Wonderland Cave Owners Plan to Reopen as Adventure Park

If its owners have a say, Wonderland Cave, once a huge draw for tourists in Bella Vista, will soon be a boon to the tourism industry once again.

The cavern, entered in the National Register of Historic Places on Jan. 1, 1988, was transformed into an underground nightclub in 1930, after one of the Linebarger brothers, then owners of Bella Vista resort, was inspired by a lounge in Paris that was plastered to resemble a cave. 

Wonderland Cave could accommodate about 500 people and featured a dance floor, stage and custom-made rock tables. It was a popular venue for big-band music in the 1930s and 1940s, hosting acts like Guy Lombardo and the Dorsey Brothers. It was allegedly a favorite haunt of then-Missouri U.S. Sen. Harry Truman and actor Errol Flynn.

The cave and the property above the cave was not purchased by E. L. Keith when he bought Bella Vista in 1952. The Linebargers held onto it until they sold it to California businessman Larry Wilson, and the cave operated as a rock music venue in the 1980s and until it closed in 1995. It has been deserted ever since.

After foreclosure in 2004, Jan Edwards, niece of Wilson’s creditor, acquired it and, after failed attempts to sell, decided to revamp and reopen it herself.

Edwards moved to the region from Malibu, California, and she and business partner Mary Miller are raising money to open Wonderland Cave Park Adventure.

Noting its 5-mile proximity to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Miller and Edwards hope the cave attraction becomes a popular family destination.

The Wonderland Cave property, which includes 30 acres above ground, is planned to feature a museum, a miniature golf course, petting zoo, water play spray features, a hot dog stand, and a sit-down restaurant.

Edwards also plans to open several caves with unique features that were previously not open to the public. One large cave is planned to become an amphitheater that will hold more than 5,000 people.

According to a recent KUAF Ozarks At Large piece, the owners are aiming to raise $1 million for the project, with promises from a bank to provide a $1.5 million SBA-backed loan at that point.

As of January, the two are halfway there and hope to reach their goal by the end of the year and will not start construction until then. They have a website at thewonderlandcave.com.