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.

Donate / Join Us!

Tripadvisor 2026 Travelers Choice Award-Hidden River Cave

What Visitors Are Saying About Hidden River Cave

See why visitors consistently rate Hidden River Cave and the American Cave Museum as one of the top attractions in Horse Cave, Kentucky. Read authentic reviews from guests who have experienced our guided cave tours, the American Cave Museum, and our Off-Trail Cave Adventure Tour. We’re also honored to have received Tripadvisor’s prestigious Travelers’ Choice Award in 2026. Please click to see our Tripadvisor reviews

Hidden River Cave & American Cave Museum

4.8

Based on 3,214 reviews

review us on

Bryan Borton

2 days ago

Walk-ins are welcome, you don't need reservations. Just need to be there at the right time to catch a tour of this amazing cave.

Jenn Foote

2 days ago

Very neat cave. Different than the park caves and worth the trip! Plus our puppies got to go and that was fun for all of us!
Thanks Addi for that great tour!

Chris (KestrilGrey)

3 days ago

My wife and I took this tour during our visit to Kentucky and everything was very nice. Our tour guide Kayleigh was very informative and answered all of our questions thoroughly. There are a lot of stairs but the guide was patient and gave us plenty of breaks along the way. Pet friendly, we brought our dog and had a successful adventure with our fur baby. Highly recommend.

Angela Childress

3 days ago

Jennifer Perez

3 days ago

Loved this unique experience!!! I love that the exhibit is free and walking to the entrance of the cave is free!! We did pay for a tour and it was totally worth it! So much to learn about Horse Caves history!

Terri Dembele

1 month ago

We had Jack as our tour guide, he was great! The whole tour was really nice loved hearing about the history. The swing bridge was really cool but scary lol. All throughout, it feels very safe, the staff does an amazing job with that. I do wish it was more lit in some places but overall it was a great experience! The way back out is a doozy but they do warn you on how many steps there are. Would visit again, it's really cool.

Crystal Fultz

2 months ago

Loved this cave tour. We took two this past weekend and this one was the best. We had about a 25 min wait until the next tour was done. That was just enough time to look around the free cave museum on site. The tour and museum were informative and very interesting. Our tour guide was Kayleigh and she is wonderful! She does a great job of keeping everyone informed and answering questions. Very knowledgeable and funny as well. We had a great time, highly recommend!

Steven Seery

2 months ago

Super friendly staff. Very knowledgeable tour guide. The zipline and rappelling activities were closed for renovations but was able to do the cave tour($25) and also walk through the museum(free) and gift shop. The cave tour was very cool. There are lots of stairs and wet/slick surfaces and might be challenging for those who are elderly or disabled. The museum is a bit dated but it's neat and it's free. Lots of cool rocks, gems, fossils, jewelry and apparel in the gift shop. I bought a huge megalodon tooth and awesome fish fossil! Will have to come back to try the zipline and rappelling!

Tori Flynn

2 months ago

We have visited this area many times, but this was our first time visiting Hidden River Cave and it did not disappoint. We were on the last tour of the day with Jay and you could tell he really loved his job. The cave itself has a really neat story/history and is literally in the middle of town. The store was clean and well stocked with all kinds of souvenir options. This cave is pet friendly since it regularly floods and our pup had a great time too. Take the stairs down to immediately see the river, old equipment and part of the dam, cross a bridge, and be prepared for a little mud (especially if it has flooded recently). While you wait for your tour, make sure to go downstairs to learn more about the history of the cave. Lots of parking in the lot on the side street.

Andy

3 months ago

Outside of Entrance is definitely the most beautiful part. And the walk down is most interesting transitioning into the cave and crossing the long suspension bridge is very fun. No formations whatsoever. But the rope lighting along all the path instead of overhead lights adds an alluring appeal and almost a romantic enchanting environment. Especially when it gets windy and slopes up it is a cool view. it add enough light to see the cave walls without the extra lights. Until u get to dome rooms. But then they kick on the stadium lighting for a grand view. Its a cool experience if u passing through area but not worth a special trip directly. Mammoth and onyx cave are better. If u collect any depression era glass definitely hit up the vintage antique shops next door they are loaded wirh cool stuff. My phone died and could not get many pics

See All Reviews

Join the American Cave Conservation Association (ACCA)!

Hidden River Cave and the American Cave Museum are operated by the nonprofit American Cave Conservation Association (ACCA). Donations and membership dues help support our educational programs and operations at the American Cave Museum and also allow us to sponsor conservation efforts that directly protect and preserve caves and groundwater resources nationally.

Annual and monthly memberships are available for your convenience.

Clicking the join or donate buttons below will take you to our secure membership portal.

Membership Benefits

ACCA members are part of a special group working to preserve one of the most unusual environments on Earth. Your support truly makes a difference.

*Regular Membership ($25) Benefits Include:

FREE admission to the American Cave Museum
20% discount on Hidden River Cave tours and Gift Shop items for Member & Guests
Discounted rates for special exhibitions or events through our affiliation with the Southeastern Museums Conference - for more information, please visit: https://www.semcdirect.net/SERM-Participants
Reciprocal admission to over 60 museums in the Southeast USA
Subscription to our quarterly newsletter ACCA News
voting privileges for election of ACCA Board of Directors
Opportunities to participate in volunteer projects and educational workshops hosted by the ACCA
More importantly, you will receive the opportunity to help conserve the fragile and irreplaceable natural caverns and karst areas located throughout America.

*Supporter Membership ($50)
All Regular Membership benefits plus FREE Hidden River Cave tour admission for 1 Member

*Sustainer Membership ($100)
All Regular Membership benefits plus FREE Hidden River Cave tour admission for 1 Member and 1 Guest

*Guarantor Membership ($250), Benefactor Membership ($500), Patron Membership ($1,000), Life Membership
All Regular Membership benefits plus FREE Hidden River Cave tour admission for 1 Member and up to 4 Guests

*Our reservation system does not currently provide a way to include member discounts for tour reservations. If you are a member, please call us at (270) 786-1466 to book your tour. Alternately, you can present your membership card when you arrive.

Join as an Individual

Join as a Company

Donate

Please visit the American Cave Conservation Association website for additional donation options and gift membership information.

You can also mail a check or money order (U.S. Funds only) payable to:
American Cave Conservation Association • P.O. Box 409 • Horse Cave, KY 42749

Hidden River Cave & The American Cave Museum are operated by the American Cave Conservation Association,

A National 501 (c) 3 Nonprofit Organization.