Some of the books and periodicals listed below are out-of-print, and copies are scarce. Several of them can be examined in the Missouri Center for the Book Collection, Missouri State Library, 600 West Main, PO Box 387, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0387.
Adventures at Mark Twain Cave, by H. Dwight Weaver with illustrations by Paul A. Johnson (Jefferson City: Discovery Enterprises, 4th printing, 1977). This book explores the history of Mark Twain Cave from its discovery in 1819 to the 1960s. (Out of print.)
Adventures Underground in the Caves of Missouri, by Hazel Rowena Powell (New York: Pageant Press, 1953). This book contains brief descriptions of fourteen show caves open to the public in Missouri in the early 1950s. (Out of print.)
Cave Regions of the Ozarks and Black Hills, by Luella Agnes Owen (New York: Johnson Reprint, 1970). This is a reprint of Luella Owen’s classic book published in 1898, the first book to focus attention on the geology of Missouri caves.
Caves of Missouri, by J Harlen Bretz (Rolla: Missouri Geological Survey and Water Resources, 1956). This book explains Bretz’s theory for the origin of caves in Missouri, provides geological evaluations on caves with provisions for visitors, and gives a county-by-county summary of cave information and geological observations by Bretz. (Out of print.)
Exploring Missouri Caves: A Guidebook for the 1997 Convention of the National Speleological Society, edited by Robert L. Taylor and Jonathan B. Beard (Huntsville, Ala.: National Speleological Society, 1997). This book is an excellent reference on caves in the Meramec River basin area.
Geologic Wonders and Curiosities of Missouri, by Thomas R. Beveridge (2d ed., revised by Jerry D. Vineyard; Rolla: Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geology and Land Survey, 1990). This is an informative and entertaining book with much cave-related information.
Indians and Archaeology of Missouri, by Carl H. Chapman and Eleanor F. Chapman (Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1964). This is an excellent early study of the archaeology of Missouri.
Lost Caves of St. Louis, by Hubert Rother and Charlotte Rother (St. Louis: Virginia Publishing, 1996). This book contains maps, photos, and historical information on a selection of old brewery caves beneath the city streets of St. Louis.
MCKC Digest. This quarterly periodical was published by the Missouri Caves and Karst Conservancy (MCKC) from 1995 to 2002 and contains many interesting articles about Missouri caves and cave conservation, management, and preservation.
Meramec Caverns in Legend and History, by H. Dwight Weaver with illustrations by Paul A. Johnson (Jefferson City, Mo.: Weaver and Johnson, 2d ed., 1995). This book gives a complete history of Meramec Caverns from its discovery in the 1720s to the present day. Available at Meramec Caverns.
Missouri Conservationist 61, no. 3 (March 2000). This was a special issue of the magazine on Missouri caves. Subjects include karst, groundwater, cave life, bats, and cave history.
Missouri Geology: Three Billion Years of Volcanoes, Seas, Sediments, and Erosion, by A. G. Unklesbay and Jerry D. Vineyard (Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1992). An excellent layman’s guide to the geology of Missouri and the origin of Missouri caves.
Missouri’s Ice Age Animals, by M. G. Mehl (Rolla: Department of Business and Administration, Division of Geology Survey and Water Resources, 1962). This is the first book to be published on the ice age animals of Missouri. It is still an excellent primer.
Missouri Speleology. Published by the Missouri Speleological Survey, Inc., this is a quarterly journal that features cave maps and descriptions, as well as papers devoted to the many disciplines that characterize cave data collection and research in Missouri. Many issues provide cave information for a particular county.
Missouri: The Cave State, by H. Dwight Weaver with illustrations by Paul A. Johnson (Jefferson City: Discovery Enterprises, 1980). This book covers the romance of Missouri cave history, explores the cave regions of Missouri in depth, features information about Missouri cavers and caving, and contains appendices with statistical information. (Out of print.)
Onondaga: The Mammoth Cave of Missouri, by H. Dwight Weaver with illustrations by Paul A. Johnson (Jefferson City: Discovery Enterprises, 1973). This book is a complete history of the discovery, exploration, and development of Onondaga Cave at Onondaga Cave State Park. (Out of print.)
Paradigms of the Past: The Story of Missouri Archaeology, by Michael J. O’Brien (Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1996). This book provides an in-depth look at the history of archaeology in Missouri and how the views of archaeologists have changed through time.
The Petroglyphs and Pictographs of Missouri, by Carol Diaz-Granados and James R. Duncan (Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 2000). This book documents Missouri’s rich array of petroglyphs and pictographs, analyzing the many aspects of these rock carvings and paintings to show how such representations of ritual activities can enhance our understanding of Native American culture.
Springs of Missouri, by Jerry D. Vineyard and Gerald L. Feder (Rolla: Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geology and Land Survey, 1982). This book contains much information on the springs and spring caves of the Missouri Ozarks.
The Wilderness Underground: Caves of the Ozarks Plateau, by H. Dwight Weaver; James N. Huckins and Rickard L. Walk, photo editors (Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1992). This is a one-of-a-kind book on caves of the Ozark region. It features many award-winning full-color cave photos, and the text provides an overview on many topics about caves in the Ozark region of Missouri and Arkansas.
World Wide Web sites. A great deal of useful information about Missouri caves and caving groups can be found on the Internet. First, check out mospeleo.org, then use the search words “Missouri caves.” It takes only a few minutes of viewing Web sites to find links for all of the show caves and caving groups in Missouri.