15 Best Caves in Minnesota
Minnesota is a cave lover’s paradise. It’s home to well over 100 fascinating caves and ice caves just waiting to be explored. As a native Minnesotan and experienced caver, I’ve had the thrill of visiting many of these subterranean wonders.
Many cavities in Minnesota can be unstable and dangerous. That’s why I’m highlighting Minnesota’s amazing show caves, such as Mystery Cave and Niagara Cave, which offer guided tours along set, lit paths. Most of Minnesota’s natural caves are tucked into the limestone and sandstone bluffs of the Driftless Area in the southeast corner of the state.
But Minnesota offers more than just natural caverns. Some of the most extensive caves here are man-made, carved out long ago for mining, brewing, mushroom farming, and even nightclubs.
Experienced cavers can find hidden gems in Minnesota if they know where to look and take precautions. I’ve been lucky enough to stumble upon a few of these secluded caves on my own hikes.
Whenever I see a hole in the wall, I always get a bit apprehensive about what I might find inside.
Updated for 2026: Big news this year. The Soudan Underground Mine tours are finally back after flooding closed them for two seasons, and Mystery Cave added a brand-new Advanced Education Tour. I’ve updated prices, seasons, and tour details for every cave below.
Best Caves in Minnesota
There are two types of caves in Minnesota: natural and man-made. Natural forming caves are found in soft bedrock, and they can be anything from a few feet deep to thousands of feet deep.
They are hiding all over the state, including under Minneapolis. These have classic characteristics like nonuniform walls and stalagmites and stalactites.
Man-made caves were created for various needs over the years. Most were due to storage needs, refrigeration, and mining. But that doesn’t stop the fun of exploring then.
Best Caves in Minnesota
There are two types of caves in Minnesota: natural and man-made. Natural caves form when water slowly dissolves or washes out soft bedrock like limestone and sandstone. They can be anything from a few feet deep to miles long.
They are hiding all over the state, including under downtown Minneapolis. These have classic characteristics like uneven walls, flowstone, stalagmites, and stalactites.
Man-made caves were created for various needs over the years. Most were dug for storage, refrigeration, and mining. But that doesn’t stop the fun of exploring them.
Minnesota Caves You Can Actually Tour in 2026
| Cave | Location | 2026 Season | Adult Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mystery Cave | Preston | May 9 – Oct 18 | $15 + $7 park permit |
| Niagara Cave | Harmony | May 1 – Nov 1 | About $24 (tax incl.) |
| Jordan Brewery Caves | Jordan | Year-round | Free |
| Soudan Underground Mine | Soudan | May 23 – Oct 18 | $15 |
| Wabasha Street Caves | St. Paul | Year-round | From $15 |
| The Salt Cave | Minneapolis | Year-round | About $40 per session |
| Boom Site Cave | Stillwater | Year-round (self-guided) | Free |
Prices and dates were checked in fall 2026 and can change, so confirm with each site before you go.
Wabasha Street Caves
The Wabasha Street Caves are probably the most well-known caves in Minnesota. They were carved into the sandstone bluffs along the Mississippi in the 1800s, when crews mined the soft rock for silica sand. The walls still show the wavy, layered lines left behind in the sandstone.
Over the years, they served as a mushroom farm and as storage space. During their prime, there were two nightclubs inside.
Opening in the 1930s, around the end of Prohibition, Mystic Caverns and the Castle Royal were very popular. The eerie story of the Castle Royal is what makes it truly haunting.
Legend says a group of gangsters had a shootout inside. When the young woman at the front heard the commotion, she called the cops and was told to lock the door and wait outside.
Interestingly enough, when the cops got there, they found no sign of trouble.
The rumor is they used the back tunnels to hide the bodies. Today, visitors say they’ve seen the gangsters and even heard bands playing. Guides will point out what are said to be bullet holes in the wall.
Today you can take a guided tour of the caves to find out more about their history. The Historic Cave Tour runs about 45 minutes to an hour, and tours are offered most days of the week.
Wabasha Street Caves Tours and Prices (2026)
- Historic Cave Tour: from $15 per person
- Lost Souls Tour: from $20, the spookier history-and-ghost-story version
- Saint Paul Gangster Tour: from $55, a 2-hour bus tour of St. Paul’s gangster hangouts (ages 8+)
- Troll Tales: $11, a kid-focused tour with a friendly troll, usually the second Sunday of the month, March through September
- Swing Dance Night: Thursday evenings, with a free lesson before the band starts
This is a lot of fun and safe for kids. The caves are heated to room temperature and the paths are flat, so people of any athletic ability can do it. There are no kids’ discounts on the regular tour, so Troll Tales is the better pick for little ones.
