Located in Stanton, Missouri, about 60 miles southwest of downtown St. Louis, Meramec Caverns is a significant roadside attraction that began to develop its tourism infrastructure as early as the 1930s, in tandem with the rise of automobile travel across America. Since then, it has been a popular stopover along the famous Route 66. However, it's often misunderstood that Meramec Caverns is positioned as part of the trip when driving through Nebraska; this is incorrect as Nebraska is located several hundred miles west of the caverns. Despite the mistake, its fascinating architecture, and unique geological features warrant exploration, understanding the historical context that surrounds the caves can shed light on why they share commonalities with other Roadside Attractions.

As far as the caverns' unique geological characteristics go, their formation reflects the massive movement of geologic masses deep within the eastern crust of America. According to cavern historians, over millions of years, groundwater, acids and other factors weathered down soluble materials such as limestone in the vicinity of Meramec Spring, where the cavern lies. As geologists know, at this region, the combination of the Mississippi carbonate section, Concretionary limestones of Mississippi Age, and a combination of these dissimilar crusts accelerated these processes, reflecting very distinct chemical paths, a topic for specialists, that even visitors of caverns like these might find intriguing.

Meramec Spring has documented history dating back to its Native American predecessors and, specifically, tribes that were knowledgeable about the cave system - the main focus itself prior to both Indian tribes and visitors, in utilizing the Spring and environs. Located just near Interstate 44 the central cavern is located and contains six miles of underground caves where, several examples of local geography (similar limestone rocks formations) create arches, columns, in Meramec's "wine" Glass, a similar naturally formed unique cavern "Bacon formation" that resemble not just a standing piece of bacon; it was one of the places where early residents mined graphite. These findings of speleothem is indicative of the importance of this cavern within greater Missouri.

Historical documentation places construction and its original opening occurring in the first part of the twentieth century; over time after 1931 Lester Dill, opened Meramec cavern for visitors. The year after was Lester Dill's discovery of a gigantic entrance and opening, an area that would - after the development of road-based tourism, eventually propel cavern tour attraction and subsequent expansions to accommodate both car users of modern roads and the travelers visiting such notable cavern attractions today.

Despite some problems and various losses financially of cavern development since at least 1930s the central caverns that Lester discovered over 70 years ago seem certain to propel greater popularity among enthusiasts in Roadside Attractions. Discussing 'Meramec' cavern within the sub-context of the context of Roadside Attractions or especially, Roadside Attractions in America provides opportunities that visitors could experience wonders underground - or find numerous options they encounter within these cavern areas: speleothem, cavern exploration tours, to be amazed at gigantic cavern entrances - without losing sense of deep into a context of roadside America (Nebraska or no non Roadside context).