Kentucky Cave Restored: Hidden River Cave and American Cave Museum

Just about an hour south of Louisville, Kentucky, Hidden River Cave and American Cave museum is a large Kentucky cave that is a fascinating place to visit for cave enthusiasts or curious visitors.

Hidden River Cave is part of the large cave system in Horse Cave, Kentucky. It used to be billed as the "world's largest cave opening" when the town of Horse Cave was built around the cave as a tourist city in the 1800's.

In the 1940's, the cave was closed due to pollution. It was fifty years before the American Cave Conservation Association and the city of Horse cave came to the rescue of this Kentucky cave and restored it. The restoration was so remarkable that the story was featured in Reader's Digest.

The museum is 5, 000 square feet and includes exhibits that cover models of cave animals, Native American cave explorers, modern cave exploration, the history of Horse Cave and Mammoth Cave in addition to the Kentucky Cave Wars. Visitors to this museum can also learn about groundwater science and the mining that has been done in Ky caves.

There are several ways to explore this Kentucky cave. Guided tours leave from the museum every hour, although sometimes during the summer they leave more frequently. Tours include the one hour long "Hidden River Cave Tour", which includes the cave and the museum. There is also the self guided American cave Museum Tour which includes a stroll through the museum. In addition to these, there is a the wheelchair accessible tour which includes the museum and the cave entrance. If you are a bit more enduring, there are 2 or 3 hour caving adventure tours available.

For groups of ten or more, the adventure tours allow visitors to truly experience a "caving" adventure. Participants must be at least 12 years of age and have to wear gloves, boots, and warm clothes that can get muddy. These tours are not suggested for anyone with breathing problems or claustrophobia as some of them include crawling, bending, and small areas. The adventure tours begin at $25 and the price ranges to $125 which includes a trip to Sunset Dome, the largest room in Hidden River Cave. Some of the adventure tours allow for visitors to view blind the cave fish and crayfish that inhabit the Kentucky cave. Helmets with lamps are provided.

This Kentucky cave also offers educational programs for all school ages. Educational programs at the cave require a minimum of ten people in the group and cost $4 per program. Programs include learning about karst landscapes, archeology techniques, cave tours, fossils and exploring and more.

Workshops can also be arranged for teachers and educators to come to this Kentucky cave to receive training, information, curriculum guides and more. To supplement teachings, there are also outreach programs available. Representatives from Hidden River Cave will come to your classroom and teach your students about things like bats, karst landscapes, ecosystems and more. The outreach programs cost $75 (plus mileage if you are outside of a 35 mile radius from Horse Cave, Kentucky). Curriculum guides for middle school or high school students can also be ordered from their website.

The museum is located at 119 East Main St in Horse Cave, Kentucky. Horse Cave is at exit 58 on Interstate 65. They are open daily from 9 am - 5 pm (central time), but are open until 7 pm from Memorial Day through Labor Day. You can also visit their website at www.cavern.org