Such an amazing sight to see! On our trip to Chattanooga, this place was a must-see. Maybe it's a tourist trap, but I certainly enjoyed it as I enjoy all things nature. It's not an expensive attraction but if you're claustrophobic, this ain't it for you. The elevator takes you down into the cave with your group. You walk through narrow passageways, all the while the tour guide is sharing tidbits of the history behind Ruby Falls. Sometimes there will be a returning group who has to cross the path going back up, so you're standing very close to each other-see the comment about being claustrophobic above. But the falls makes up for it and you remember why you came- to see this amazing underground waterfall! I'm not sure if I would go back since I've been once. But it's definitely worth it if you've never been and you're a nature fanatic like me! read more

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Cattle call! So disappointed! Big groups, ten minute intervals, keep it moving, make that money. My daughter and son-in-law kept telling me beforehand about how nice it was. At the end, they were sorry we went. The slow pace, dramatic musical build up before the falls are lit, walking behind the falls, time to enjoy things-all gone. It was spring break madness I experienced growing up in Fort Lauderdale. Maybe it's different in an "off season" setting. For us-total disappointment. read more

Great attraction. It was a good tour but a lot of people were there too. You experience a few I interruptions during the tour but nothing that bad. Lots of opportunities for photos and video clips. Nice souvenir shop at the end. read more

Way, way too many people in our tour; the back of our group could neither see nor hear the guide. We spent far more time standing around waiting on other groups than doing anything else, and repeatedly had to flatten ourselves along the cavern walls to let other groups squish past. The time spent at the actual falls was too short, especially for what we paid. This tour should have taken half the time. read more

My husband found this pit stop on the way to our Hilton Head vacation and I am so glad we stopped! What a unique experience. I love that it was also a cave tour but there were clear walkways and I only felt claustrophobic one time. My son loved that the rock formations had cute names like eggs and bacon or elephant foot. I would recommend this for a fun day trip! read more

Ruby Falls - Rock formations - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

Pricy for the tour but worth every penny. Tyler was an awesome guide. The experience at the fall is breathtaking. Watch your head, my hubby is 6'2" and cracked his head. His fault for not looking ahead. read more

Ruby Falls - At Ruby Falls - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

I recently was visiting friends in Tennessee and we stopped in at Ruby Falls. This is more of an attraction than hike to a waterfall as it is a paid entrance to a privately owned cave with a waterfall inside. There is parking and a gorgeous view and with your cave tour ticket you make climb to the lookout on top of the castle turret. Unbeknownst to me you must reserve a timed entrance to the cave with a tour guide. This did throw off our plans for touring only slightly (you can reserve online ahead of time or purchase via kiosks on the premises. Our guide was so friendly and fun but we did have trouble hearing him much of the time and that was disappointing as I was had paid to hear the tour and learn about the history of the cave. There was also a lot of waiting while groups passed each other that was fairly tedious and could be avoided with a different tour schedule. Many of the cave features have been compromised by previous visitors. Still a fun spot to visit however. read more

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Charging $85 for 2 adults & a child to come through here..... take you for less than 1 full mile, taking 2 hours just for that distance? The name is incredibly misleading- there are NO rubies here. My family was intending to go to the place with rocks in the caves, this was not it. It was also not worth the experience & we will never return. They took our photos, eyes were closed & kids were not looking. They said "we are going to take your photos" then kept saying, "your photos will be there when you get back up" they handed us our photos, and said "that will be an additional $35" There was 1 photo that was good, we tried to take a picture of that because we weren't going to pay $35 for ONE photo. They said "no photos allowed" it costs $0.00 to mind your business, especially when you have signs everywhere that you "appreciate tips for exceptional service" They handed us a ticket and said it gives us access to an incredible tower, but when we got up they said "it is closed" Nothing about this experience nor service has been exceptional. We ordered coffee from the cafe, and the people behind the counters are repeatedly saying, "it keeps coming out clear!" It was the worst coffee I have ever tasted in my life, a truly sorry excuse. Got the white chocolate cold brew & the French vanilla cold brew. Took one sip and instantly said "oh Hell no" I will never return but the food did smell good, don't know if it is & will never find out read more

