Group Policies
Group rates and programs are available with 2-week advance reservation.
Group eligibility for discounted rates is 20 or more.
Reservation deposit is required to guarantee your date and time.
Group itineraries are not provided or guaranteed prior to actual arrival and start.
Teacher pre-visit resources and lesson plans are available in our Education Resources
Chaperones and Bus Drivers must have a ticket/wristband and pay all group fees unless they are included in the designated complimentary admissions listed on the group invoice.
Available year-round Monday through Friday with advance reservation & payment.
Programs
Cave of the Mounds offers two above-ground Mini-Courses.
- The Caves and Karst Mini Course
- The Geology of the Earth Mini Course
The tours and programs offered by Cave of the Mounds are designed to enhance the understanding of topics in science, function as part of a larger discussion of Earth science, provide an opportunity for inquiry, and serve as an example and evidence of our dynamic planet.
Each program lasts about an hour: a 30-minute interactive presentation and a 30-minute activity. The recommended activity for the Caves and Karst Mini-Course is a 30-minute outdoor hike. The recommended activity for the Geology Mini-Course is a 30-minute guided sluicing activity (sluice kits are sold separately). Mini-Courses take place in “classes” of up to 50 participants. Groups of more than 50 will break into smaller classes for the Mini-Course.
Caves & Karst Mini-Course
Caves & Karst Mini-Course takes an in-depth look into different types of caves, how they form, where they are found, and what the different types of formations are. Included is a walk around the property to look for evidence of other caves in Karst Topography. This type of topography has sinkholes, disappearing streams, and, of course, caves. With the sinkholes, we look for clues around the sinkhole to investigate until we conclude whether the sinkhole is active, inactive, or semi-active. Along with a cave tour, this is an immersive experience about caves and the unique Driftless Area.
The Interactive Presentation
The interactive presentation includes the following topics:
- What is a cave?
- 5 important types of caves found around the world (and in Wisconsin)
- Maps of world Karst, US Caves, and Wisconsin caves
- The influence of glaciation on where most caves in Wisconsin are found
- The formation of Cave of the Mounds’ limestone
- How Cave of the Mounds formed
- Speleothems (Cave Formations)
- Karst Topography, where most caves are found
* We like to engage the students to be more interactive by passing around a few minerals, rocks, and fossils.
The Outdoor Hike
Every student can learn in a responsive environment that engages the student in learning opportunities. The opportunities we provide here at Cave of the Mounds serve as a valuable base for establishing a conversation about earth science. During the hike, students can engage in a scientific investigation of sorts about how caves form, how sinkholes develop, and the evidence we see to come to that conclusion.
The hike is leisurely on grassy or woodchipped trails with a few stairs, but for students in wheelchairs, we have an alternate route that bypasses the stairways.
Geology of the Earth Mini-Course
Geology of the Earth Mini-Course takes a different approach from the Caves & Karst Mini-Course. In this program, students learn about rocks, fossils, and water. The program starts with the rock cycle, then moves towards fossils, and ends with the water cycle. This program is often paired with our sluicing activity where students can discover their own rock or fossil collection. Or students can go on a hike around the property and see the interesting topography of the landscape and why water and rocks are so important to Cave of the Mounds.
The Geology Mini Course Interactive Presentation
The interactive presentation includes the following topics:
- Layers of the Earth
- Minerals and Rocks (including the 3 types of rocks and the rock cycle)
- Mineral deposits in the cave (“speleothems”)
- Geologic time (the law of superposition; the formation of Cave of the Mounds’ limestone)
- Fossils and rocks/minerals within the cave
- Water Cycle
* As time permits, a few select minerals, rocks, and fossils will be passed around the group
Sluicing for Rocks & Minerals OR Fossils
During this 30-minute activity, participants will use our sluice— a trough with running water used to wash or rinse material. This method is frequently used by paleontologists to uncover fossils that they have dug out of a study site —to sift rocks & minerals or fossils from pre-made kits. The kits consist of plastic zipper bags filled with sand containing about a dozen pre-selected specimens (you choose either rocks & minerals or fossils; please choose the same for all participants). Each student will use a sieve tray and the water in the sluice to separate their specimens from the surrounding sand. Our staff will guide participants through the sluicing process and then identify the specimens with the group while making connections with the information from the interactive presentation. Printable, color ID charts are available on our website for students to use at home.
