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Louisville’s Mega Cavern

Louisville’s Mega Cavern

If you’ll be in the fun city of Louisville, KY we highly recommend you spend a day at Louisville’s Mega Cavern for some incredible underground fun. You won’t find anything like Mega Cavern anywhere in the U.S as this underground park is home to the only an extensive aerial rope course, thrilling underground zip lines, and a mega fun underground bike park. The cavern stays about chilly 60 degrees all which makes it a great place to visit on a winter or rainy day for indoor exercise and on a hot August day to beat the heat.

Zip Line at Louisville Mega Cavern
Zip-Lining

Your A.C.C.T. trained tour guides will lead you on an zip line tour that can last up to 2.5 hours. Along with the thrill of zip-lining comes a history lesson on the history and geology of the cavern. You’ll explore 17 miles of tunnels under the city of Louisville while you glide on six zip lines and two challenge bridges.  You must be 7 years old to participate in this adrenaline pumping adventure.

Gearing up for the Ropes course at Louisville Mega Cavern The Mega Quest

While there are certainly other places to do a ropes course none of them are quite as much for as the one found at Mega Quest.  Maybe it’s the 76 challenging elements, or maybe its the chilly air, or maybe it’s the fact that it’s located  underground, but whatever it is this ropes course stands out above the rest. The ropes course is two stories and includes two zip line options. It’s a bit dark in there so kids wear red lights on their helmets so that the staff can see them and the staff was spread out throughout the course to help and encourage kids that feel stuck. Kids must be at least 5 years old for the ropes course and must be able to follow a three step process to transfer from one challenge to the next.

Mega Underground Bike Park

The bike park is, in my opinion, is the most unique activity at the cavern. It includes over 320,000 square feet of trails and jumps that are just as fun as any outdoor BMX park, only larger! I mean how often do you get to ride your bike 100 feet below ground?

Children must be 7 years old to ride, but be advised the course is quite challenging so I would recommend riders with a bit of experience.  Don’t have a bike or left your helmet at home? Don’t worry they are avaliable for rent from the Mega Cavern!

A few hours down there and your kids will sleep all the way home!  The only downside to the bike park is that there isn’t a viewing area so anyone down there must be on a bike.

Mega Tram

Not a thrill seeker but still interested in this massive man-made cavern?  The Historic Tram Tour will take you on an underground adventure rich in history, geology, mining, recycling, and green building technology. The tour is about an hour long and suitable for all ages. You’ll see some early cavern formations, a replica of the Cuban Missile Fallout Bunker, and much more.

Visiting Advice

The only downside to spending the whole day at Mega Cavern is that there isn’t a real snack bar aside from chips and a few drink selections. However, that’s not a big deal as long as you are prepared.  There is a nice outdoor pavilion so pack a picnic or you can always leave and go to a number of nearby restaurants and then return.

Many of the activities have height and weight requirements, so make sure to check their website. Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations are strongly encouraged especially on peak weekends. Perhaps the best part of the Mega Cavern is their incredibly friendly and helpful staff!

Lights Under Louisville

Interesting Facts

  • The cavern was mined from the early 1930’s to the early 1970’s.
  • The mine goes under all 10 lanes of the Watterson Expressway
  • Approximately 70% of the Louisville Zoo is located above the cavern.
  • The underground is the largest recycling center in Kentucky by tonnage. It handles more material by tonnage than all others combined.
  • The #1 entrance to the cavern had an 8-inch snow fall one day when it was not snowing anywhere else in the city. This was due to moist air escaping from the cavern while hitting the below-freezing temperatures outside the cavern……forming perfect conditions for a snowfall.
  • Each Christmas the cavern is transformed into an underground holiday light spectacular for the Christmas season which features over 850 lit characters with over 2,000,000 points of light. It’s the only underground light show of its kind on the planet!

The next time you are in Louisville, make sure your plans include a trip to the Mega Cavern. If you are looking for other things to do in Louisville, check out this post.

Get the scoop on Louisville's Mega Cavern!