Mystic Caverns, Arkansas

Mystic Caverns, and the adjacent Crystal Dome Cavern, are fairly typical of the 40 or so southern show caves listed by the National Caves Association as open to the public (four of which are in Arkansas), with gift shop, pipe handrails, and a Christian aura. Mystic was opened to commercial tours in the 1930s, then was abandoned for ten years, a period where it suffered some damage from uncontrolled visitors. It opened again for tours in 1950, and in the late 1960s it was substantially modified and developed as part of the nearby Dogpatch resort, a theme park in the style of the Li'l Abner comic strip, opened in 1966. Mystic Caverns is now independently owned.