"If Kubla Khan built his pleasure dome in St. Francois County...
March 11, 2015 8:55 AM   Subscribe

...it might look something like this." Located in Missouri, Bonne Terre was an active mine until the early 1960s. In 1980, Doug and Cathy Goergens purchased it, flooded the 88 miles of passages on its three lowest levels, and turned into a scuba diving destination. Guests can take guided diving tours along dozens of underwater trails, past mining carts and other abandoned equipment.
posted by Blue Jello Elf (18 comments total) 12 users marked this as a favorite
 
I guess the lead levels are OK? It did make me think about usng sites like this for aqua culture.
posted by Oyéah at 9:30 AM on March 11, 2015 [1 favorite]


I can't imagine how much their insurance costs.
posted by Measured Out my Life in Coffeespoons at 9:51 AM on March 11, 2015 [4 favorites]


"In 1980, Doug and Cathy Goergens purchased it, flooded the 88 miles of passages on its three lowest levels, and turned into a GIGANTIC NOPE FACTORY. Guests can NOPE along dozens of NOPE, MORE NOPE, and NO THANK YOU."
posted by komara at 9:55 AM on March 11, 2015 [24 favorites]


The videos of this make it seem so strangely beautiful. The basic idea though, at least to me, is pure nightmare fuel.
posted by BigHeartedGuy at 9:56 AM on March 11, 2015 [1 favorite]


GIGANTIC NOPE FACTORY. Guests can NOPE along dozens of NOPE, MORE NOPE, and NO THANK YOU

Just to clarify, it was flooded with water, not spiders! :D
posted by Blue Jello Elf at 10:13 AM on March 11, 2015 [2 favorites]


New Madrid Seismic Zone
posted by djseafood at 10:43 AM on March 11, 2015


That's not a Nope.

THAT'S a NOPE.
posted by ursus_comiter at 11:09 AM on March 11, 2015


Needs more trampolines
posted by aubilenon at 11:28 AM on March 11, 2015 [1 favorite]


If they're so sure the lead levels are safe, they should be prepared to publish regular assays. Crystal-clear water and only one known fish in the whole place sounds a little too much like "nothing can live here".
posted by Azara at 11:37 AM on March 11, 2015 [1 favorite]


When your claustrophobia is so bad that a tunnel you can drive a dump truck through generates the NOPE response, you might consider CBT. Just saying.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 11:57 AM on March 11, 2015


If it's anything like other lead mines, the contamination is far worse at the surface where the tailings piles were dumped. Besides, I'm pretty sure lead contamination turns the water red, not blue. The water is fairly likely to be somewhat acidic, though, but the mine would be full of acid water whether these people were running a tourist attraction or not. That's just what happens when you turn the pumps off...
posted by wierdo at 12:08 PM on March 11, 2015


"When your claustrophobia is so bad that a tunnel you can drive a dump truck through generates the NOPE response, you might consider CBT."

It's not the under-earth that's the problem, it's the underwater while underground. It's the thought of being unable to surface and breathe air. Miles and miles of being unable to surface. Going down and down. And down.

and down, forever and always, as far as your physical body is concerned. They all float down here, at least until they bump up against a ceiling of solid rock.


... however, I do appreciate your concern. I've talked to Judy at the front desk and your Armchair Psychotherapist degree is going in the mail tomorrow. You should have it by the first of next week.
posted by komara at 12:56 PM on March 11, 2015 [8 favorites]


Very cool! Thanks for the post!
posted by aabbbiee at 1:32 PM on March 11, 2015


I guess that the scuba tours go through the caverns that are only partially submerged, right? The idea of diving through a fully submerged passage fills me with dread, probably instilled in me from a young age by all those "cave diving kills" and "prevent your death, don't dive here" signs that you see around springs in Florida.
posted by bracems at 1:45 PM on March 11, 2015


Wow! This looks awesome. I've been spelunking, and I've been SCUBA diving, and loved 'em both. The fatality rate for underwater spelunking is far too high ... but this, I could do.

What gets me is that I used to visit St Louis 2-4 times a year (for like 20 years) and pretty much ran out of interesting things to do - but I've not heard of this place until just now.
posted by doctor tough love at 1:58 PM on March 11, 2015


I've been there a couple of times - my grandparents live about 15 minutes from there. SE Missouri has lots of interesting caves, etc, and this provides a different point of view. That said, the entire region basically should be a big superfund site due to all the lead dust.
posted by jferg at 2:19 PM on March 11, 2015


As an aside, the Goergens (Gorgons?) didn't do the flooding - it was already flooded by the time they bought it.
posted by jferg at 2:20 PM on March 11, 2015


When your claustrophobia is so bad that a tunnel you can drive a dump truck through generates the NOPE response, you might consider CBT. Just saying.

Yeah, no, it's not claustrophobia, it's having read way too many news stories about spelunkers and cave divers getting lost and DYING HORRIBLY.
posted by Lexica at 9:16 PM on March 12, 2015


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