Caveman Glenn was hilarious and almost guessed my age. Really great thing for the whole family.

This may be the cave to visit in the Black Hills. Wonderland Cave is open all year round and has many signs in the region. The cave is a little awkward to visit, but it is roughly between Deadwood and Rapid City along the interior roads. It is not just off I-90 and does require a bit of driving, but it is a great stop for those wanting to avoid the crowds at the national parks. Parking is good, but all gravel roads and lots. The final road to the cave is not paved, but it seemed well maintained and fairly easy to drive. I had a 4WD Jeep, but I think even compact cars could make the trip. It is a little long, so be prepared. Once you arrive, there is a small gift shop where the tours begin and end. They have some upgraded pit toilets for visitors too. The tour was really nice, but I will warn everyone of the stairs. It takes 160+ stairs each way to climb in and out. The steps are small and wet and can easily wear you out since the caves are at high elevation too. It made my legs sore for a few days, but I did enjoy the cave anyway. The tour is about an hour and walks through some very nice formations. Lots of cave bacon and wet cave features. The guides know their stuff and give a lot of information including when and where to duck. Tall guys like me need extra caution as I bumped my head several times. After the stairs, the walk is pretty easy and nice. I highly recommend Wonderland Cave when visiting the area. It may be a little out of the way, but the overall experience is exactly what you want in a cave experience. Several people said this was better than Wind and Jewel Cave, but I didn't visit either so I cannot confirm. Nevertheless, the location and hours are great and the experience is perfect - if you can handle the stairs! read more

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Our group of 25 people were looking for a nice cave to tour around while we were here in South Dakota, and we are so grateful to have a place like this! Our tour guide Glenn was an amazing and fun tour guide who interacted with us and kept us entertained. The actual cave it self had lots of air and interesting things to experience. Overall an amazing experience and thanks Glenn for a great tour!!! read more

The only time I visited something remotely resembling a cave was a tour of the La Jolla Sea Cave. That was a very short trip compared to my experience I had at the wonderful Wonderland Cave. Our tour guide's name was Sean, and he was very personable and patient. We found out about his love of Harleys and his family. It has been a few months since I took the tour, but he was memorable. My dearest love enjoys it best when he is able to connect with others, and he and Sean bonded over talk about motorcycles, trucks, and other automotive talk. The tour was a challenge for me, as I'm not in the best shape, plus I have a few phobias about heights. The stairs down are rather steep in parts, and I found that I had to practically slide down the stairs a few times on my but to feel safe about coming down. It was good that Sean was patient with us. The cave formations are splendid, but it was sad to know that a few of the formations died because of ignorant handling when the cave was first discovered in the 30's. Sean showed us a part where there was still digging equipment. The company that was making the paths at the time was going to dig there, but the surveyors told them that it would kill the formations. Most of the cave that is above the stairs has already died. The live formations are below, and Sean told us not to touch anything, as our hands could destroy them. I had never known that the formations in a cave were so fragile. They had begun forming more than 60 million years ago but could be destroyed by a single touch. I loved the food names the tour guides gave to a lot of the formations. There was the bacon formation, and there was a melted cheese formation. Sean really did a great job of spinning history, ecology, and fun into the tour. It almost made me forget about the rigorous workout you get walking first down then back up the stairs. I'm proud to say that I managed to survive it and only had to sit down on the way back up three times. read more

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Our tour guide was Gary! He was fantastic with his knowledge of the cave and other caves. He talked to us about his extensive caving experience and knowledge. His expertise was fun to listen to, and it was easy to ask him questions. Would highly recommend the cave to families and couples. It was fast paced and worth the gravel travel. It would be best on a hot and sunny day! read more

Couldn't get into Jewel Cave so we chose Wonderful Cave as an alternative. It was a good alternative tour. Our guide was just okay. She needed to speak up and speak slower. We had others in our group that have never been in a cave before; they enjoyed it. read more

WAY better than the wind caves!! Our guide was informative & entertaining. If you haven't seen a "Living Cave" and you're close by this is definitely worth a stop. I would say the hike into the cave & back out is a mild - moderate hike. My 16 year old daughter & I had no problems. There were older people (60-70's) in our same tour group. Although several were clearly life long smokers - it took them a lil while longer, but they over all had no problem with the climb back up as well. read more

