15 caves in Kentucky run public tours. Here is what each one is like and how to visit.
Updated 2026-10-22. 15 of 15 checked in full against official sources.
A national park with more than a dozen ranger-led cave tours, from a $12 Discovery Tour to a $79 Wild Cave crawl, at around 54°F underground.
Mammoth Cave, KY, 54°F inside, from $15
Kentucky's only underground boat tour: a 20-minute guided walk followed by a 25-minute boat ride, an hour north of Nashville.
Bowling Green, KY, 57°F inside
A Kentucky state resort park with several cave tours (X Cave and Cascade Cave year-round, Saltpetre and Bat Cave in summer) plus caves you can explore with a permit.
Kentucky, from $10
A small cave in Cave City, Kentucky with quick 30-minute tours at around 60°F.
Cave City, KY, 60°F inside, from $12.50
A cave inside Mammoth Cave National Park, off exit 48, with one-hour guided tours of a half-mile loop at 58°F, open year-round.
Park City, KY, 58°F inside, from $24
A cave on Prewitts Knob Road in Cave City with one-hour, half-mile guided tours at 58°F.
Cave City, KY, 58°F inside, from $18.99
A cave in Horse Cave, Kentucky, off I-65 exit 58, with the free American Cave Museum on site and what it calls the world's longest swinging underground bridge.
Horse Cave, KY, from $26
Mammoth Onyx Cave at the Kentucky Down Under animal park, an easy guided tour with 144 stairs, included with park admission.
Horse Cave, KY, 58°F inside
A separate cave inside Mammoth Cave National Park with stalactites, gypsum crystals and helictites, seen only on the summer weekend Great Onyx Lantern Tour.
Kentucky, from $31
A summer-only Carter Caves tour of half a mile with about 30 stairs, plus lantern and crawling tours.
Kentucky, from $10
A Kentucky cave reported as closed to visitors; there are no current public tours we can confirm.
Kentucky. Permanently closed
The longest regular tour at Carter Caves State Resort Park: three-quarters of a mile with 225 stairs, year-round.
Kentucky, from $12
Now the Crumps Cave Research and Education Preserve, a 2.1-acre Western Kentucky University site near Smiths Grove used for karst and groundwater research. It isn't run as a show cave.
Smiths Grove, KY
A small cave tour on Mammoth Cave Road in Cave City, run alongside horseback trail rides and mini golf.
Cave City, KY, from $9
| Cave | Inside | Adult ticket | Run by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mammoth Cave National Park | 54°F | $15 | National park / federal |
| Lost River Cave | 57°F | not yet checked | Privately operated |
| Carter Caves State Park | not yet checked | $10 | State park |
| Onyx Cave | 60°F | $12.50 | Privately operated |
| Diamond Caverns | 58°F | $24 | Privately operated |
| Crystal Onyx Cave | 58°F | $18.99 | Privately operated |
| Hidden River Cave | not yet checked | $26 | Privately operated |
| Kentucky Caverns | 58°F | not yet checked | Privately operated |
| Great Onyx Cave | not yet checked | $31 | National park / federal |
| Saltpetre Cave | not yet checked | $10 | State park |
| Cub Run Cave | not yet checked | not yet checked | Privately operated |
| X Cave | not yet checked | $10 | State park |
| Cascade Cavern | not yet checked | $12 | State park |
| Cave Spring Caverns | not yet checked | not yet checked | Privately operated |
| Outlaw Cave Tours | not yet checked | $9 | Privately operated |
15 show caves run public tours. We leave out wild caves that are closed, gated or need a permit.
Closed shoes with grip, because paths are often wet. Most caves stay between the high 40s and low 70s °F all year, so a light layer is enough.
