indiana caverns

I really enjoyed the experience of walking through the caves. It was a moderately strenous climb, so i would not reccomend it for someone who is very sedentary or has back or heart problems.

Had a very enjoyable outing with the grandkids to Indiana Caverns. First time for them to go into a cave. The walk was very good, with excellent metal grating pathways/stairs where needed. They really enjoyed the boat ride. Tour guide was a wealth of information, sometimes too much but still informative.

The developers of this attraction have taken the time and money to ensure that their visitors have a beautiful, meticulously maintained, educational and terrific tour of the new cave system. The boat ride makes this a very unique experience and the caves and their stories are truly awe inspiring! Love it.. and recommend it to all! I took my 8 year old child the first time I went and we had no issue with length of the tour or the walk. I've gone several additional times - showing off this great exhibit to friends and family who visit our area. It's been a hit!

I went once when I was younger on a school trip. Came back to bring my niece and it was a great time. The guides are always a fun time and the cave formations and facts you learn are outstanding. It's also a darn good exercise if your normal exercise or walk is getting boring.

On Friday, 17 October 2014, my husband and I drove to Indiana Caverns. We had purchased two tour tickets at a fund raiser and were eager to visit.The brochure did not include a street address or zip code; the website does. That's good to know if you plan program your phone or Garmin device for directions.The entrance is located along a well paved but fairly rural road. Parking was available in a paved lot with two gravelled overflow lots. The property also had a large covered picnic shelter. All the structures were relatively new.The Indiana Caverns welcome center is accessible via a winding wheelchair ramp. The welcome center appeared new and well kept and included a number of souvenirs that included faux coon skin caps (think Daniel and Squire Boone), gemstones, geodes, books and other items.We presented our tour tickets and were told we were lucky that a tour was just starting... approximately 11:00 AM. We did not have to wait very long before our guide, Rob, introduced himself.Since cave photography (without professional equipment) isn't conducive to photography, Rob took pictures (of anyone who wanted) in front a "green screen". The green screen would be filled in with cave views and available online if we wanted it. No pressure to buy.The introductory film does give a brief history on the cave system, the people who discovered it and the people who developed it for the public. It also hints at cave formation and compares caving to exploring new worlds... more marketing and information there.Our tour group was comprised of about 10 tourists with no children. There were no other tours ahead of us; we met no other tours coming up from the rear. I was glad of this.We did not know what to expect. The cave tour, itself, is not at all wheelchair or handicapped accessible. It simply could not be. We entered via a steep decline with doors at each end. This is intended to form an air lock to retain the cave's environmental conditions.From there, we descended multiple steps and circular stairways. There were hand rails everywhere. The walkways were either concrete or metal grating. Everything was very sturdy. As damp as the cave was due to water, with sneakers we did not slip or slide around.Rob pointed out specific attributes and reminded us that a single touch could damage a cave structure. We were to stay within the walkways. We saw ice age bones of pig-like creatures, bison and bears lying where they fell. The flat bottom boat tooks us further into the cave at a depth of about 110 ft below ground. We saw a few animals that never leave the cave such as small crawdads and tiny salamanders.Indiana Caverns is lit with low dramatic lighting. When the water is clear, the ceilings are reflected onto the surface, making it appear the water is very deep. At one point, the lights are completely extinguished. The silence and darkness are astounding.We've never been to other caves and understand that other cave tours are showcased differently. This "new" cave experience seems more like what the people who discovered it must have seen.CAVEAT: Brochure recommends a light jacket and walking shoes. There is little mention of the number of steps and low height in some passageways. The air is cool and very damp. My husband experienced a breathing little discomfort making his way back up--a combination of the exertion and dampness.If you cannot walk up and down or take steps well, you must reconsider this cave tour. I did notice some people in our tour who had to take a short elevator ride from the last level to the surface.There are no restrooms or other amenities in the cave--which is what makes the experience in my view. There is a "mining" experience where visitors can buy bags of "mining material" and can pan for fossils/gems in the outside sluce. Children would no doubt enjoy this.I am very glad to have visited this cave. I cannot speak to value per cost as I paid a different fee for the tickets at a fund raiser.

