Louis: A History of the City’s Forgotten Caves by Hubert and Charlotte Rother A connecting tunnel had once served as a secret entrance for bootleggers and one of the rooms beneath Eighteenth Street was thought to be a speakeasy of some sort.Ī current satellite view of the former location of Uhrig's Cave.ģ8.634807, -90.213708, Current map showing the former site of the Cave Louis Coliseum was built over the Cave in 1908, destroying it.ĭuring 1954, when the Jefferson Bank and Trust Company building was being constructed on the site, it was discovered that some of the smaller passageways of the caves had been sealed off during the Prohibition when a still was discovered in an adjacent cavern at Jefferson and Delmar. The site retained its civic importance (although above ground) when the St. Eventually, the McNearys abandoned all attempts to keep Uhrig’s Cave open. From 1900 to 1908, the cave was the site of an enclosed theatre, a roller-skating rink, a bowling alley, and a mushroom farm.
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In 1888, the McNearys lost their liquor license and the cave was abandoned for a time. Popular entertainers of the day, such as John Drew, Julia Marlow, Augustin Daly, and Della Fox were among the stars that appeared on Uhrig’s stage.īut this period of glory was short-lived.
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At its peak, Uhrig’s Cave held an audience of three thousand. Uhrig’s was the first entertainment spot in St. He and his brother became impresarios as well, and ushered in the period of Uhrig’s Cave’s greatest glory. In 1884, the site was sold again to Thomas McNeary, a saloonkeeper. By 1879, the cave once again regained its antebellum popularity and the little beer garden had become a true opera theatre. During the Civil War, the tours, concerts, and picnics were put on hold, and the cave became a favorite rendezvous for the militia and the Home Guards. In the 1860s the cave property was sold to Chris Nunce. Uhrig's Cave (#27)as it appears in Pictorial St. The theatre was the scene of the American premiere of Gilbert and Sullivan's 'H.M.S. By 1852, the Uhrigs held band concerts and picnics and conducted tours through the cave. The cave space was 170 feet long, and the Uhrig brothers constructed brick walls with arched ceilings to prevent water seepage. Connecting the two cost $100,000, and a small railroad entirely within the cave system transported beer from the brewery to the cave.
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The space was 40 feet underground, and was connected to the Brewery through a series of other caves. The original Uhrig's Cave was a storage and beer aging space for the Camp Springs Brewery. At various stages, it was associated with the Camp Springs Brewery (owned by the Uhrigs), then it contained a beer garden, and eventually a 300-seat theatre. The owners have hopes to reopen come late fall, and that's definitely something to be excited over.Uhrig's Cave, opening beneath Jefferson and Washington Streets, was the most elaborate of the Caves of St.
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Kayak and canoe tours are offered year-round when flooding is under control. You can visit their website here to contact the appropriate people to see just when those special occasions are.Ĭamping is offered during weekends where an eclipse is taking place, for $50 per night for a family of 2 adults and children. Louis that you can kayak in and it's fully worthy of taking the #1 spot on your list.Ĭrystal City Underground in Crystal City, Missouri offers kayak and canoeing tours, as well as camping, disc golf, and pole vaulting all beneath the surface.Ĭurrently, as of May 2020, the cave is closed due to flooding, however, they are open for special occasions. Missourians are in luck because there's an underground cave near St. With that in mind, it's important to keep a bucket list of once-in-a-lifetime and never-been-done-before experiences handy and ready to add to at all times. There's something about summertime that makes locals start seeking out activities that get their adrenaline pumping.