The family-mobbed Meramec Caverns is as interesting for the Civil War history and hokey charm as for the stalactites. There's a seasonal motel (rooms $65, April to October) and a riverside campground (from $19 per site).
Meramec Caverns
Missouri
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
2 MILES
Small in size but big in conspiracy theories, the Jesse James Wax Museum posits that James faked his death and lived until 1951.
Nearby Missouri attractions
2 MILES
Small in size but big in conspiracy theories, the Jesse James Wax Museum posits that James faked his death and lived until 1951.