Visiting Cave of the Mounds
Come explore Wisconsin’s Cave of the Mounds, a natural wonder. Sluice for fossils, bird watch, crack geodes and more. Step back in time 400 million years to when the limestone formed.
We recently traveled to Wisconsin, just west of Madison, to the Cave of the Mounds National Natural Landmark in Blue Mounds.
We have visited the caves before, but it’s been a few years. It’s an amazing spot, as you can see by the footage in the video, to spend the day. The natural caves are incredible to explore, and the grounds and gardens are beautiful and perfect for a walk.
If you live anywhere near Blue Mounds Wisconsin, you should make the road trip, or make it part of your family vacation. It’s a great tourist attraction. We live near Chicago, and it’s only a couple hour drive from there. The Cave of the Mounds is the perfect lesser known adventure.
We first found Cave of the Mounds a few years ago while on a different day trip to Mid-Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom. We happened to drive by a billboard for Cave of the Mounds and decided to check it out after our train ride.
I am glad we saw the sign since I am not sure we would have ever thought about searching for caves in Wisconsin.
Cave of the Mounds – a brief history
A little history of the Cave of the Mounds.
The Brigham family had been living on the land for about 112 years before the cave was discovered.
In 1903, part of the farm began being used as a limestone quarry.
In 1939, a new contractor leased the quarry to supply crushed stone to the highway department. They drilled a hole and found it went deeper than expected.
They blasted the drilled holes, only to find a massive cave entrance. Shortly after, a small group decided to enter the cave and explore the incredible caverns that had never been seen by any other living person.
They explored and worked for a year after that, and on May 30, 1940, just before Memorial Day, the Cave of the Mounds was first opened to the public.
Over the next several weeks, over 58,000 people traveled to see the Cave of the Mounds. Today it is still a beautiful and incredible place to visit that draws a ton of people from all over the world.
In 1988, the Cave of the Mounds was designated a National Natural Landmark by the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service.
Cave of the Mounds Location and Hours
The address to the Cave of the Mounds is –
2975 Cave of the Mounds Road
Blue Mounds, WI 53517
The hours are –
Open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM
Depart Frequently starting at 10:00 AM
Weekday entries are hourly
Last entry at 4 PM
Cave admission prices –
Regular Admission (Ages 13+)…$21.99
Child Admission (Ages 4-12)…$12.99
Tot Admission (Ages 3 and under)…Free
The Cave of the Mounds is open year-round.
Cave of the Mounds useful Information
Things to keep in mind before heading to Cave of the Mounds:
- Tickets – Tickets can be purchased online. Physical tickets are to be picked up at the visitor center. Tickets are time sensitive.
- Time – Cave of the Mounds opens at 9 AM and the first tour is generally at 10 AM. Tours take about an hour.
- Clothing/Shoes/Backpack – The cave stays about 50 degrees and is damp and wet. Closed toe shoes are recommended. Only smaller backpacks/bags are allowed.
- Food/Picnic – There is no restaurant on the grounds but there are snacks and drinks. Tables are available near the parking lot and down by the cave entrance.
- Pets – No pets, aside from service animals, are allowed in the cave, on the trails, or in the buildings.
- Bikes – Bike racks are located at the bottom of the service drive and by the butterfly garden.
- Accessibility – Handicap parking is located at the bottom of the service drive.
- Babies – Changing tables are available. Strollers/wagons cannot be taken into the cave.
- Smoking – Smoking and e-cigarettes are not allowed in buildings or in the cave.
- Firearms – Firearms must be kept locked in your vehicle. This includes people who do have a concealed/carry license.
What to Expect During Your Visit
Parking
The parking lot is located just off the highway. Gates to the parking lot are open daily from 9 AM to 5:15 PM. Even though the parking lot does not look large, it winds around and fits quite a few vehicles. If you are driving an RV or hauling a large trailer, then you would need to go to the Barn Discovery Center.
Grounds
The grounds around the parking lot have many trees and beautiful flowers to see. As you walk around you will notice educational signs and boxes. There is a lot to learn above and below.
Visitor Center
You will go down the hill to the Visitor center to grab your tickets. Here you can find local drinks and snacks. There is a penny machine so make sure to bring some cash. I did not so we did not get to add this penny to our daughter’s penny book.
Bathrooms and a water fountain with a bottle refill is at the back.
Wi-Fi is available near the visitor center and the gift shop. While you wait in the ticket line you can check out the historical pictures on the wall.
Ticket Collection and Cave entrance
Once you get your tickets, which are timed, you will need to head towards the gift shop. There you should see a sign letting you know where to stand. This is located near the rock sluice and the large geode.
Once they call your time and color you will enter through the gift shop. There you can check your bag size. A staff member will then take your ticket and direct you to the waiting area.
A staff member will go over the rules with you before you start the tour. You will start with a wall that describes the different formations you will see in the cave. Next you will go down the stairs to the picture taker. Your photo will be available at the end of the tour if you want it.