During the summer and around Halloween, these tours sell out quickly! To reserve your tour click here.
Stillwater Boom Site Cave
The Stillwater Boom Site Cave formed naturally in the sandstone cliffs along the St. Croix River. It’s about 75 feet deep, 15 feet wide, and roughly 7 feet high.
From 1856 to 1914, the St. Croix Boom Company used this spot to catch, sort, and bundle the logs floating down the river before sending them on to the sawmills. Billions of board feet of white pine passed through here.
Loggers soon decided to carve out more of the cliffside, enlarging the cave to use as a storage room.
The Boom Site was named a National Historic Landmark in 1966, and today the cave is one of the most easily accessible caves in Minnesota. To visit, take Highway 95 about two miles north of downtown Stillwater. Take the first right past the St. Croix Boom Site historical marker to one of the two parking areas.
Take the stairway down to the river and swing a right. You’ll see it right away along the rock wall. As far as ease of access, this requires little to no hiking, just a staircase to climb. Expect some graffiti inside, and bring a flashlight if you want to see the back wall.
The cave is just one of the fun things to do at the Boom Site. I highly recommend checking out this link here to find out where the hidden waterfall is!
Wolf Brewery Cave in Stillwater
With a town full of loggers, the next natural evolution was for Stillwater to get a brewery. It presented another problem: how do you keep the beer cool?
In 1868, Martin Wolf built a small brewery into the bluffs of Stillwater. His brother Joseph Wolf took over in 1871, and after a fire destroyed most of the buildings in 1872, he rebuilt it into one of the state’s first steam-powered breweries.
The brewery was connected to a series of hand-dug caves, which were used to store beer and source spring water, harnessing nature’s own refrigeration. The cave system took about eight years to finish and was completed around 1880.
Prohibition eventually shut the brewery down. Over the years, the property has seen a few different owners. At one time, you could even take cave tours and do wine tastings inside.
Today, the Lora Hotel owns the property. The 40-room boutique hotel opened in 2018, and they have gone to great lengths to preserve the site’s past.
The original brewery walls, vaulted warehouse ceilings, and cave entrances that lead nowhere have all been preserved. The caves themselves are not open for tours, but you can see the old entrances and stonework while you grab a drink or a meal.
Make sure to stop in the next time you are in Stillwater.
Jordan Brewery Caves at Strains of the Earth
Stillwater isn’t the only Minnesota river town with brewery caves. Down in Jordan, you can walk through 1860s brewery caves for free.
In 1863, in the middle of the Civil War, Frank Nicolin built the Jordan Brewery into the bluff along Sand Creek. Workers carved caves into the hillside to keep kegs of beer at a steady 56 degrees all year round.
The brewery changed hands a few times, operating as Sand Creek Brewing and later under Peter Schultz and Peter Hilgers, until it closed for good in 1949.
After that, the old stone building survived a fire, floods, and a mudslide. The caves sat sealed off and mostly forgotten for about 50 years.
Today, the historic building is home to Strains of the Earth, a THC shop and lounge. The owners spent years restoring the space, then installed cedar walkways and lighting so visitors could safely explore. The caves opened to the public in 2024.
You’ll walk about 300 feet of passages with 14-foot ceilings, plus side pockets and openings to peek into. A tunnel once ran under the street to an old inn, but the city blocked it off for safety. There is no official tour. It will take about 5-10 minutes to explore.
The cave walk is free during the shop’s regular business hours. Bring a sweater, since it stays cool down there even in summer.
The caves are adjacent to the cannabis dispensary. The caves are open to all ages. Walk into the main building entrance and the cave is right up front. No tickets needed. Dispensary has a separate entrance on the right.
Schiek’s Cave
Schiek’s Cave is the biggest cave beneath downtown Minneapolis. It sits about 75 feet below the streets, under the city block near Marquette Avenue and 4th Street. It was named after Schiek’s, the famous old restaurant and club that sat above it.
A city sewer engineer named Carl Illstrup discovered it in 1904. City officials reportedly kept the cave quiet for years, worried people would panic that downtown was built on a hollow shell.
Since then, a few people have gone underground to visit it, including geologist Greg Brick, author of Subterranean Twin Cities. He was able to reach it through the city’s storm drains and sewer system.
