School, Scout & Day Care Programs >  some programs no longer available

The following programs feature a visit from a historical character and presentations are given in first person.

To The Great Western Ocean and Back. To The Great Western Ocean and Back. The year is 1810. You are headed up the Missouri River to hunt, trap and trade with the Indian peoples you meet. You are lucky that a man who has made this trip is available to speak with you. George Drouillard was a member of the recently returned Corps of Discovery that traveled west under Captains Lewis and Clark. George will share with you his experiences and warn you of what to expect.

Beaver Pelts and Gee-Gaws. The fur trade was a major part of world economy during the late 16th through the early 19th centuries. For the young United States the western fur fields were a source of amazing wealth. A western trapper, "mountain man," talks about trapping, trading and life among the Indians.

Oregon Bound! There is a lot of unrest in the east over the questions of slavery and secession. The economy is in trouble and times are hard. You've read all of the "guides" and the reports in the newspapers. It is time to head west for a better life. Oregon is the land of milk and honey! A wagon pilot prepares you for your journey to the "promised land."

Dime a tie … hard cash. The forests of southern Missouri were stripped turning Lumber Barons into millionaires. Local men thought they were "in deep clover" hacking railroad ties at ten cents a piece. A tie hack tells of his work and life in the Ozarks just before the leap into the 20th century.

Fee: $3.50 per student
Maximum: 50 students
Minimum: 10 students
Time: 1 hour
Available: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Wednesday - Friday

Classroom presentation:
Fee: $4.50 per student
Maximum: 500
Minimum: 50

Educational Programs

O, Pioneers!

Fee: $3.50 per student
Maximum: 50 students
Minimum: 10 students
Grade level: K-3

Time: 2 Hours
Available: 9 am – 3 pm
Wednesday – Friday
April – October

Visit the interpretive center with its history and nature exhibits. Learn why Cave Spring was an important part of the westward movement.

Take a nature hike to learn which plants and trees were important to Pioneers and how they used them. See the cave and spring just like the Pioneers did in the mid-1800’s.

Then it's back to the center for a hands-on activity that emphasizes the Pioneer values of economy and ingenuity.

Osage Outlook

Fee: $3.50 per student
Maximum: 50 students
Minimum: 10 students
Grade level: 3rd & 4th

Time: 2 Hours
Available: 9 am – 3 pm
Wednesday – Friday
April – October

“Long ago, back when the animals could talk and people could understand them…” So begins the Osage story of “How the Spider Symbol Cave to the People.”

Students learn about the Osage viewpoint of humans as an integral part of nature. After the story, it’s into the woods for a nature hike, to look at the plants and trees the Osage used. And, of course, to sniff out spiders.

Then walk back to the nature center for a craft activity that emphasizes the use of symbols in everyday life.

Bird Basics

Fee: $4.00 per student
Maximum: 50 students
Minimum: 10 students

Time: 2 Hours
Available: 9 am – 3 pm
Wednesday – Friday
April – October

Which creature has eyes that take up nearly half its head? What animal has a skeleton that may weigh a mere 10% of its body weight? And who has the warmest, strongest, lightest weight body covering of all?

Explore the exceptional adaptations of birds that enable them to fly, to keep warm, and to procure food. Take a nature hike, listen for bird songs, look for birds, and find nesting sites.

Then, students make their own birds with a special adaptation.

Bugging Out

Fee: $3.50 per student
Maximum: 50 students
Minimum: 10 students
Grade level: K - 2

Time: 2 Hours
Available: 9 am – 3 pm
Wednesday – Friday
April – October

There are more insects than any other group of animals in the world, with over 900,000 species identified!

Students learn about the basic structure of bugs and the magic of metamorphosis. On the nature hike students look high and low for six-legged critters.

Back at the nature center they create their own butterfly that emphasizes basic bug structure.

"Tree"mendous Fun

Fee: $3.50per student
Maximum: 50 students
Minimum: 10 students
Grade level: 4th

Time: 2 Hours
Available: 9 am – 3 pm
Wednesday – Friday
April – October

Can’t tell a pinnate from a palmate? Or, a honey locust from a hackberry?

Learn the ins and outs of tree parts and the role they play in the life of a tree. Out on the trails we’ll cover the basics of tree identification and learn to identify some common Missouri trees.

Students then make a colorful collage of leaf and tree bark rubbings.

Self Guided Tours

Fee: $1.50 per student
Maximum: 150 students
Minimum: 10 students

Time: 1 to 1½ Hours
Available: 9 am – 3 pm
Tuesdays only
April – October

Your own self-guided tour begins with a visit to the Nature Center to view the exhibits.

Then it’s outdoor fun along the hiking trails as you lead your group on a nature and history scavenger hunt that ends at the cave.

Cave Spring provides trail directions, and scavenger hunt booklets for each student.