Ruby Falls - Rock - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

OK. It's pretty simple. Buy a timed session ticket. Take an elevator 250 feet below ground level. Walk 1/2 mile to Ruby Fall while your guide tells corny (and sometimes funny) jokes. Enjoy the falls and lightshow. Walk back to the elevator in a permanent 60 degree Fahrenheit environment while listening to more jokes, then back up to ground level. The tour takes about 90 minutes and is conducted at a very casual pace. There are interesting sights to see that are formed by nature during your tour, so you will not be bored. Everyone should do it at least once in their lifetime. Nature is the best! read more

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If you're on a road trip in Tennessee, you won't want to miss Ruby Falls! One of those quintessential roadside attractions, you might see a highway sign or two for Ruby Falls but don't let that turn you off, it's worth the hour or two of your time! But just be aware, you should make reservations online if you want to visit. Grab a parking space outside and head on over to the castle-like turret structure. Inside you'll grab your ticket and queue up in the gift shop. Rocks, anodes, trinkets, you'll likely run into a bunch of hyperactive school children milling about before your name gets called. Head down the hallway to an elevator and you'll be dropped 260' underground to the cool and moist caverns below. If you're claustrophobic, watch out! The passageways are not super narrow and the path is pretty flat but you may get the heebie-jeebies if you're not prepared. You'll pass a variety of interesting rock formations before you hit Ruby Falls, a 145' underground waterfall with music and lights to create a majestic presentation as a reward for the underground hike. You'll have five minutes or so for pictures and selfies before you head back out, past the incoming groups. Overall it's a fun, educational and entertaining visit that I'd do again. The guides are talented and will spin up some tales as you move underground. And yes, once the elevators did break down and people were stuck underground overnight but apparently now there's an emergency exit if another mechanical failure were to occur so fret not. Ruby Falls is certainly worth the time and money and you get to explore Chattanooga if you need more to do! read more

Ruby Falls - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

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I love caves, so this was such an amazing experience! The only negative was that they had tours coming and going at the same time, which made things a bit uncomfortable at times in such close quarters. People would have to be up against the cave walls at times and "cozy" with strangers. But definitely worth it! read more

Ruby Falls - Ruby Falls - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

The history behind Ruby Falls is pretty cool to learn. Jim was an amazing tour guide and is very knowledgeable on our history tour. It's definitely worth the extra few bucks. Make sure you have on good walking shoes. You do a lot of walking. read more

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This is my second time visiting Ruby Falls and it's still just as breathtaking! The first time I visited Ruby Falls I wanted to give my kids an experience they would never forget they were 5 and 8 years old at the time and to my surprise here they are 18 and and 15 now and they wanted to revisit Ruby Falls ! Yay!! They were able to get a better understanding of course by them being older and again the underground waterfalls is an amazing sight! Exploring the caves and different rock formations is an experience as well. I like the fact that you view a video explanation of how Ruby Falls was discovered before your cave adventure begins. Definitely a great attraction! 5/5 check out my video, follow, and SYOY! read more

I had been too many caves in US but haven't been to one that has a waterfalls so on my way to Nashville from Atlanta, I had to make it on my list. It wasn't disappointed except for the tour is too short. Our tour guide " sorry couldn't remember the name but it was an old man. Maybe Dave?) has a time scheduled so he kept rushing the group to keep walking. It was so fascinating so we all had to stopped and looked Can't imagine to go down 26th floor down from the ground to see a waterfall. Amazing. Definitely a good choice to visit the Ruby Falls. read more

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This is an amazing and Beautiful place to visit. The history is presented in an easy way that our youngest child was re telling the story. It moved a little fast for a big framed guy squeezing through the low tight spaces of the cave but it was great!!! read more

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What a beautiful and unique experience. My boyfriend and I took a trip to Nashville and decided to road trip to Chattanooga so we could visit Ruby Falls. Who wouldn't want to see an underground waterfall?! Everything was so organized and very well executed. We joined our tour not fully knowing what to expect but were constantly reassured about the safety of the excursion which seemed extra believable given the amount of children who also attended. Anyway, we used these nice elevators to descend to our starting point and walked the narrow and entertaining path that featured unique rock formations. When we eventually reached the waterfall, it was breathtaking! Well worth every penny and footstep. They even have an incredible light show setup in there to add a little razzle dazzle. After taking many photos and enjoying the ambience of the unbelievable sight, we made our way back to the lobby with our tour group. Before leaving, we grabbed a snack from their cafeteria and also visited their observatory which has a castle like feel to it. It was honestly such a great experience and I highly recommend going if you can! read more