My fiancé and I went to the caverns as part of a getaway for his birthday. This tour us not only just really neat to look out it is full of information and history. Jay, our tour guide, was very helpful in answering anyone's questions and was full of information. He was also very patient with a couple of kids that were on our tour. He was funny and kind. Love this tour!

We were very excited to visit Indiana Caverns, so our 13 year old son could do the Paleo Dig with Rob. This was an amazing experience and definitely worth the price!!! Before the dig, he spent ample time with our family to explain the different bones that they had found in the cave. It was very interesting to see and feel them. It was really exciting for our son, when he and Rob discovered an exposed Peccary skull when exploring the cave. Apparently, it is rare to find skulls. While our son was busy with the actual dig, the rest of our family took a tour of the cave. Our tour guide, Carol, had first hand knowledge of exploring the cave before it became a show cave. It was really neat to talk with her about her experience exploring caves. Overall, we have visited many caves and this is one of our favorites! This cave was very pristine and I loved the waterfall! The staff was excellent, as they were both friendly and knowledgeable.

Definitely more pristine and in a natural state then other caverns in the area. Not as interesting or geologicslly diverse marengo cave, though. Worth a visit at least once. Pleistocene bones are cool. One aspect I did not appreciate were the subtle references to intelligent design/creation. It undermines the credibility of their materials, including the video. Books in store were all about biblical creation. The owner would be much better off if he just focussed on presenting geological science and leave his personal beliefs at home.

Although this is a nice and new facility, the visit does not worth its pricy admission. Adult costs almost $20 a person. You start out watching a short video that has a very unnecessary and strange religious undertone. After watching the video, you start the cave tour with a walking tour, which was okay. The guide is very knowledgeable but he messed up his speech quite often. He also slurs quite a bit, making it very difficult to hear what he was saying. Another annoying part of the guide was that he continuously ask how we are doing and whether we were bored. He was so not confident that it made the experience not as enjoyable. After the walking part of the tour we went on a SHORT SHORT boat ride. You turned three corners and then you were turning around. Quite... quite disappointing. We mainly went there because the last cavern we went was solely a boat ride tour and I wanted to do a walking tour on top of the boat ride. Although the guide was courteous, the lady at the front desk was not so much. She was very snappy and had a very demeaning tone. She was also not very nice to her own coworker. Her attitude was not pleasant.All in all, if you don't mind spending the $20 per adult go for it. Otherwise visit another cave.

This is the "newest" opened cave system in the area. You begin with a short introduction video then hike down into the cave. The first portion of the tour is a guided walking tour, then you hop on a boat and ride on an under-ground stream. At one point, the guide cut out the lights and you are in complete darkness. The boat tour returns to the starting point and you walk back out the same way you came in. During the entire tour, the guide points out numerous interesting formations & bones. The guides are very knowledgeable. We did the Indiana Cave Trail which is 4 different cave systems. This was our favorite of the 4.

Really enjoyed a recent cave trip with Ms. Kathie. Indiana Caverns is a small section of the Binkley Cave System. It is cool! Why, because many Ice Age Bones have been discovered. We were lucky enough to go while the Indiana State Museum was there, "digging up the past!" There are many stairs but very nicely engineered. There are a few very low areas. We were able to see some crayfish and some smaller salamanders. We found everyone VERY friendly. We enjoyed the walking tour, a boat ride, karst trail, and gemstone mining. The nature is very peaceful and beautiful. Thanks to Ms. Kathie for the "moments of silence" on the boat ride!

Jessie our guide was great. The kids loved seeing real bones and going through Thunder Alley. Gift shop had unique treasures at reasonable prices.

A group of friends and myself visit the cave earlier this month. The admission fee was pretty affordable. For $19 you have a guided walking tour of cave filled with ice age bones and you a ride on a little boat. Being a larger person I admit I was scared. Personally I thought the weight was not evenly distributed. However that is my personal opinion. Once I was over the initial fear I enjoyed the tour on the water. I recommend this tour for anyone of all ages and sizes. Be prepared for steps there are a lot.

These col caves were just the thing. Two hours flew by. Debbie is s great guide. Loved seeing absolute dark at the innermost part on the boat ride. Absolute silence not so much since we were with about a dozen people. Great gift shop for souvenirs for the grand kids back home.

Really cool tour! Saw lots of old bones. Our tour guide was extremely informative and entertaining. Ask for Debbie to be your guide!