Squire Boone Caverns in Mauckport, Indiana, is the perfect place to take your family for a day of adventure, history, and exploration. I recently took our teenagers here for the day while exploring Corydon, Indiana, on a hosted trip. If you know anything about me, you will know I LOVE to add in some learning while we are out enjoying America!
Cave Tour
Start your day here with a guided tour of the caverns. It’s best to get your spot early, so you don’t have to wait for your cave journey. We arrived at 10:00 am and got on the 10:30 am tour.
“Squire Boone Caverns is a living cave with rushing streams that carry more than a million gallons of water through the cave and rarely seen underground waterfalls. “ This is one of the things you will find unique about this system. We’ve been on many cave tours, and I can honestly tell you this was incredible, and we have NEVER walked over running water. At one point, we were able to cross over the top a 20″ waterfall!!
We saw a dry rimstone dam river bed at the start of the tour. We were surprised to learn that further down the tour, we would see the largest rimstone dams accessible to the public in the United States.
Stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone cover the cavern walls, ceilings, and floors in a natural wonderland. The walking tour is about 1/3 of a mile through paced passages deep below the Earth’s surface. Your guide will share interesting facts and teach you about how these fantastic formations were created.
A few things to know:
The caverns stay a pleasant 54° F year-round – a jacket or sweater is recommended.
The tour takes place along lighted, paved walkways and steel bridges and ends with a 73-step spiral staircase (not recommended for those with serious medical conditions).
Historic Boone’s Mill
Boone’s Mill is listed on the Indiana State Register of Historic Sites and Structures, and you will be walking through real Indiana history as you explore. The mill was built by Squire Boone in the early 1800s and is now a fully restored.
The 18-foot mill wheel is powered by water flowing from the caverns, turning the 1,000-pound grinding stones. As you wander through the mill you can watch the miller demonstrate how the mill works and even purchase some freshly ground cornmeal.
If you look closely at some of the mill’s original foundation stones, you can see some into which Squire Boone carved designs and verses. One stone bears this inscription: “My God my life hath much befriended, I’ll praise Him till my days are ended.” It is fascinating to look at history frozen in time.
Rock Shop and Gem Mining
The Rock Shop and Gem Mining is a real hit with the family! We love rocks and trying to identify them. My kids took the time to go through many of the rocks to look at them. I don’t think I have seen this many rocks in one place, EVER!
Even though my kids are getting older, they still enjoy mining for “gold” at gem sluices! You can purchase small bags or big bags, depending on what your kids can con you into getting. We got some fools gold, and that was a win-win for the kids.
At Squire Boone Caverns, there is a 50-foot sluice in which you will be able to mine for Fool’s Gold (iron pyrite) and many other gems and rocks. It is a must-do when you come!
Did you know?
“Miners used washpans made of iron in a process called panning. They would get some dirt in the pan and then let stream water run through it. Then they would gently shake the pan, and the gold would fall to the bottom. After this, they would then pour the dirt out and picked up the gold!”
Candle and Soap Making Cabin
Soap Making Cabin:
Lye soap is made all summer long in Squire Boon Village. It is one of the most amazing things to watch being made when you visit. One of the homemade batched makes about 500 bars of soap. Their handmade soap contains no harsh chemicals or additives!
Lye soap is very gentle and easy on the skin. You can use it for cleaning, treating poison ivy, washing hair, and removing stains from delicate clothing.
Candle Making Cabin:
Try your hand at candle making when you come! This was so neat, and it was fun to be able to take a candle that we made home. After Abbie got done dipping her candle, she said, “I’m a candle maker!”
Boone Kitchen and Candy Shop
Make sure to grab lunch in Boone Kitchen! We had a delicious lunch of homemade sandwiches and cookies. Their bread is house-made and absolutely fantastic. It was so good we took home a loaf for later.
You can also tempt your taste buds with homemade fudge, brownies, or a sampling of candy from the various kinds they offer. Our favorite is they Rock Chrystal Candy that has been made here since 1985!
It was a great spot to cool off and enjoy a rest from all the exploration we had done at Squire Boone.
Things to Know:
Fees:
Adults 12-59: $21.00
Children 4-11: $12.00
Seniors 60+: $19.00
Children under 4 free
Memorial Day thru mid-August:
Weekdays, 9am to 5pm; Weekends, 9am to 6pm
Guided 1-hour tours leave every 30 – 40 minutes.
Mid-August to Labor Day:
Weekends, 9am to 6pm
Weekday tours are at 10am, 12pm, 2pm & 4pm
Spring and Fall Months, January and February:
Tours depart at 10am, 12pm, 2pm and 4pm,
seven days a week.
Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Squire Boone Caverns is one of the most intriguing cave systems we have ever visited, and we have gone to many. One of my children said, “this is better than Mammoth Cave National Park”. I’d say that is as glowing a review that you can get! It is truly unique.
Put this one on your Indiana bucket list!
Happy Adventures,
Brandy
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