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Cave of the Mounds-Onyx Ridge
Cave of the Mounds Cavern & Cave ·$$

The Cave of the Mounds is one of the most significant caves in the Midwestern United States. The cave was believed to have formed nearly a million years ago, while the limestone encrustations around it are said to date back over 488 million years to the Ordovician Period. The cave was discovered by limestone quarry workers in 1939 and was opened to the public as a show cave in 1940. Particularly renowned for its brilliantly-colored rock formations, the cave's insides are admirably embellished with everything from Soda Straws, Flowstones and Curtains to Lily pads, Helictites, and Oolites. The formations obtain their resplendent colors from their varying contents of iron and manganese oxides. 

Website: caveofthemounds.com

Phone: (608) 437-3038

Open now

  • Sat 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

2975 Cave of the Mounds Rd Blue Mounds, WI 53517 ·645.65 mi

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Amenities

  • Family friendly
4.5
609 reviews
5 star
343 4 star
201 3 star
47 2 star
13 1 star
5
Tripadvisor traveler ttraveling 10/18/26

It was popular on a fall Saturday afternoon but we were able to get on a tour with just a short wait. Holly was a great guide - quirky sense of humor and a lot of knowledge about the cave history as well as the science behind the formations. She managed our group well, allowing enough time to see each area and making sure everyone could hear her. Several beautiful rooms to view and plenty to see on all sides. The conditions are cool and damp as expected in a cave, but there are railings where needed and enough lighting to walk safely. We couldn't stay to walk the grounds but I would like to do that on a future visit.

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Tripadvisor traveler CassieW34 08/10/26

I really miss the guided tour experience. We came in July and tour were self-guided with a few workers scattered along the way. We had one gentleman who was very engaging but the teenagers were very rehearsed and not very interactive. We finished the loop in about 15 minutes so decided to walk the loop again to try and get our money’s worth out of the experience. While I understand that self-guided tours probably allow for more guests in the cave at a time, it was not worth the money that we paid.

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Tripadvisor traveler 4grandtravel4 06/01/26

This is advertised as the most beautiful cave in Wisconsin. No, it is not. It is average in the formations that are viewed. That is, the ones that we could actually see. The tour itself was not pleasant. Unfortunately, we were behind three separate school kid groups. All you could hear was kid yelling all through the cave as the shouts echoed. In our group of 16 people, we were at the very tail end. The tour guide didn't speak loud enought for us the hear at the back of the group. And when we moved on, she turned off the lights so that the formations were then in the complete dark for us as we passed by them. Also, they don't have senior pricing.

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Tripadvisor traveler E S 11/16/25

Very fun time with my spouse and kid! It's QUITE the walk for me - I ealk with a cane and none too well - but I made it! And it's gorgious! Lots of fun, the tour guide was lovely and friendly, and there was no rushing us through. Got to see some delightful views. BELEIVE THEM when they say no back packs - there are parts of the tour a back pack WILL NOT FIT.

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Tripadvisor traveler Whitney D 10/18/25

We were celebrating our wedding anniversary and thought this would be a fun and unique experience to do together. The location of the cave is right in a beautiful park, it's fall so the leaves are beautiful. You either buy tickets there or online and you go to check in. There they tell you when they can fit you in to a tour so don't expect it to be right away. Talk a walk in the park, have some snacks and explore the gift shops while you wait. When it time for the tour they take you into the cave, it's cold so wear a fleece or jacket. Our tour guide was Larry, older gentleman with lots of dad jokes but also alot if knowledge. Great guide for really explaining what you are seeing. The caves are beautiful and worth the 1 hour tour plus wait time. Great couples experience or families. I would say kids older then 6 would do best!

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