I love that the Hidden River Cave is pet friendly. Your furry friend can come down in the cave and…read morein the gift shop. The staff was so excited to see my pup walk in. The gift shop is cute. It isn't large but they have a good selection. The promos are they have the longest underground suspended bridge. I am adraid of heights and was nervous most about this part of the tour. The girls were understanding and talked me through if I wasn't able to take on the bridge. This is a guided tour about a mile long. The entrance is so beautiful. It is like walking into a secret garden. The river is gorgeous and the water sounds so soothing. When we got to the bridge it wasn't as bad as my mind was making it out to be. It is high but the darkness of the cave made it harder to see how high up you are. The bridge felt really stable and didn't shake as much as I was expecting. This is a beautiful cave. The tour was fantastic. My pup loved the tour and had a blast cave exploring.

For the last couple years my wife and I have taken to doing cave tours. We've done several in the…read morearea and only made it to Hidden River Cave & American Cave Museum recently. Unlike some cave attractions, you have to make a reservation to visit Hidden River. It's easy via their website. Once you arrive you can check in at the desk and then tour the museum and gift shop before your cave tour begins. The museum is self-guided and is two stories' worth of exhibits. There's a staircase that takes you down to the lower level where you'll find just as many exhibits as their is on the main floor. Everything is presented nicely, well lit, and informative. Shortly before your tour begins your tour guide will introduce himself, give you a brief overview of the cave, and then do a Q&A before heading to the cave entrance. This cave tour begins by descending some steps. A Lot of steps. The opening is very impressive, and as you ascend you can feel the temperature drop. A brief pause at the bottom of the steps and our tour guide pointed out some of the machinery left over from various uses of the cave in the past. Then it's into the cave. I love cave tours because it puts you in a place that's nothing but history. They're made by nature, often hidden for centuries, and, for all intents and purposes, somewhere that man isn't really intended to go...but we're Mankind and we do that kind of thing. Once inside the cave there are areas that are expansive and areas that are terrifically narrow. I love large, open spaces underground. Sometimes you have to remind yourself that your anywhere from 50 to over 100 feet below surface. In a fashion, it's a bit humbling. At the same time, you have to remind yourself that you're actually below a downtown area. The suspended bridge was definitely a highlight of this cave tour. Cleverly designed and installed, I'd almost consider an underground wonder. A little further along you come to the Sunset Dome, and the farther point of your tour. The Sunset Dome is a beautiful space. I just had to stop and listen to the silence. Nothing but silence, running was from an underground steam, and the occasional drop of water from above (a cave kiss). If only the others on our tour would have been to appreciate it more. After the Sunset Dome you hit rewind and head back along the same path you just took on the way in. Back cross the suspended bridge. Then back to the bottom of the staircase....which you now need to walk up. And there are A LOT of stairs. It was tough, I'm not going to lie. I'm in pretty good shape and I had to stop twice on the way up. Once you're up to the top you have a chance to visit the gift shop again and purchase a souvenir or two. I don't recall our tour guide's name, but he was pretty good. He did spent a fair amount of time patting himself on the back, stating at least 4 times that how long he'd been doing these tours and how he considered himself an expert. Weird flex, but ok. It was still a good tour and I'm glad we were finally able to get to Hidden River Cave.