This naturally formed sandstone cave is about a city block in length. Early accounts described it as shaped like an inverted bowl. Sewer workers even built a fake “cemetery” inside, complete with headstones.
Today, the cave is partly flooded with leaking sewage, and researchers found its groundwater runs much warmer than normal, a hidden “heat island” under the city. The city sealed off access in 2008, so this is one to enjoy from the sidewalk above.
Minnehaha Falls
The most visited cave in Minneapolis is the Minnehaha Falls Ice Cave. It is also illegal to visit, but that hasn’t stopped people.
This ice cave forms every winter behind the 53-foot waterfall. As the water freezes, it builds a curtain of ice that makes the appearance of an enclosed cave.
Each year, there is usually a section not sealed by the ice where people find their way in. From inside the cave, light shines through, creating amazing blue colors.
It’s this allure that brings visitors in, and some risk their lives to do it. Going off the trail to the base of the falls is prohibited in winter, which is why you’ll find barricades and no-trespassing signs.
The good news is you can still see the frozen falls up close from the overlook above them. Minnehaha Regional Park is free, and it’s an easy trip on the METRO Blue Line. Get off at the 50th St/Minnehaha Park station and it’s a short walk to the falls.
Every year people get injured at the falls, by ice falling. If you’d like to see the frozen waterfall safely, click here to find out more.
Chute’s Cave and the Pillsbury Tunnels
Chute’s Cave is a naturally formed sandstone cave with a unique history. It was found in 1866, when workers for Dr. Samuel Chute’s St. Anthony Falls Water Power Company broke into it while digging a mill tunnel.
It first gained notoriety in 1867, when a newspaper hoax spread across the country claiming the cave held secret chambers with hieroglyphics, a giant stone sarcophagus, and a sacrificial altar. It was quickly debunked.
In the late 1870s, the Chalybeate Springs resort turned it into a tourist attraction. For ten cents, you could ride in a boat with a flaming torch at the bow, 2,000 feet under Main Street between walls of white sandstone. It was Minneapolis’s first and only commercial show cave.
But the fun didn’t last. Around 1880, Pillsbury drove its own tunnels through the riverbank to help power its mill, and a roof collapse sealed off the old cave.
The cave and tunnel still exist today, but they are not open to the public. You can still get close to the riverfront where it all happened. We did so at Mill Ruins Park.
Mill Ruins Park is a lot of fun to explore. It’s smaller but there are plenty of things to see and do nearby. Make sure to check it out: Things to do at or near Mill Ruins Park in Minneapolis
Niagara Cave
Niagara Cave is just a few miles north of the Iowa border, outside of Harmony. It was discovered in 1924, when three pigs went missing from a local farm. They had fallen into a sinkhole, and when the farmer went down to rescue them, he found a huge cave underneath.
Three cavers from Decorah, Iowa, Joe Flynn, Leo Tekippe, and Al Cremer, explored and developed it. They opened it for tours in June 1934, and you can still visit today. Tours even start in the same room where the pigs landed.
Inside this natural cave, you’ll see a 60-foot underground waterfall, a wedding chapel where hundreds of couples have said “I do,” and stalactites and flowstone. All the best cave formations.
There are also fossils around 450 million years old inside the walls.
The one-hour guided tour covers about a mile and takes you nearly 200 feet below the surface. One of the coolest features is the canyon-like passages, with ceilings over 100 feet high. In 2015, it also became the first cave in the world to light its passages with solar power.
You’ll climb a few hundred steps in and out of the cave. That may not seem like a lot, but if you are carrying a child, it can be a lot. The cave is not wheelchair or stroller accessible.
2026 season: Open daily May 1 through November 1, with tours on select days in November. Reservations are recommended, especially on weekends, and you need to check in 15 to 30 minutes before your tour. There’s also mini golf and a gift shop on site.
If you are claustrophobic, I do not recommend this adventure. There are also tight spaces between the rocks. You may be required to walk sideways to get through spaces.
Minneapolis Salt Cave
Like alternative treatments? You’ll want to check out The Salt Cave in Minneapolis. It’s known for supporting relaxation and general wellness.
Opened in 2012 as Minnesota’s first salt cave, this man-made cave is lined with more than six tons of Himalayan crystal salt. A halogenerator fills the air with a dry aerosol of pharmaceutical-grade salt while you lounge in a zero-gravity chair.
Sessions last 45 minutes, and first-timers can usually grab an intro package of three sessions at a discount. It’s open Tuesday through Sunday, and you can book a private session if you want the cave to yourself. It’s a cozy pick for a cold Minnesota day.ave is treated with a halo generator that infuses the area with a dry aerosol containing pharmaceutical-grade salt.