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Had fun zip lining and walking the caves with our great tour guide katelyn greene (im sorry if I butchered your name) she was really nice and friendly and knowledgeable of ruby falls . Nice spot for a family get away together or a couples getaway . Nothing too fancy or expensive for that matter . Just enjoy the vibes take in scenery. It does feel a little commercially in regards to the experience but it's not that bad . If you're in the area it's something to do when there's nothing to do . I'd come back with family or something for sure . read more

While it is very touristic , Ruby Falls is a mesmerizing underground waterfall, despite having only a five minute allotment to view. You descend 260 feet into the ground, while walking through narrow passageways. I thoroughly enjoyed the tour. However, there were several factors that attributed to the pleasant experience. Trinity, our tour guide was very lively & humorous making it a very energetic & fun tour. It is true that they rotate groups like clock work through the cave. With such narrow passageways, each group will have to stand to one side while the other passes. However, it's not a constant thing that's disruptive. You will proceed rather quickly, so get your pics in while you can. The maximum number in a group is 38 people, which is a lot! But, my recommendation is to book in advance online your preferred time slot. When it's closer to the day you book or even the day of you booked, check to see how many tickets are left in your group. That way you can see whether you're in a large group. If your schedule permits this time change, you can find another time slot that has only a few people in it. They allow you to switch your time slots either by calling or via your online portal. I was able to switch to the slot at a later time that only had a total of 11 people including us. It's better to call that way you can get real time booking. You can only purchase tickets online, although it's mentioned tickets can be purchased at the kiosk onsite. I would verify this though. I suggest trying to get in the front of the group, so you can hear the guide, otherwise you will have a challenge trying to hear, especially if you're in a large group. Plus being at the front of the group will ensure you will have time to take pics in front of the waterfall if in a large group. Ours was small so that wasn't an issue. Hint: If you want to be at the front of the group, board the elevator closer to the end of the group, so if you're the last one in, you'll be one of the first to enter the cave. Once you get to the waterfall it's dark, until the five minute light show comes on. In a way it's cool, but somewhat cheapening. There's no way you would see the waterfall if there wasn't any lighting. But at the same time it does make the waterfall look cool, even though it's turned into a show. Not going to lie, it was a WOW moment once the light came on and the waterfall appeared. I have been to Luray Caverns in VA but I enjoyed the caves of Ruby Falls more because it felt more "-adventurous" & exploratory, as well as the formations are really cool. Don't forget to check out the observation tower that's included in the admission price. I wouldn't necessarily say the view from there is spectacular, but check it out anyway. The tower doesn't have accessibility to the top, there's an elevator that leads to the second floor outside but the rest are only stairs to get to the actual top. There's a lot of parking close to the entrance & more across the street. There are plenty of clean bathrooms within the large gift shop & one in the cafe. There is food available in the cafe, however I didn't purchase anything there. There isn't public transportation to Ruby Falls so you will either need to rent a car or book a tour via a tour company. I would allow 2 hours at the least onsite when planning, including the tower. 2hr 15min - 2hr 30 min at the most. read more

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Ok, so this rating is really for what's at the end - Ruby Falls. The cave system is ok, but it's the falls that make it worth it. Choose your time and purchase tix on line. Check in desk is at the main building that also houses the cafe and gift shop. You'll walk around a mile or so total. The guide will crack corny jokes. If you are six foot or taller, mind the low slung ceiling in a few parts. The falls are a sight to see. If you're in the Chattanooga area, it's worth a trip. Not as overall spectacular as some cave systems, but the falls are unique. read more

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Amazing!!! Never gets old! Must see if you are in the area or nearby! Make sure to wear sneakers or tennis shoes

Great place to visit a few times throughout the year and definitely take friends and visitors! They do a wonderful job with their holiday lights during different holidays. I wish the restaurant was more memorable, the view is incredible! read more

Trying to get on time to your scheduled slot is different, especially with the time zone change, and SO many stops to let exiting groups pass by. Our guide Kingston wasn't very enthusiastic like the other guides we overhead. Once we got to the fall it took a minutes for the light to come on and once it did seemed like it was on for 5 mins and then we left, we couldn't even get a group photos without others in it. It felt like it took an hour to get to the fall and 10 mins to exit. read more

From tour guide to the walk in the caves was truly wonderful. We enjoyed seeing the waterfalls it was nice to see natures creation and shop in the gift shop. read more

