4 Underground Caves Near Rochester You Need to Visit

If you are like me, you’ve checked off most of the items on your family’s summer bucket list by this point in August. But with several weeks left before school starts, we’re still hunting for new things to do in Minnesota.

If you’ve hit the dreaded "what are we doing today?" stage of summer, I found four little adventures your family can take. With two spots right here in Southeast Minnesota and two just across the border in Wisconsin and Iowa, each one makes for an easy family day trip.

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Our region is home to some of the coolest caves in the Midwest. Whether you love to explore and learn or just need a quick family day trip to escape the humidity, these four cave tours in and around Southeast Minnesota stay a crisp 47°F to 50°F year-round.

I've visited one of these caves with my family, and there are a few important things to keep in mind before you head out.

1. Bring a Sweatshirt: It might be 90°F in the parking lot, but 48°F underground starts feeling chilly real fast after 20 minutes.
2. Wear Good Shoes: Cave trails can be damp and slippery. Most places actually ban flip-flops and Crocs for safety. Baby Carriers (Skip the Stroller):
3. No Strollers: Narrow passages and steep staircases make them impossible to use inside.