Back in 2017, my son Nick and I went to a birthday party. It was one of the coolest kids’ birthday parties I had ever been to.
If you’re a parent, you’re probably asking, “How is that possible?”
Because the birthday party in question was held at the Missouri Institute of Natural Science, just south of Springfield along the James River.
The museum is an undiscovered gem (pun intended) in this area.
I’d always wanted to go back, so my son’s renewed interest in dinosaurs was a good reason to reach out to Matt Forir, the museum’s director.
So, on a chilly February Saturday, Nick and I went dinosaur hunting again – and we weren’t disappointed.
The museum is a result of the discovery of Riverbluff Cave. On September 11, 2001, crews were getting ready to blast on a section of new road south of Springfield.
Charges were already in the ground when the federal government issued a stop order for all blasting.
Permission was hastily secured, since the charges could not be disarmed, and when the rubble cleared… an Ice Age cave – Riverbluff Cave – was discovered.