We are very grateful to have a location like this in South Dakota, as our group of 25 tourists searched for a lovely cave to explore. Glenn, our tour guide, was a fantastic and enjoyable person who engaged with us and kept us amused. There was plenty of air within the cave itself, and it was a fascinating place to explore. All in all, a fantastic experience; many thanks to Glenn for a wonderful experience. read more

Our group of 25 was seeking a great cave tour while visiting South Dakota, and we were thrilled to find this one! Our tour guide, Glenn, was fantastic--engaging and entertaining throughout the tour. The cave itself was full of fresh air and intriguing features. Overall, it was an exceptional experience. Thanks to Glenn for a memorable tour! I am so glad I had Glenn on this cave. You'll love Glenn! read more

We drove all the way there for the road to be closed... it would I've been nice if there were signs saying it wasn't open

June 2024. 24 people on the tour which should have been limited to half that amount. Two tours in the cave at the same time! Greedy operators. read more

We stopped here on the way to Deadwood. It's about a 40 minute drive from Rapid City. There is a winding gravel road on the way into the site which was challenging at times. You are lead to the entrance of the cave. The stairs are not that bad going down (170 steep stairs) but coming up I thought I was having a heart attack! The cave was a welcome 45 degrees on a 90 degree day. I would advise to leave your purse or backpack in the car. We were charged for three adults and one child. My youngest just made the cutoff at 12. ($15.75 for the adults) I thought it was a fair price. I hadn't looked at pics of the cave beforehand and thought "Is this it?" when we were lead into the first cavern, but the tour does go on. Our young guide was very informative and knew a lot about the formations. He says he does about 7 tours a day. I can't imagine doing those stairs more than once! It is not a tour for young kids as there is a lot of stairs. Or if you have a heart condition, I would advise against it. read more

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Updated review: Price is actually $15.75 and you can print a $1 coupon. If you don't have a printer handy (who does when they are traveling?), check the local tourist newspapers for coupons. They only accept paper coupons. read more

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While in vacation, my two cousins and I went to explore Wonderland Cave. When we arrived, the staff were very friendly and made fun small talk during our very short wait for our tour. Our tour guide was Liam who did a fantastic job taking us around the cave. It ended up being just our small group of three but he made everything interesting, funny, and educational. There was never a lag or lull throughout the tour as we talked, laughed and learned the whole way. The cave does get cold and damp and there are a lot of steps so be sure to wear proper shoes and bring a light jacket or hoodie. I would recommend this tour and if possible, try to get Liam as your guide. read more

This was a fascinating experience to go 250 feet below ground to see this amazing cave system. The guides were very pleasant and willing to answer any questions that were asked. They were a bit humorous as well . It was a bit on the pricey side (around $60 for a family of 4) for a 30 minute tour but it's a small business and I was happy to support it. read more

Wonderland Cave - Stalactites & Stalagmites in the lower chamber of the cave system - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Nemo, South Dakota

The cave reminded me of a dirty old closed mine. granted It was only my 6th. Cave tour, however compared to other tours this one was my least favorite, I'm tall and spent a great deal of my time bent over, ( I know, I know, it's a cave!! ) . The biggest thing of all are the steps entering and exiting the cave, you may want to prepare for them by running a few 5K mini's before touring this cave, those stairs are strenuous. I think the warning sign stated that the tour was ( ambiguous ) my mistake was not knowing the meaning of the word ambiguous. Oh well !! Tour this cave with a caution that it is more strenuous than one might expect however there are some interesting things to see. read more

many cave seep and they are very steep - some areas have no railing. There are no warning at check in and only ambiguous sign above the door as you start out of the gift to the tail for the cave. read more

Website says open, so we drove all the way out there in the middle of nowhere miles down a dirt road only to be told they are doing maintenance come back tomorrow (which will be the last day of the season) they could at least have put a sign on the main road saving us from miles of dust all over my car.....Pathetic! read more

This is a great 40-50 min activity. Very cool. Our tour guide was brand new but did an awesome job (Brett). Warning, the stairs down and back up are a little intense BUT there are rails and you can take your time. This is a great place for kids. And it is fast enough paced they won't loose focus. Check it out!! read more