Mystery Cave State Park
The cave was first discovered in February 1937 by Joe Petty. On a cold winter day, Joe saw steam rising from a sinkhole along the South Branch of the Root River and decided to investigate. The cave’s 48-degree air had melted the snow around the opening.
What he found is the longest known cave in Minnesota, with about 13 miles of passageways.
Inside, there are classic geological features like domes, beautiful underground pools, flowstone, stalagmites, and stalactites. There are also fossils that are about 430 million years old.
You’ll also see the breathtaking Turquoise Lake inside.
The cave is also home to bats. From personal experience, don’t let that deter you. There is a 99.99% chance that, if you spot them, they’ll be hanging from the ceiling.
Mystery Cave is part of Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park. The best part is they offer guided tours. The cave stays 48°F year-round, so bring a jacket even in July.
Mystery Cave Tours for 2026
- Scenic Tour (1 hour): May 9 – October 18. About ¾ mile on paved, accessible paths. $15 adults, $10 ages 5–12, free for 4 and under.
- Advanced Education Tour (NEW in 2026, 2.5 hours): May 23 – September 7, weekends. Starts in the cave, then heads outside to the Cherry Grove Blind Valley Scientific and Natural Area to see sinkholes and disappearing streams. $25 per person, recommended for ages 8+.
- Wild Caving Tour (4 hours): May 23 – September 6, weekends. Crawl, stoop, and climb beyond the paved trails. $80 per person, ages 13+.
Every tour also needs a Minnesota State Parks vehicle permit ($7 per day or $35 for a year). Tours fill up fast in summer, so book ahead at mndnr.gov/reservations.
While I haven’t been to the cave, I did have the pleasure of exploring the rest of the State Park. Since my trip, they have opened the tours back up. Make sure to check out the rest of the park’s great features while you are there: 8 Fun Things to Do at Forestville Mystery Cave State Park
Whitewater State Park
Whitewater State Park has over nine different caves spread out across the park. The caves sit high up in the limestone layer of the bluffs.
There are two you can get to: one at Chimney Rock and one on the trail up to Coyote Point. Due to their size and location, I don’t recommend entering them.
In winter, water seeping from one of the caves freezes into a stunning ice formation. It often lingers into April and early May, long after the snow is gone. You can spot it off the Dakota Trail, just before the trail splits.
Due to its location on a cliff, visitors do not have access to it, and the ice cave is not marked on any trail maps. For directions to the ice cave, check out my full Whitewater State Park post.
Spring Valley CavernsSpring Valley Caverns
Spring Valley Caverns are part of the Minnesota Cave Preserve. At almost 6 miles of mapped passages, it’s the largest privately owned cave in Minnesota, second only to Mystery Cave in the state.
Farmer Jon Latcham discovered the first half mile of passages on his land in 1966. Most of the rest was found when sinkholes opened up. After digging out the sinkholes, cavers discovered miles of passageways underneath, including a roaring underground river.
It was briefly a show cave, opening for tours in 1968 and closing after the 1971 season. Caver John Ackerman bought it in 1989 and discovered about five more miles of cave. The property, nicknamed the Cave Farm, has 38 known caves. Since then, preservation, research, and protection have been the focus.
Robinson’s Ice Cave Near Banning State Park
Robinson’s Ice Cave, also known as the Bat Cave, sits in the sandstone bluffs between Wolf Creek Falls and the town of Sandstone, about a mile south of Banning State Park. The cave runs about 200 feet deep.
During winter, the cave creates an impressive array of icy stalagmites. Thanks to the strong winter air currents, icicle-style stalactites don’t form. Since the ice melts each year, it’s technically not a true ice cave, but it sure looks like one.
The cave is also an important bat hibernation spot. Little brown bats, big brown bats, and Keen’s myotis bats spend the winter here.
To help protect them, a bat gate covers the entrance, preventing visitors from disturbing them. Minnesota’s bats have been hit hard by white-nose syndrome, so please admire this one from the outside.
Nearby, in the old Robinson Quarry, the town hosts the Sandstone Ice Festival every January. Crews “farm” the ice by spraying water down the quarry walls, creating a giant man-made ice park for climbers. The 2027 festival is January 8–10, and it’s free to watch.
If you ever get a chance, this is a good alternative to visiting the Bat Cave.
Sorin’s Bluff
Sorin’s Bluff has not one but two caves, but they are a little dangerous to get to. They’re in Memorial Park, a World War I memorial park dedicated in 1929 and now one of the largest city parks in Minnesota.
