Tips for visiting Marengo Cave
Thinking about a trip to Marengo Cave? Here are some tips for families to make the most of your experience!
Take a drive up through Indiana for a fun trip to Marengo Cave and The Overlook Restaurant!
We are excited to share Tips for visiting Marengo Cave! It’s an easy drive to Marengo Cave (it took us close to an hour to get there) and was a great place to go on a hot day. Marengo Cave, a US National Natural Landmark, has two walking tours. The Crystal Palace tour is an easy 40-minute tour that winds through formation-filled rooms and past huge flowstone deposits.
Tip: The Dripstone Trail (the tour we took) is a 60-minute tour with a tour guide (Kate did a great job!) known for its delicate soda straws, totem pole stalagmites, and Penny Ceiling. I did have to duck a few times when walking on this tour but I never felt claustrophobic when walking. There are steps and inclines throughout the cave but handrails are available in most places that felt a bit tricky.
Tip: There was a spot during the tour where all the lights are turned off and you are in complete darkness (this was pretty cool but also a little weird as your eyes will not adjust to the darkness). We were told lots of cave information throughout the tour including how the cave was found (2 brave kids discovered it!). Tips for visiting Marengo Cave: The cave is always 52 degrees so I’m glad we brought sweatshirts but if you forget one, they are available for purchase in the gift shop.
Tip: You can also do both tours and save money with the combo ticket. No need to purchase tickets in advance, reservations are not required, and the wait is usually 30 minutes or less, though we got lucky and only waited for about 5 minutes.
2022 Prices at Marengo Cave:
Crystal Palace Tour: $11.95 (4-12 years old), $20.95 (13 & up)
Dripstone Trail: $13.95 (4-12 years old), $23.95 (13 & up)
Combo Tickets: $17.95 (4-12 years old), $29.95 (13 & up)
Ages 3 and under are free on all tours and they also offer Military, Foster Family, and Homeschool Family discounts.
In addition to the Crystal Palace and Dripstone Trail cave tours, they have some other amazing activities! New since 2020, you can buy a wrist band for $20.00 and get unlimited times for the day on the Pedal Karts, 30’ Sky Climber, 5,000 square feet Mega Maze, Mini Glow Putt Putt and the Crawl Simulator plus one bag of Gem Stone Mining.
Marengo Cave is open year-round. They offer both Tent/RV sites as well as four camping cabins if you want to stay. Camping cabins are available for groups with two weeks’ notice and scheduled activities.
Tips for visiting Marengo Cave if you want to stay overnight: Families and individuals can reserve cabins anytime for Memorial Day to Labor Day. From After Labor Day to before Memorial Day only two weeks’ notice or less. Labor Day thru Memorial Day, Marengo Cave is open 9:00 am – 5:00 pm every day. Memorial Day thru Labor Day they have extended evening hours. Weekdays until 6:00 pm. Weekends until 6:30 pm. Open Easter Sunday at noon and closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas day.
Tips for visiting Marengo Cave: Check out this restaurant to round out your day trip.
After all the fun of our cave tours we took a drive to
Leavenworth (about a 20-minute trip) and had lunch at The Overlook Restaurant. Positioned uniquely on a bluff in Leavenworth, Indiana the Overlook Restaurant offers a 20-mile panoramic vista of the Ohio River. As you enjoy your meal, watch barges churning up and down the river or the sun setting behind the wooded hills of Indiana.
They offer starters, soups & salads, House Specialties, and Sandwiches/Burgers. We tried the Fish Sandwich, the Overlook Cheeseburger, Chicken Sandwich, and Chicken Livers and we were all very satisfied with our meals! Make sure you check out the view from the
porch. My son used the coin operated binoculars (it cost a quarter) to check out the scenery even more. The Overlook Restaurant is open daily from 11:00am-7:00pm.
For more day trip ideas nearby, click here.