Ruby Falls - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

I went here by myself when I was exploring Tennessee a couple years ago and it was on my bucket list because it was a cavern with a waterfall! It did not disappoint! The tour guide was very informational and they allowed me to do a walk-in for the next tour. Supposedly this was built for a woman as a gentleman was exploring. read more

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The tour is advertised as a 90 minute exploration, but they don't tell you that one hour is spent just standing still waiting for your group to catch up and letting other groups pass by you. The entire experience could've been completed within 30 minutes. It was a complete waste of time and way too expensive. The tour guides did a good job but the entire experience felt like a scam. You get to see the waterfall for about 5 minutes before they force you out. read more

A very hostile environment. The lady at the counter kept staring at us with the meanest face you could possibly make. My family and I had a great experience on the tour, but at the end when you receive your photos the lady is very rude and unpleasant. My youngest daughter snapped a pic of the photo they took of us, the lady in a very rude unprofessional way told her not to. She could've politely asked her not to. When we made a complaint all the person did was smile... and the lady that was staring us just followed us to hear the complaint. read more

What a wonderful place! So you drive up lookout mountain and Ruby falls is a waterfall inside a cave. You must buy tickets online or you can go inside and they have kiosks where you can purchase tickets. They have many tours running throughout the day, so there are plenty of times to choose from. Once inside you're taken by elevator down inside the cave. You'll have a tour guide to take you through and give you the history of the cave which has been open for public tours since the 1930s. The indoor waterfall is the end of tour then you're lead back to the front of the cave to leave. The waterfall is lit up with colors that change. Once your group session is over, they turn the lights off, so be sure to get some good pictures... I recommend being in the front of the line so once you reach the cave you can hurry and snap a photo before the rest of the group comes rushing in. The inside temperature of the cave is 60 degrees year round. You don't need a coat but a light jacket should be okay if you want, though it's not necessary. I'm 6'2 and had to squat at times to get throughout the cave but it wasn't an unpleasant experience. I mean, you're in an underground cave so ducking is necessary but you won't have to do any crawling. There's a cafe on site to eat if hungry and a gift shop to buy souvenirs. Upon exiting the tour, they have your pictures for sale. I recommend climbing to the top of the tower for a nice view of the city. They have ziplining nearby as well but I'm not sure if it's affiliated with the company who runs the tours. Get here soon! I think you'll like it. read more

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Nice your and impressive under ground water fall. The walk wasn't too bad. The only thing I didn't like was the close quarters when you had to pass another group. However, the tour guides worked together to make it a pleasant tour. Very professional and fun. I would recommend but warn this is not for very tall people. The walk height is no higher than 5'7 in most of the walking trail. Only four stars because it was very crowded and if you're in the back you won't hear any of the tour guides information. read more

I still love Ruby falls. I've been here about 5 times over the years, all during different times. We arrived about an hour before they close and we had no issues. It was really nice because the palace was pretty empty. Surprising for a holiday weekend. They open for the Christmas lights next week, so that may be part of it. The whole process has changed since I was here last. You make your cave your reservation's online. No more hour long wait in line to get tickets. They added a cafe where the old gift shop used to be and expanded the shop. They also changed the entrance to the lookout tower. There is a zip line option too. read more

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So we came here to check on the had to must do cave in ruby falls. We walked up, there is a castle above the cave which you learned about later was built with limestone used when they excavated the cave. Anyway, tickets are expensive, 25 a person but ok. We met our tour guide who was very sarcastic. Tall guy blonde. Anyway we walked a half a mile to the waterfall. It was pretty. Nothing that I would pay 25 dollars for. But along the way they had things labeled from the creations. This was a 1 time thing for me. Free parking and I don't know how you can give a natural thing 3 stars but ok? read more

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This is amazing. Highly recommend. The price is a little high to walk through the cave but the water fall is AMAZING. Kid friendly, be prepared to walk. read more

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Very cool waterfall! I wish it wasn't so commercialized, but definitely a cool adventure, read more

Ruby Falls - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

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2/17/23 FRIDAY (President's Day Weekend) Stopped at Ruby Falls as a person in our party recommended it. We expected to do a small walk to a waterfall. That's it! But there was so much more! WEATHER: We got there when it opened and it was around 35 degrees. The park was pretty empty but I can imagine it quite busy during the warmer months. The Spring foliage hadn't started to bloom so the focus was really on the engineering wonder of building this place. MILITARY DISCOUNT: YES LOCAL WINES: There is an area on your way out where you can sample some of the local wines. Our friends bought some and now I wished we had too. They also offer free samples. TIMELINE: There were 6 of us (no children) it took us about 2.hours tops but we didn't have to compete with the crowds and waiting for the scenic spots to take pictures along the way. The pictures speak for themselves. read more