The most popular cave is Overlook Cave, also known as Cool Cave. It’s about 70 feet directly below the scenic overlook. Locals still debate whether it’s natural or was dug out by early settlers as a shelter.
It’s about 185 feet long and varies from 3 to 18 feet wide and 2.5 to 13 feet high. This cave has plenty of graffiti inside, and a few species of bats call it home.
On the opposite side of the bluff is Horseshoe Cave. This one is man-made. From the 1870s until the early 1900s, making lime was big business in Red Wing, and Horseshoe Cave housed two lime kilns that are still visible today.
The cave runs about 110 feet in one direction and 85 feet in the other. A 50-foot shaft between the two kilns once acted as their chimney, though it’s now filled with rubble.
To get to Horseshoe Cave, you’ll need to go through the old limestone quarries. The main entrance is lined with a brick arch acting as structural support. It leads into the first of two kiln rooms. Wear sturdy shoes, as the paths down are steep and loose.e main entrance is lined with a brick arch acting as structural support. It leads into the first of two kiln rooms.
Make sure to explore Red Wing after the cave: 24 Entertaining Things To Do in Red Wing MN
Soudan Underground Mine
The Soudan Underground Mine is a man-made cave system that was used for mining iron ore. Native Americans first quarried the area’s rich rock outcrops as far back as 4,000 B.C.
In the early 1880s, the Minnesota Iron Company bought the land to start a commercial mining operation. The first ore shipped in 1884, making it the birthplace of Minnesota’s Iron Range.
The underground mining created about 54 miles of tunnels, reaching 2,341 feet below the surface. The mine closed in 1962 and U.S. Steel donated it to the state, leaving behind an impressive set of tunnels and passageways underground. It’s Minnesota’s oldest and deepest iron mine.
Soudan Underground Mine is part of Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park.
Visitors can walk the grounds and see entrances to old shafts and open-pit mines that hold snow and ice well into summer.
Good news for 2026: June 2024 flooding closed the underground tours for two full seasons, but they reopened this year. The 90-minute tour runs May 23 through October 18. You’ll ride the cage down to the 27th level, then hop on a train for nearly a mile to the last area that was mined. Book ahead at mndnr.gov/reservations or (866) 857-2757.
Curious about what the Underground Tours is like? Check out: The Soudan Underground Mine Tour and Lake Vermillion State Park
Tips for Visiting Minnesota Caves
- Bring a jacket. Most natural caves in southern Minnesota stay around 48°F all year, even on 90-degree days.
- Wear closed-toe shoes with good grip. Cave floors are often wet and slippery.
- Book ahead in summer. Mystery Cave, Niagara Cave, Soudan, and Wabasha tours regularly sell out on weekends and around Halloween.
- Help protect the bats. White-nose syndrome has devastated Minnesota’s bat populations. Don’t wear shoes or gear you’ve used in another cave unless it’s been cleaned, and never go past a bat gate.
- Skip the wild caves unless you’re trained. Many of Minnesota’s caves are on private land or unstable. Join a group like the Minnesota Speleological Survey if you want to try real caving.
- Don’t count on cell service. Download maps and tickets before you head to rural cave country.
Minnesota Caves FAQ
What is the largest cave in Minnesota?
Mystery Cave in Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park is the longest known cave in Minnesota, with about 13 miles of passages. Spring Valley Caverns, at almost 6 miles, is the largest privately owned cave.
Can you tour caves in Minnesota year-round?
Most show caves are seasonal. Mystery Cave and Soudan run from May to mid-October, and Niagara Cave is open May 1 through November 1. The Wabasha Street Caves and The Salt Cave are open year-round.
What is the best Minnesota cave for kids?
The Mystery Cave Scenic Tour is paved, stroller-friendly, and only an hour long. The Wabasha Street Caves’ Troll Tales tour is made for little ones.
Is it legal to go behind Minnehaha Falls in winter?
No. Leaving the trail to reach the base of the falls or the ice cave is prohibited in winter because of falling ice. You can safely see the frozen falls from the overlook above.
Which Minnesota Cave Will You Go to First?
What are you waiting for? Grab your sense of adventure, because Minnesota’s caves are calling!
With over 100 caves ranging from family-friendly guided show caves to remote natural marvels hidden across the state, an incredible subterranean world awaits right under your feet.
Each cavern has its own story and spectacle. Underground discovery is out there, just waiting to be explored by you.
