Dunbar Cave Tours
Tours of Dunbar Cave are offered seasonally, from May through the end of September (VR tour is available year-round). To go into the cave, you must purchase a tour ticket. Reservations for tour tickets are highly recommended as they frequently sell out.
Flashlights (no cell phones) are required for each person on all tours except the VR tour. Flashlights are available for purchase in our gift shop. Our cave is a sacred place for indigenous people; therefore, photography inside is not allowed.
There are multiple tours to choose from with varying difficulty levels and minimum ages for children.
We're excited to offer 4 new tours in Summer 2023
Enter the Underworld
Focusing on the spiritual connection indigenous people have with the cave, we descend into another world. One of darkness, power, and mystery. Participants will view 800-year-old Mississippian artwork and learn how people have interacted with the cave over thousands of years. This tour has uneven terrain and slippery floors. Some crouching is necessary. Flashlights (no cellphones) are required. Children must be at least 5 years old to participate.
- Duration: 1 hour
- Age Limit: 5 years or older
- Cost:
- $18 per adult (13 years or older)
- $13 per child (5 - 12 years old)
- Dates of Tour:
- May - June 4th: Weekends (Saturday/Sunday) Only
- June 9th - August 31st: Every day of the week
- September 1st - 30th: Weekends (Saturday/Sunday) Only
- Times will vary by date chosen. Please make a reservation to reserve your time slot.
Unknown Realms
Explore places like Peterson's Leap, Lovers' Leap, Rocky Mountain Route, Bell Witch Chamber, Egyptian Grotto, and Counterfeiters' Den. You will learn the stories and legends that developed as Dunbar Cave became the social hotspot of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This tour is rugged, with stairs and uneven, slippery floors. Moderate crouching is necessary. Flashlights (no cellphones) are required. Children must be at least 8 years old to participate.
- Duration: 2 hours
- Age Limit: 8 years or older
- Cost:
- $36 per person (8 years or older)
- Dates of Tour:
- June 9th - September 30th: Weekends (Saturday/Sunday) at 2:00 pm CST
Spray Hall
Cross the River Styx, navigate the narrow Domes Passage, and squeeze through the fissure to reach Spray Hall. Where you may get misted by water spraying from the ceiling. This tour is rugged, with uneven, slippery floors. Extensive crouching is necessary. Some tight squeezes and crawling. Flashlights (no cellphones are required. Children must be at least 8 years old to participate.
- Duration: 1 hour
- Age Limit: 8 years or older
- Cost:
- $18 per adult (ages 13 years or older)
- $13 per child (ages 8 - 12)
- Dates of Tour:
- June 9th - September 30th: Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 3:00 pm CST
Virtual Reality Tour
Designed specifically for visitors with mobility challenges, now everyone can experience Dunbar Cave. Using VR headsets, you will tour Dunbar Cave from the comfort of our Visitor Center. This is a 360-degree immersive film of our Enter the Underworld tour and focuses on the indigenous peoples' use of the cave, including the Mississippian artwork. Duration is forty-five minutes and is recommended for ages 10 and up. Some participants may experience motion sickness.
- Duration: 45 minutes
- Age Limit: 10 years or older
- Cost:
- $9 per person
- Dates of Tour: This tour is available on demand during park office hours, 8 am – 4:30 pm CST, seven days a week.
Due to the presence of White Nose Syndrome (WNS) in our cave, clean caving protocols are in effect. Learn more.