Reviews & Testimonials
The nonprofit American Cave Conservation Association (ACCA) operates Hidden River Cave and the American Cave Museum as part of our educational initiative to support the protection of caves, karstlands, and groundwater resources.
We are so very pleased to share reviews from many of our visitors who posted on Google and Tripadvisor. Hidden River Cave and the American Cave Museum also received the prestigious “Travelers’ Choice” Award from Tripadvisor in 2022. Please click to see our Tripadvisor reviews
Katharine Wall
17:19 19 Aug 22
What an awesome cave and museum!!! We have done caves all over and this one was unique, large and cavernous due to the running water. Brooklyn was our tour guide and she did an amazing job, sharing so much history as well as keeping a close eye out for cave critters. Annie was also a joy to interact with!!’ The cave museum was fun to walk through and I loved seeing the blind cave fish. We are so glad we decided to stop in Horse Cave and would definitely recommend this for anyone coming through the area
Jenny P
00:09 14 Aug 22
Today was our first time visiting Hidden Rive Cave. Our guide was Dylan and he was amazing! Answered all our questions and was very informative! The cave was amazing! Great place to visit we would highly recommend it. We enjoyed the free walk through museum, lot to see and explore!
Keith Ruff
01:19 31 Jul 22
This place loves veterans. Has to be one of the best military discounts I have ever seen. All we did was the cave tour but it was great. Our guild Rachel was very knowledgeable and friendly. It's crazy how all of these cave down here are different in their own way. These pictures don't do the cave justice.
Matthew Powers
14:18 22 Jul 22
It was our first tour on our trip to the Mammoth Cave area. My wife and I absolutely enjoyed the tour. It was a small group of folks. Everyone was friendly. Staff was super friendly. The guide was great never was rushed and he also helped take pictures for families. I think his name was Keith. The sights were very interesting. Loved the fact that the river was running through all the way just a really nice cave. I. would recommend for sure. I liked it better than the National Park cave.
Ellisa Kobylak
05:37 12 Jul 22
We really enjoyed this cave tour. Compared to the National Park tour, this group seemed to give more time for photos and questions. It was a slower pace and that made it more enjoyable. There was also less harsh lighting, so you really get a soft glow of the cave.The bridge was really great, too! And our guide, Logan, was knowledgeable and funny.There are a lot of stairs!
Cheyenne Trammell
03:38 11 Jul 22
Cool museum, very cool cave and history. A little pricey but worth it. Staff was nice. Unfortunately the poorest lit cave I’ve ever been in and has a lot of potential for better showing. Was in a big group and also unable to hear the soft-spoken tour guide, but she was not short any enthusiasm about the cave or her job. Certainly still recommend
Michael Huffman
21:14 08 Jul 22
Great place to visit. Friendly staff. The cave was pretty cool with the addition of the bridge. It is easy to walk. Gift shop was really nice and reasonably priced. The museum was pretty basic but nice. I would certainly recommend you go see this cave. I enjoyed it more than mammoth cave.
The Pewter Palace
12:42 18 Jun 22
Super place! Museum is FREE and we'll done. Some interactive exhibits great for kids and adults. Some exhibits need a little TLC and we suspect the downturn in visitors due to pandemic did not help their finances to make needed repairs. All in all a great museum that showcases the early founding of the cave, the town around it and the good years and bad years. It is a story of trimpumph to reclaim a cave the citizens polluted at one time. Now you can happily tour it again! We did not go on the tour ($) due to a sore knee but we were encouraged by the front desk staff to take the elevator down to the walkway and cave entrance. It's like an enchanted garden and nice and cool from the cave air was icing on the cake. We highly recommend visiting this site and pop in all the antique shops and other stores in the downtown just across the street!
Luisa Sherman
03:39 17 Jun 22
Nice gem in downtown. Staff was pleasant and helpful. Exhibits in museum were very well done. Some interactive ones even kids would like. Some showed signs of need for repair but as a small non profit we are sure the pandemic really presented visitation challenges since the museum relies on donations (and yes, we donated today). The gift shop was nicely stocked and we also made a purchase there. Due to an achy knee we did not go on the actual cave tour while visiting. There is a fee for cave tours but the museum is free. The gal at the desk encouraged us to take the elevator to go down to the cave entrance walkway thru the back lawn. It was wonderful being able to get close to the entrance and feel the cool air and mist especially since it was 97 degrees! The temp must have dropped by at least 20 degrees near the cave! The cave and the town has an amazing story and Bravo to all who reclaimed the cave after it had been missed as essentially a dumping ground for decades. It's quite a success story. Definitely go visit when in the area!
