Indiana Caverns in Corydon, Indiana is a part of the Binkley Cave System, the longest cave system in Indiana–and the 8th longest in the United States. (note: updated to reflect bump from 11th to 8th in the country)


This is one amazing Harrison County attraction.


It has everything you want in a destination rolled up into one well-organized attraction.

History, great formations and waterfalls (including a fantastic four-story waterfall), one of the largest collections of Ice Age bones in North America, and even a boat ride are all packed into this memorable experience for any age.

Indiana Caverns in Corydon, Indiana

Indiana Caverns Cave Tours in Corydon, Indiana

Indiana Caverns Cave Tours in Corydon, Indiana

But up until recently, public tours of the system were impossible. Only just discovered in 2010, and at 38 miles long, all previous entrances were located on private property, until February 11th, 2012, when a connection between Blowing Hole and Binkley Caves was finally found.

Finally, a public entrance into the amazing (and largely unexplored cave system) could become a reality.

I’m definitely thrilled about that. Caves absolutely amaze me. I love walking around and thinking about the incredible age of them, hearing about the (often surprising) way the Indiana caves are found, and learning about the fossils that were entombed inside.

They worked very hard creating just a fabulous building to house a spacious gift shop, an outdoor gem mining experience for kids, and excellent informational areas. With tours just beginning June of last year (2013), it’s certainly a newer Indiana town destination–and one that we were very happy to check out.

Binkley Cave Attraction in Corydon, Indiana 

Indiana Caverns souvenir shop

Our boys were thrilled by the cave tour–and by these awesome miner hats we purchased in the onsite shop.

As I stated above, it’s a 38-mile cave system, but don’t worry. Tours don’t cover the whole 38 miles. You’ll get in about an hour and twenty minutes of walking and riding. Yes, I said riding. What makes this Indiana attraction unique is the addition of a 25-minute long boat ride.

Rimstone dams and the possibility of seeing blind cave crayfish and a few other small critters keep little ones extra entertained while slowly put-putting along in a boat over the underground river.

But what I thought was really something was that fact that there is so much they don’t know about this cave. It’s not a done deal, all shined up, polished, and ready for tours.

There are still secrets hidden here.

Indiana Caverns Brinkley Cave System Corydon Indiana

This map of the Brinkley Cave System is updated whenever new branches are found. You can view it inside the Indiana Caverns lobby.

They don’t know all the passageways yet, they don’t know if there are other undiscovered entrances, and they are still unearthing fossils. Who knows what they have yet to reveal?

As you explore Indiana Caverns, you will find that there are pockets here and there where folks are digging up remains.

When new discoveries are made, and they always are, Indiana Caverns updates the large map in the lobby, like when they discovered new branches to the cave. The cavers then tack on its total known length.

Indiana Caverns entrance in Corydon, Indiana

The entrance to Indiana Caverns is well-kept and roomy. Just to the side of the building lies the Big Peccary Gem Mine. For that attraction, you will need to head inside first.

In a time when it sometimes feels like there’s nothing left to discover here on Earth, it’s really neat to see that kind of work in progress.

For those in good shape, and aged ten and up, there’s even a Paleo dig. Grab your boats and get that helmet on–the Udig Paleo Dig is eight hours of working with the fossil excavation team unearthing bones, skulls, and other fossils. Is that awesome or what?

At Indiana Caverns, we joined a small group for a look inside the cave. Heading through the door and down the spiral stairs, things quickly go from ho-hum to fantastic. It felt wonderful to escape the heat.

Grab your sweater or jacket. Indiana Caverns in Corydon is a cool 54* all year round. We knew to make sure we had jackets and sneakers on. The people, the stories, the knowledge–every part of our Indiana Caverns tour was phenomenal. Our tour guide was just the best.

Fun for Kids in Indiana

Indiana Caverns Big Peccary Gem Mine Corydon

Kids will love panning for gems at the Big Peccary Gem Mine. It’s a great way to beat the heat too.

Big Peccary Gem Mine is part of Indiana Caverns

Treasure! The youngest loved sifting through the pan at the Big Peccary Gem Mine. As you can see, our large bucket yielded a nice amount of gems.

After an hour and twenty minutes of not touching anything, our boys were thrilled that they could pan for gems at Indiana Cavern’s outdoor gem mining attraction. If you’ve been looking for somewhere to take your kids to experience the joy of hunting for treasure, this gem mine in Southern Indiana is cute and big.

The boys loved that sort of hands-on opportunity before they had to get back in the car and sit still yet again. I was glad for the little break, too.

This is just a terrific family destination. I can’t recommend Indiana Caverns in Corydon, Indiana enough. Since this is a year-round attraction, it’s a great place to stop any time of year.

Follow along in their caving adventures by visiting the Exploration Blog, Facebook Page, or website (link below).

As always, do call ahead before making a special trip.

Have you visited Indiana Caverns? What was your favorite part of the experience? Do you have any tips to share? Please, leave them in the comments section below.

Special thanks to Indiana Caverns and Harrison County for hosting our Indiana Caverns tour. Opinions remain mine and mine alone. 

Indiana Caverns
1267 Green Acres Dr. SW
Corydon, Indiana 47112
812.734.1200
Indiana Caverns Hours:
Monday – Sunday: 9 AM – 5 PM
Indiana Caverns on Facebook