Experience the Cave of the Mounds

Discovered on August 4, 1939 when workers accidentally blasted into the cave while removing high quality limestone from a quarry. The dynamite blast revealed a limestone cave more than twenty feet high revealing a gallery of numerous mineral formations. After viewing a great underground cavern, all quarrying stopped and never resumed.

The excitement of this discovery brought in thousands of cave seekers. It was soon closed to preserve the cave. In the meantime, lights and wooden walkways were installed. When this construction was finished in May 1940, the Cave of the Mounds was opened to visitors.

Since that time and millions of visitors later, the wooden walkways were replaced with concrete walkways. Theatrical lighting has been installed to dramatize the colors and shapes within the Cave. Cave of Mounds has evolved with a visitor center, walking trails, picnic areas, and rock gardens.

The most amazing aspect of the cave is the colorful variety of stalactites as shown in the picture.

Rated as one of the most beautiful caves. I can personally vouch that this is the most beautiful cave my family has toured in. We love caving and have been in caverns from Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and South Dakota. In this small handful of caves we have explored, the Cave of the Mounds has the most beautiful collection of formations.

The walkway is not too narrow and most of the cave has high enough ceilings. It was been several years, but to my recollection there wasn't too many steep areas to walk up or down. Over all the cave is easy to move around in.

If you are planning on visiting this southern part of Wisconsin. The Blue Mound area is a fun place to visit.

The beginnings of the cave go back to approximately two million years ago when cracks in the large limestone deposits in the area began to form. These fissures allowed naturally acidic rainwater to seep deep into the rock and start the process of dissolving the limestone rock.

Rainwater and melting snow form a weak carbonic acid because they absorb carbon dioxide as they seep into the soils. This carbonic acid slowly dissolves limestone, thereby shaping the cave. There was a great deal more carbon dioxide in our prehistoric atmosphere then there is today, but in essence, Cave of the Mounds continues to grow and change through this natural process.

This is a photo of one of the largest stalagmite formations.