Chaperones and teachers may purchase sluice kits but are not required to.
Our programs are about big ideas of science that provide lenses for viewing phenomena and understanding the world around us. From kindergarten through high school, we provide an engaging learning experience with scientific practices while using the perspectives of the to think like scientists.
Prices
This is the heart of our experience. The Cave Tour allows your group to be in a “living” cave environment. Discover Wisconsin – below ground!
Spring: April 1st to June 10th
Adults, Teachers, Drivers … $17.00
7th through 12th grade…….. $14.00
6th grade and younger …… $11.00
Summer: June 11th to Labor Day
Adults, Teachers, Drivers … $18.00
7th through 12th grade…..… $15.00
6th grade and younger …… $12.00
Fall: Labor Day to October 31st
Adults, Teachers, Drivers … $17.00
7th through 12th grade…….. $14.00
6th grade and younger …… $11.00
Winter: November 1st to March 31st
Adults, Teachers, Drivers … $15.00
7th through 12th grade……… $13.00
6th grade and younger …… $10.00
*Valid for groups of 20+ Monday through Friday with a reservation 2 weeks in advance and a $100 deposit. On weekends and Holidays, we welcome field trips at our regular tour rates.
AVAILABLE Monday through Friday, March 15-November 15
Discover Wisconsin’s unique driftless area! Certainly get more out of your cave experience with this in depth look into cave science and walk through our karst landscape! This is a one hour, above ground program that includes one of our knowledgeable interpreters to unlock the mysteries of the earth!
$100.00 – For groups of up to 50 participants
AVAILABLE Monday through Friday, March 15-November 15
Learn about rocks, minerals, crystals, fossils and more with one of our knowledgeable guides! Also, we recommend you add mining bags to your experience and we will sluice and identify specimens with your group or if you prefer, we will take a hike and see local geology in action. This is a one hour, above ground program that includes one of our knowledgeable interpreters to unlock the mysteries of the earth! Please note: bags purchased separately.
$100.00 – For groups of up to 50 participants
AVAILABLE Monday through Friday, November 15-March 15
The cave remains a constant 50°F year-round.
This traditional, personalized experience is available ONLY in the winter!
A Cave of the Mounds-trained speleologist will lead you through the sluice
mining activity and then teach you to identify your new collection of specimens.
Approximately 45 minutes. (Staff interpretation only, bags must be purchased
separately.)
$100.00 – For groups of up to 50 participants
Mine for gems… Hunt for fossils… Discover treasure! Add more learning before or after your scheduled tour.
- 1 Self-guided Mining Activity with Rock or Fossil Collection
In addition to a Group Cave Tour and/or package:
Per Participant……………..$6.00 (Adults can “opt out”)
Available for all ages!
Enhance your collection with a new rock, mineral or fossil specimen!
Per Specimen……………..$1.00
You choose from our stock of authentic fossil, crystal, rock or mineral specimens
(Identification Cards included digitally.)
Each student can pick out a geode for our staff to crack open!
Large Size (approx 2″ diameter)……………..$5.00 each
Medium Size (approx 1.5″ diameter)……………..$3.00 each
Small Size (take-home only)……………..$1.50 each
Small Size 50+ Pack Special (take-home only) ……………..$1.00 each
The cave is well lit and flashlights are not needed. Black Lights are made of ultraviolet light and show how formations in the cave have different bands of minerals and they “glow” under the black light.
(Recommended for 3rd grade or older.)
Per Black Light……………..$3.00
AVAILABLE Monday through Friday, November 15-March 15
(We can use most online video conferencing systems)
Schedule one of our educators to meet with your students via live video and
talk about the cave experience. We can guide your group through an
interactive discussion about caves, rocks, fossils, geology, geodes, or we can
prep for or recap your visit to experience our cave first-hand.
$100.00 – For groups of up to 50 participants
