag, plus with an approximate 200 acre underground lake, it has canoes, kayaks, a pontoon boat, and a small barge. And a bar fully stocked! The reasoning for only four stars is for the port a johns were in need of cleaning, and no food. But it would be an awesome spot for a picnic. ....I hope that you enoy this as much as we did.

My husband and I found this place on groupon and decided to stop on our way out of St.Louis. It was a little hard to find but when we got there we where SO glad we made the stop! You can walk through the caverns, play disc golf, play volleyball, there's even a treasure hunt area for kids. BUT the best part is the barge ride! What an amazing experience!! It was absolutely beautiful. Def something I will never forget. And the driver and owners where so wonderful. They do there last ride at 4 on Sundays and we arrived just after they started the last ride. But the driver was more than happy to give us a late ride! Deff worth the stop if your in the area!

We were skeptical at first. It had been a very long time since wwe had been kayaking. We had a group of 4 plus our guide. We were all relatively fit. The cave stays at about 65 degrees year around, and the water I believe he said 35-40 degrees. You kayak through a flooded mine that used to produce sand for glass making. Many of the utility structures still exist. The tunnels made from columns were large enough for a semi to easily clear. At some points the water was 40 feet deep and others 3 or less. We all fit in the squeeze shoot where you basically crawl the kayak through a very low ceiling/high water area. RecommenRecommend wearing at least decent thermals. Bring gloves, and tennis shoes/warm socks. Go to the bathroom before tour... it's a longer tour if you do the whole thing. We did the entire 6 miles. Have fun!

What a fantastic place to go in Crystal city of all places. My mother and I visited in November after the first snow of the season. We are from Texas and drove to Festus to visit family. First of all I called using a Groupon and spoke to a lovely lady named Kathy who told me her husband's name Tom since she would not be there that weekend we were visiting. It was no problem to utilize the Groupon, in fact they were most accommodating of my mothers age and walking abilities and even allowed us to drive the car into the cave to accommodate her.Not only was this place entertaining, it was amazing. It has two large screen TVs, a full bar...good drinks, very kind and courteous employees...very knowledgeable people about this unusual tavern cavern. It has a lot of history, and a lot of intrigue. I would highly recommend it to anyone within 100 miles to make it a point to visit. When you go please say hello to Tom and FYI he loves dogs.

Nasty. Sand falling off the roof. Only 1 exit no other way out in case of emergency. Lots of underage drinking and drugs

I took my three year old granddaughter on the barge ride thru the cave. We both love the ride. The guide was very entertaining and informative with the history and welcomed all questions. it is porta potties but that aside everyone was friendly and helpful. While we were there we also watched the pole vaulters. All ready planning on going for the Halloween maze.

Many side trips to take. I especially liked getting to the underground tunnel not knowing what to expect. It was pretty cool

Love the history of the mine. We took a pontoon ride, and they set us up a reservation time the day before. The guide was awesome and I see some great potential for this place. You can definitely tell it is family friendly during the day, and more toward the younger crowd at night. I think it's a great idea. Good Luck!

Drove 2 hrs to experience the most disorganized, over hyped place ever! No guidance what so ever! Girl behind bar taking our money was extremely rude,sarcastic & not helpful in the least! You are on your own to find your way thru dark paths (even as employees are zipping by u on golf carts!),when u FINALLY get to the barge, what a disappointment! Was expecting barge & "caves" to be at least partially lit enough to get decent views-not so! Barge itself sounds like it is on its last legs & will quit any minute,even tho not deep in places, no life vests on board, and there's no way u r underground as far as advertised- apparently tge subDivion u r under is counted in footage! 5-10 yrs from now(if this place is still in business, which I doubt!) it may b an awesome place to party! Set up for drinkers & large parties- machine ry all over the place- lots of unlit tunnels to get lost in or have a romantic encounter if u like sand because no one would see u OR come looking for u since there is NO supervision whatsoever! Hope they have good insurance because this whole place is an accident waiting to happen!!!

This was quite an interesting experience, and it's just south of St. Louis! Crystal City Underground is an old glass mine that has now been turned into an attraction to explore. Lots of interesting and strange things to do there - underground disc golf, kids' area (kind of pricey for what it is - $10 for 1 activity, but it's definitely something they won't forget!), cave bar, underground pole vaulting (what?!), barge rides, and special events including comedy shows and live music. It's an eclectic mix of bizarre activities, but something to check out for sure. The barge ride operator was very knowledgeable and did a great job answering questions and explaining the history of the mine. One note - even though it was 98 degrees outside the day we went, we FROZE on the barge ride. They said 55 degrees, but it felt even cooler - we could see our breath on the boat. They did have a propane heater on the barge to help. Also, I would recommend comfy footwear, as there is quite a hike to get from the entrance to the barge ride through the sandy mine, so be prepared to be dusty and dirty by the end. There are often Groupons or Living Social deals, so check for that to save on the barge ride price ($20/pp.) It is free to just go in and walk around the mine though. All in all, a must-experience place if for no other reason than the oddity factor!

