Linville Caverns in Marion, North Carolina

Marion, NC is a small and quiet town tucked away in the mountains of North Carolina about 20 to 25 miles from Morganton, NC. Linville Caverns is located in Marion, NC and is an attraction that all locals and tourists should experience!

Linville Caverns offer an affordable, family experience unlike any other. The admission is just $6 for adults and kids under 4 are free. Senior citizens and children have reduced rates. The attraction is open year round and the caverns have a year round temperature of 52 degrees. Parking is free, but limited. We had a hard time finding a parking space and actually drove around in circles a few times until one became available.

You purchase your tickets from the gift shop and then wait in the line, which was rather long when we visited. The line moved quickly though because groups leave the "station" every 5 minutes. A trained guide takes 15 guests through the caverns at one time. The tour lasts approximately 30-35 minutes and the guide explains about the different formations. One drawback that we noticed was that while we did get a chance to see all of the exhibits, the tour was rushed. The guides are on a schedule and there was not time to just stand and look at the different types of formations and crevices located inside of the cavern. It would be nice if you could go through the cavern at your leisure and spend quality time inside.

The tour guide was very friendly and seemed very knowledgeable about the history of the cavern. There was a point during the tour that all of the lights were turned off so that you can experience total darkness. Once our gide turned off the light, there was complete darkness and you could not even see your hand moving in front of your face. At that point, the guide stated that we were one and half miles beneath the mountain!

There is a gift shop with various souveniers and restrooms onsite. A quiet stream winds behind the caverns and offers a nice setting for a picnic or photograph.