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We visited on 12/18, the tour guide was not informative at all. His voice was very low and most of us couldn't hear him. When asked: where does the water come from? He says: from above. That's it. No other details. Yes we all know from above but where? We had to listen to another tour guide from another group to learn anything. read more

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I visited a few days ago on a trip up towards Tennessee with my family and some younger children and we had an absolute blast! Our tour guide, Russell, was so amazing and fun to be around! He made sure we all understood the history around us as we walked through the caves and made the experience 100x more memorable for all those of us, adults and children. He was full of facts about Ruby falls and jokes as well! We also happened to have our dog with us and the staff was so helpful and friendly when it came to accommodation for her! They offered us a kennel free of charge for her to stay in as we explored the tunnels which was fully shaded and had a bowl full of fresh water. Overall, it was such a cool experience with the nicest staff and prettiest views! Ps. To Russell, remember to duck! read more

Booked an after hours Friday night lantern tour for my visit to Chattanooga. My tour guide Jayden was awesome! Super knowledgeable about the history of the falls, very chatty, and made the experience cooler. Definitely recommend stopping here to experience this; it is cold in the cavern, so wear pants and/or a jacket. read more

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Go to the bathroom first. There are signs that let you know there no restrooms available during the 90-minute tour. A quick elevator ride down, and several tour groups are going through the area at the same time, so occasionally you will have to pause while one passes. Once you get to the falls, it is beautiful. You get a few minutes to view and take photos. It is a comfortable 60 degrees. read more

Ruby Falls - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Chattanooga, Tennessee

Ruby Falls was a really cool experience. I just happened to be there during the height of the Covid pandemic. The caverns are neat and the waterfall is beautiful. Good family fun. read more

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The cave was mostly cool, there were parts that just felt like a rock hallway, and I've seen 47 caves so I understand It can be like this but the fall was very pretty. HOWEVER during the dry season they pump the falls and so it kind of takes away from its natural beauty but it is still very cool. Our tour guide was amazing and as great fun, I can't remember his name but he knew what he was talking about and thought he was very fun. 6/10 would go again but only if somebody I was with wanted to. read more

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*Insert dad joke about chasing waterfalls here* Location and Parking Ruby Falls is part of Lookout Mountain, which boasts other attractions such as a zip line and observation tower. Parking is plentiful and free, but could be uphill and a long walk to the front door. Venue and Atmosphere You will enter through the gift shop (of course) and proceed all the way to the back where the restrooms and cave entrance are. There are no restrooms in the cave so please be prepared. A guide will lead you to the elevator which descends 26 stories in 30 seconds. Did your ears pop just reading that? The tour itself moves pretty fast, but our guide told funny jokes and made the time pass quickly. The tour lasts over one hour, but a lot of it is spent walking, waiting, and moving to the side so that other groups can pass. For the amount of time spent, I did think that there could be some more talking or information from the guide. Also, most of the groups seemed rather large to all be in a narrow cave at once. There are colorful lights to present rock formations along the way, some of which have cute names such as "dragon's foot" or "steak and potatoes." When you get to the actual waterfall, there are several safety rules, undoubtedly inspired by people who tried to swim, fish, or bathe in the waterfall (none of those things are allowed by the way). You get a certain amount of time to take as many photos as you wish, and the guide will give a one minute warning. The walk back is pretty much on your own, and your guide will meet you at the elevator for some final jokes and then you will exit through the gift shop (of course). Bonus: there is an observation tower with beautiful views of the river and city. Food and Beverages There is a cafe available but my friends and I had just eaten brunch so we didn't try it. I did smell the pizza from the bottom of the elevator in the cave though... hopefully that counts for something. Service Our guide was friendly and told dad jokes. That's all I needed to get through the day. Verdict The waterfall is beautiful, but the tour didn't flow at a good pace and the whole experience seemed "Disney-fied." The observation tower had beautiful views of the city and was worth the 3 flights of stairs. They say you have to have a ticket to go up there, but no one checked our tickets at all. You didn't hear that from me though... read more

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