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Cumberland Caverns

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Caves

Cumberland Caverns

McMinnville, TN · Cumberland Plateau$$Walking tours from $25 for adults, $17 ages 5 to 12

About

Aaron Higgenbotham found this cave six miles southeast of McMinnville, Tennessee, in 1810, and spent three days stuck on a ledge inside after his torch went out. The 90-minute Discovery tour climbs the Hall of the Mountain King, where a light and sound show narrated in character as Higgenbotham plays across the walls, and goes through the Volcano Room from top to bottom. Its chandelier was saved from a remodel of the Loews Metro Theatre in New York. Discovery means more than 350 uneven stone steps. The 45-minute Cardwell Mountain tour has none and sees the chandelier only from above. Higgenbotham's Hollow, a three- to four-hour helmet-and-headlamp trip for ages 11 and up, goes to the ledge where he spent those three days.

Highlights

Volcano Room theater chandelierHall of the Mountain King light showLanterns and Legends lantern-lit tour27-plus miles of mapped caveNational Natural Landmark since 1973Higgenbotham's Hollow adventure tour

Getting there

1437 Cumberland Caverns Road, McMinnville, TN 37110

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America's Best Caves22 places

America's Best Caves

The Park Service runs eight of these 22 caves, and most of the rest are commercial show caves at $23 to $36 an adult. If you only pay for one, make it Ruby Falls: you ride an elevator 26 stories down inside Lookout Mountain and walk to a 145-foot waterfall.