Kerstin Brucki
22:38 16 Jun 22
We stopped at Hidden River unexpectedly on a road trip. We walked right in on a Thursday afternoon and was able to get on the next tour. The front staff was nice and welcoming. The museum was a nice intro to the history and wildlife of the cave. Aaron was our tour guide and he was super knowledgeable. He was also patient and willing to let us stop to take photos and answer any questions we had. My husband and I have been to a few other caves in the past, and we thought Hidden River was great. It was worth the stop.
Leeann Mitchell
23:53 17 Apr 22
This cave is a true conservative victory! I did not know this cave even existed until we found it in trip advisor! Linda was a great tour guide who is from the area! It was great to have a local do the tour and she was very informative and interesting! I highly recommend this tour! The museum and gift shop are really great too!
Ethell Yarbrough
23:28 08 Apr 22
Thank you so much to the amazing tour guides on this special tour of the cave 65 miles under the town of Horse Cave! This is incredible of how it could have become a sink hole. Just amazing attention to detail to the history of the town and how the cave came to be. My three year old was all about it! He liked hearing his own echo too, would definitely recommend as a first stop to the beautiful caves Kentucky has to offer. So glad to find this “hidden” gem!
Ethell Yarbrough
23:24 08 Apr 22
Thank you so much to the amazing tour guides on this special tour of the cave 65 miles under the town of Horse Cave! This is incredible of how it could have become a sink hole. Just amazing attention to detail to the history of the town and how the cave came to be. My three year old was all about it! He liked hearing his own echo too, would definitely recommend as a first stop to the beautiful caves Kentucky has to offer. So glad to find this “hidden” gem!
C Williams
21:21 05 Apr 22
We had a great time on our tour today. Our guide was friendly and knowledgeable. Unfortunately I don't remember his name, but he really did a great job. This was at the 10am tour on 4/5/22.I am out of shape and the steps going back up to exit the cave were a little challenging for me, but I would say that an average person should be fine. The views were well worth it. Really enjoyed visiting the museum beforehand.
J Mazola
02:40 31 Mar 22
Me and my daughter went in 2019 and had an absolutely amazing guide. The whole experience from start to finish was captivating and to my family at least was life changing. The adventure wasn't difficult but was challenging but that was what made it so memorable. I highly recommend it to all my friends if they can make it up that way.
Mila Bahuto
12:31 27 Mar 22
Very convenient location near the highway. The tour lasts about an hour. You will not see any stalactites or stalagmites, but the underground river and three domes underneath are worth visiting too! Our guide, Justin, made the tour funny and informative.
Mike Quesnel
15:51 18 Mar 22
Overall the most organized cave experience we went to during our stay. We had the luck of having the director, cave Dave, lead our tour. He was amazing and full of information during the tour. This cave will surprise you! It is a must see. We personally enjoyed the sights and tour over any other cave we visited. Would give more stars if possible!!!! As of right now you can probably walk in and get tickets for a tour, however as it becomes more discovered this will certainly be a huge attraction and destination!! So be prepared to book ahead in the future!!!!
minuscule studio
06:04 04 Mar 22
Absolutely fantastic! Our group of 4 did the off-trail cave tour and it was incredible- but be ready for a challenge! We waded through cave streams, met local wildlife, climbed, slid, and crawled through an ever-changing maze of chambers. Our guide, Chris, was wonderful- very knowledgeable, made us feel very safe, and took us on an unforgettable adventure. See photos for before/after shots.
Mathew Boals
23:48 03 Mar 22
This Cave is SO cool. The staff was amazing and made me feel as if I was one of them. I visited on a Thursday afternoon and was surprised to find that I was the only one there. Despite being the only one on the tour, Logan (tour guide) was awesome. He took time to listen to my adventures (i had been cave and cavern touring the country this week) and tell me all the cool and interesting details about the cave. Goes to show a 54 year old can learn something new every day (even from a 20ish year old). Definitely visit if you are in the area. I preferred this adventure better than Mammoth cave.
Hidden River Cave & The American Cave Museum are operated by the American Cave Conservation Association,
A National 501 (c) 3 Nonprofit Organization.