This was pretty cool! We (9 yr old and I) did the barge tour. A great way to beat the summer heat. I bought it on Groupon. Getting to the mine takes you thru the old part of town and there is a small sign with an arrow for the entrance. (not well marked) Its a gravel road that leads to a 1 lane bridge right into a sand mine tunnel. The tunnel is short but dark. Then it comes out into the parking area for the entrance. The flat barge has a tour guide/boat operator that drives thru the cave-like water filled underground sand mine. It was an old sand mine circa 1880s that started the businesses and homes of Crystal City. It was closed in the 1990s. It was used by Crystal Plate Glass and then sold to PPG to mine sand for the glass industry. On the barge tour, there is a spot where you can see an old sunken metal frame of a building from the mining era. The water is completely clear.The website suggests dressing for 55* temps..that's a yes. Its very chilly once you walk down into lower area to purchase tickets. It gets cooler that farther back you walk, especially to the barge docking area. It is all sand floors so wear closed shoes if you don't like sand in your toes/shoes.Pants and a jacket are recommended if you don't tolerate cold air. Bring a camera for pictures and a flashlight so you can see down thru the water and back into the other undeveloped areas. You are allowed to walk around while on the barge. It has chairs and a few tables, and a kerosene heater. It is a short walk back to the barge dock. You pass by the frisbee golf course start,and the sand volleyball court. The owners are planning on developing the whole underground into a big entertainment area. I cant wait to see what develops.

I Loved this place! Driving through the town getting there is not the prettiest sight BUT as soon as you get to the bridge, it all changes….. you talk about a " Photo Op" From the bridge all the way through the tour is nothing but beautiful…. We took the Private Pontoon ride and was COMPLETELY happy with it… Our driver Shawn/Sean was wonderful, very accommodating and never rushed us through the tour… The Pontoon is able to go to so many more places that the Barge can not! Our driver would back up and turn around just so we could get the perfect pictures. It was so cool to see the old mining equipment sitting there under water from years past. That water is like glass, you can't even tell how deep it really is. I'd do it again for sure. My family came in from Georgia so we decided to take them on this little adventure tour and they even said it was much more than they expected.People, it IS an old Sand Mine so there is nothing but SAND all over….Sandals and flip flops aren't the best choice for foot ware! Also, the mine is about 55 degrees so if you get chilled easy, bring a jacket or sweater, maybe long pants. One reviewer said the CAVE is "rather cold"…. NO kidding, its a CAVE…... If you're like me and LOVE the winter, you can handle shorts and a t-shirt and not get too cold.. It was actually perfect for me! The do have recreational activities for all ages….. Treasure Hunting for kids….. Disc Golf…..They even have music concerts on certain evenings… Check it out!! If you're thinking of something to do and wondered about this place, take a tour and see!!

held my 50th bday party there. Kathy is great to work with. easy to book & organize. everyone was impressed with the venue. barge rides were great thanks to our captain Jason. over all great time. yes, it's cold. wear a jacket. yes, there's sand every where. wear proper shoes.

I'm not sure what the fascination really is. We were all for experiencing an "underground lake" on a barge ride, but it just wasn't all that fun or fascinating. First, it's not a natural site. This is a a series of underground caves that were mined for sand for many years. The cave is rather cold in temperature, eerie and dark. The Groupon that I purchased mentioned a walking tour. Tours usually mean there's a guide, but there was no such thing. You had to walk your way through a dark winding path to find the barge. I am more used to places like Luray Caverns (Virginia), which are natural underground formations, well-lit paths with a well-informed tour guide. Our barge tour guide was average. He didn't talk to the group until the middle of the "tour." The black-out, when the guide turned off the lights on the barge and let us sit in the dark for 15 seconds, was less than exciting. I kept thinking, "I don't get it." We won't be returning.

Hubby surprised me with a barge ride to surprise me for my birthday. He says he took me on a cruise, LOL. First off, make sure to dress warm & have on proper shoes. It is very chilly and there is a lot of sand. Enjoyed the barge ride. The best part was when the driver turned off the lights on the barge, it is REALLY dark in there. A lot of information about former mine. It is HUGE. I definitely want to go back & do the $5 disc golf. I understand they can't really have "bathroom" facilities so they have those johnny on the spots, so just be aware of this.