We went here on Saturday 10/10/2020. First ones there. We followed all the signs to get there but were still wondering if we were on the right path, turns out we were, just when our GPS was telling us "you have arrived" it was about 3/4 mile more down a dirt road, no biggie. We were the only ones there, we went into the Gift Shop and everyone in there was super friendly. Our tour guide, I feel awful I either didn't ask or don't remember her name, was super nice and friendly and knowledgeable, only thing was, we were talking to here BEFORE she started the tour and she was talking to us in a normal voice, but when she started the tour, she went into "tour guide" mode and it sounded fake :( but she is just a sophomore in high school, and I applaud her for getting out and getting a job and for learning all there is to know about this place is just 5 short months. She was funny too, I really liked her and she deserves a raise ! As for the tour itself, the stairs are narrow and steep, and if you are claustrophobic maybe skip this attraction, you go about 250' below the ground, and yes, it did get cold down there, but it definitely was not unbearable, the tour is informative and interesting. It was awesome for us, because it was the two of us and the tour guide, so we got to ask a lot of questions. I would say if you have small kids or are elderly and have trouble walking, especially walking up/down stairs - you may want to skip this. read more

Awesome cave but our guide was extremely rude and snooty which made the tour awkward and less enjoyable . Her attitude was so unnecessary. Lots of steep steps and it's pretty cold so be prepared . read more

Wonderland Cave - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Nemo, South Dakota

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I cannot lie, we did have our doubts trying to find this place. Pulling in while driving literally on top of a mountain was a little nerve-racking. Once we arrived it was very clean, well kept and organized. If you do go I hope you get the same tour guide we had, his name was Aaron, working there for the summer. He was at absolute rock star and made it feel very approachable and enjoyed every minute of the experience that he shared with us. read more

Very disappointing! If you have ever been to a cave before you will hate this. This is a Mine not a Cave. The formations are only a couple inches and most are broken. Our tour guide was a Very young teen who acted like he didn't want to be there. Yes there are stairs, but they are easy and it is cool down there. read more

Very disappointed in this establishment, my family drove over 16+ hours for a family vacation with this as one of our destinations. I had called to make sure it would be ok for our big group to enjoy this tour. We drove 45 minutes with the Intention of fulfilling our children's wishes.. Upon arrival the gentleman in the gift shop open the door and yelled we are closed and proceeded to go into the gift shop and close it behind us not even willing to take to me about it. The ad said they were open til 7, same thing I was told on the phone if we were there by six we could be taken on a tour. We arrived at 5:15 and were turned away. I have waited so long to see this cave and alas it was ruined once again. Thank you for disappointing my kids and my family who drove so far to give you guys business. You will never receive business from us ever, nor do I recommend even attempting to go to this business as they will turn you away. read more

This was a nice off the beaten path location down a dirt road to the site of a cave where you could take a tour to go down into the caverns and see the different formations. You have to go down a steep staircase and you sometimes have to duck through the various tunnels to get through the cave so you need to be in fairly good shape to take the guided tour. read more

The tour itself was just fine, I think the tour guide made it fun. The problem we had was that we were on motorcycles...as soon as we got off I-90 there was a sign saying "Wonderland Cave, paved road" that is a lie, it is a gravel road for 1.5 miles! read more

Great tour, fun guides and gift shop staff. Worth the drive. AAA+++. Cave was a living cave which showed how it was still evolving. 126 stair case which could be a challenge. read more

My wife called ahead of time to make sure that the cave was open for the day. She was told to it was and to come. So she packed up our 2 year old and drove 40 mins to the cave, When she got there she was refused a tour because the employee didn't want to do it "just for them". If you are too lazy to do your job, just close down the operation. Especially if you are going to tell people you are open. read more

Great place to go, if you have the time. It is a bit out of the way, but totally worth the trip! My father and I loved it! And special thanks to our tour guide Chris who made the entire tour group feel at home! read more

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It's a neat cave to explore, not a very long tour how ever thee stairs are strenuous. The tour guidr was a young kid who seemed to know just enough about the cave. Its a constant 47 degrees in the cave so bring a jacket. read more

We stopped by here late in the evening, and we were lucky enough to catch the last tour. The guide was amazing, and we had an amazing time. We ended up having a flat and the owner and the guide helped get us back in the road. Their hospitality was a blessing because we were 20+ hours away from home and wouldn't have known what to do. We had an amazing tour, viewed an amazing cave, and met amazing people. We can't thank Wonderland Cave enough!!! read more

I was a bit disappointed. The price was high. The tour guide was a college girl who just wanted a summer job. She spent most of her time showing us cute little shapes that looked like make believe characters. The little kids loved that. I wanted factual information, and she was not able to answer questions. It was interesting to go into a cave. I had never been in one. Wish it was more informative. I would not go again. read more