Inside the Cave
As you go through the cave, staff members and signs are there to provide more information about the cave. Since this is a self-paced tour you can move at your own pace. Read all the signs and listen to what the staff has to say, you have time. You may even get the chance to go through the cave twice.
The cave has many stairs with railings. You will also come across tight spaces and it can be dark. It may be fun to wear something that is glow in the dark.
The cave exit is located next to where you entered. Take the stairs to exit through the gift shop.
The gift shop has many rocks great souvenirs to choose from. Here you can buy a rock sluice bag or bucket. They have different options of sizes and what you can sluice for, like gems and fossils.
If you do not have time to stay and sluice you can grab yourself a “sluice to go” bag. Which I think is a pretty neat idea, could also make a great gift. I probably should have grabbed a couple. Next time.
Around the grounds there are some nice trails and gardens. At the top of the hill you will see a red barn. The barn has a small fossil hunt. You can hunt for the fossils hidden in the wall.
Below is for those who want to go a bit more in depth.
Ticket Options
There are a couple of ticket options for you: Regular Daily Tours, VIP Tours and Memberships.
Regular Daily Tours
Regular Daily Tours are self-paced. You choose how long your tour is. Tickets can be bought online or in person at the visitor center. If you choose to purchase online you will still need to pick up physical tickets once you arrive. That is how you get your tour time.
An upgrade option is the black light flashlight. There are a few different prices and size flashlight options. You can take the flashlight into the cave and use it while exploring.
When we went, the tickets were $21.99 each for us and $12.99 for our daughter who is under 12. 13 and over get adult prices 3 and under are free. We just bought tickets there. With the blacklight flashlight added on of course.
VIP Tours
VIP Tours are for groups of 10 and need to be booked 48 hours in advance. You cannot buy these online, you would need to call 608-437-3038. These tours are privately guided for you and your group.
There are different packages to choose from and can include gem or fossil mining, geodes and fluorescence.
Special Events
Cave of the Mounds has events happening all year round and some for the holidays. Here are a few options:
Guided Black Light Tour
Experience the Cave of the Mounds by Black Light. You will learn about ultraviolet light, fluorescence, and see the speleothems GLOW!
Lantern Tours
Discover the cave cave using only lanterns and flashlights. Feel as though you are one of the first people to ever see the cave.
Easter EGGstravaganza
Pathways are lit with hundreds of GLOWING eggs! Watch the glow from the eggs and see the cave in a whole new light. With the purchase of an Easter Rock Hunt bag, you get rock and fossil treasures underground at stations inside Cave of the Mounds! There are many events and activities to make this and EGGciting event.
HOLLOW-een
For the month of October, costumes are encouraged! Enjoy this sugar-less trick-or-treat experience throughout the cave. Trick-or-treaters will receive a mix of rocks and fossils at stations in the cave.
Light in the Cave
Lights decorate parts of the cave in December for the holidays. You will see twinkly lights draping downward for the perfect holiday photo! You will have the opportunity to experience this on every tour all month long.
There are more events being added so be sure to check out what is going on occasionally.
www.caveofthemounds.com/events/upcoming-events/
Membership
Memberships are good for a year and can be purchased in person when you get your tickets at the Visitor Center. The Membership was a 6.99 upgrade. If we lived closer we would have went with the Membership. With your membership you will get unlimited Cave Tour admissions.
What to wear
Bring a light jacket, the cave stays around 50 degrees. Closed toe or tennis shoes are reccommended. The cave is constantly dripping with water making everything, including the floor, damp, wet and a bit slippery in spots.
Large backpacks or bags are not allowed. Neither are strollers, wagons or framed carriers. These items if taken into the cave may do damage. There are some very, very tight spots in the cave and these items may get caught on the cave.
Inside the giftshop there is a box to check the size of your bag. If it fits in the box it is allowed in the cave.
Food and picnic areas
We brought lunch with us on our trip. There are picnic tables near the parking lot area. I also noticed that there was an outdoor grill but did not get a chance to check it out. You may be able to bring some charcoal and hot dogs too.
The tables were all placed under trees which made most of them shaded. There are plenty of trash/recycling bins around too.
Near the gift shop/cave entrance there is a place to get some food and drinks. You can find local drinks and snacks inside the visitor center.
Pets
The only pets allowed on the trails, in the buildings or in the cave are service animals. If you are traveling and have your dogs with you there are kennels available across the street. They are free to use and you can get the key from the visitor center in exchange for your photo id.
For more information on their pet policy you can CLICK HERE.
Accessibility
Handicap parking is available at the bottom of the service drive. The cave is not handicap accessible, some trials, the visitor center and restrooms are all accessible.
In the cave there are quite a few stairs. There are handrails because the stairs are a bit steep and wet. Throughout the cave the path can be uneven and slippery. There is a point in the cave that does get quite narrow.
For more information, check out their website at –
Thanks for reading! If you ever get a chance to visit the Cave of the Mounds, do it. It’s an incredible place to visit.
If you have time, I recommend visiting The House on the Rock, it is about 30 minutes away and incredible!
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