Cave of the Mounds (Wisconsin)

The most beautiful cave in Wisconsin and the upper Midwest, Cave of the Mounds lies just off U.S. Highways 18/151 in Blue Mounds, WI. Commonly referred to as the "jewel box" of America's major caves for the variety and delicacy of its formations, Cave of the Mounds is recognized by the Chicago Academy of Sciences as "the significant cave of the upper Midwest". The cave is open year 'round daily 9am-5pm, and last cave entry is at 4pm. If you are going on the weekend they can often sell out, so I would recommend buying tickets online ahead of time.

My kids aren’t huge fans of long car rides, so we enjoyed splitting this trip into parts and seeing some fun things along the way. Our first stop was Camden Playground which took us a little over an hour to get to.

Stop 1: Camden Playground

2501 Palmer Drive Janesville, WI 53545

We were excited to finally check out this really neat park along the way. Besides for a cool looking castle and dragon, there were lots of unique features that make the park special. Slides with clubhouses attached, unique merry-go-rounds and one of the coolest seesaws ever! There was also a huge zipline and even a special swing for children who use wheelchairs.

There were two sets of public restrooms. At the time one of them was locked but the farthest one was open to the public.

Stop 2: Henry Vilas Zoo

702 Randall Ave. Madison, WI

Henry Vilas Zoo is a cute, little zoo that’s absolutely FREE in Madison, Wisconsin. The zoo doesn’t have a ton of parking so you may have to find street parking or park in the lot on the opposite side of the park that backs up to the zoo. Although there were quite a few people at the zoo, it was pretty spread out so it didn’t feel like it was crowded. Also, everyone was wearing masks and they had hand sanitizer out.

Because of Covid some of the inside areas were not open and the really cool park was closed. However, there is another cute park right next to the zoo that the kids can play at.

Stop 3: Cave of the Mounds

2975 Cave Of The Mounds Rd - Blue Mounds, WI

Another half hour drive from the zoo and we arrived at the Cave of the Mounds. The entry time for the cave is 4 pm, but on weekends they can sometimes sell out, so I would recommend you buy tickets ahead of time on their website. They also offer some unique tours through the cave for an extra fee.

Ticket Prices are: (Ages 13+)…$18.95 Child Admission (Ages 4-12)…$10.95 Tot Admission (Ages 3 and under)…Free

(Masks are required for ages 4 and older)

It takes about 45 minutes to an hour to walk through the caves. Wear comfortable shoes and bring a sweater or light jacket. The caves are well lit but if your little one is afraid of the dark they may appreciate having a flashlight with them.

My kids absolutely loved walking through the cave! My husband had a tricky time only once or twice when we walked through some narrow passages (he’s 6’4). We all agreed it was a great experience.

After you explore the cave, don’t miss the digging area attached to the shop. The kids can dig for fossils and gems that you can later purchase, while the adults rest on the benches in the shade. Careful with your kids in the shop, while we were there someone knocked over and broke a 300 dollar gem.

Stop 4: Havens Petting Farm

2894 N Erbe Rd. Blue Mounds, WI 53517

We didn’t have the opportunity to check out this cute farm but many have raved to me about this adorable farm just minutes from the Cave of the Mounds. The farm is only open every Friday, Saturday, & Sunday in April & May from 11:00am to 5:00pm.

The farm has many different animals such as calves, fainting goats, rabbits, alpaca, ponies, pot belly pigs, bunnies, lambs and many more!

Stop 5: Grumpy Troll Brew Pub

105 S. 2nd Street Mount Horeb, WI 53572

Mount Horeb is known for their troll statues all over their adorable little town. They are all hand-carved and placed in various places throughout the streets. Naturally we had to grab some food at the Grumpy Troll Brew Pub at our last stop!

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