Cave of the Mounds — Attraction in Town of Blue Mounds

Cave of the Mounds blew us away! Tucked into the rolling hills of Wisconsin, this place is like stepping into another world—one that’s been quietly forming for millions of years beneath our feet. From the moment we stepped inside, we were transported into a shimmering underground landscape full of wonder.

The tour (we did self guided) was incredibly well organized and perfect for all ages. The guides (stationed throughout) were knowledgeable, engaging, and had a real passion for the geology and history of the cave. You could tell they truly loved sharing this natural treasure with visitors. Every turn revealed something new—stalactites, stalagmites, delicate crystal formations, and ancient fossils embedded in the rock. The lighting was beautifully done, highlighting the cave’s natural features without being over-the-top or distracting.

What really stood out was how accessible and family-friendly the experience was. We had a mix of ages in our group—including kids—and everyone had a blast. The pace of the tour was just right, with plenty of time to take photos and soak in the scenery. It was educational, but never boring—there’s something about seeing geology in action that makes you feel small in the best possible way.

Outside the cave, the grounds were just as inviting. There’s a fun gift shop with unique souvenirs, a gem mining station for kids, and lovely walking trails to explore. We even packed a picnic and made a full day of it.

This is the kind of experience that sticks with you. Whether you're into science, nature, or just want to see something truly beautiful and unique, Cave of the Mounds is an absolute must-visit. Can’t recommend it enough—add it to your...

This cave was really cool, but the tour itself was not great. My sister paid for a black light flashlight to share with our mom and myself during the tour. We were the only ones on the tour who paid for one, and were asked a few times by our guide to shine our flashlight while he was explaining information about the cave and I felt annoyed at that point. We didn’t pay for the flashlight to help the guide explain things, and since nobody else decided to pay for one that’s their loss, it shouldn’t be on other guests. I don’t understand why the tour guides don’t carry one around with them or why it’s not included in the price and guests are just given them before the tour starts, its a money grab in my opinion. Secondly, I could barely hear my tour guide because the tour behind us had a guide that was extremely loud and the cave echos so it sounded like yelling, I could here her tour over my guides. We stood in certain spots throughout the tour entirely too long and our tour guide lacked enthusiasm, it was quite boring to say the least. I’ve been on several cave tours across the country and I have never experienced sharing walkways and stairs with other tours, it was crowded and not organized. Overall the cave is beautiful and really cool but this establishment could improve, especially for the amount of money people spend for the tours and gift shops. There should also be some type of rule about people stopping in front of you with little light to take selfies, my mom almost tripped because these two women held up half the line walking unexpectedly in the middle of moving from one...

Like most, I found this was very interesting. Though we're not to touch anything, there is a one narrow spot that will challenge some of us "Midwest sized" torsos (3XL). Though if shorter and/or can squat walk a few steps, the wall is open on the bottom. I definitely had to squeeze through against both walls for a moment.

The grounds & trails are great. By the sinkhole is the highest point and has a fantastic view. There's a modern house or two that spoil it a bit. Not sure why one was built so tall. They don't even get a good view with the houses in front of them. Maybe they can peek over & I couldn't tell or they hang out on the roof.

One of my favorite things is towering old trees which are everywhere. I think it reminds me of exploring as a kid when everything was bigger to me. They also remind me of early settler days & Little House on the Prairie TV series.

Quite a lot to view on the quiet trails. I appreciate just how both visitors & caretakers just let the dead trees & branches be. Everything is often trimmed & removed on trails. But whole trees along with spindly broken dead branches exist to just age & rot on their own time.

One information panel credited the Alery's for the conservation easement 20 years ago that preserved the area instead of wiping it for a development. A very good...