Cave of the Mounds

 The Cave of the Mounds in Southern Wisconsin is a Natural National Landmark. From the website: "A guided tour of the Cave takes you past a varied collection of colorful stalactites, stalagmites, columns and other formations. The main cavern began forming over a million years ago as acidic water dissolved the limestone bedrock far below the surface. As Cave of the Mounds staff like to point out, geologic time is mind-boggling. It is difficult to imagine the time it took for the large caverns to be dissolved within rock that is itself believed to be over 400 million years old!"

The Cave of the Mounds was accidentally discovered in 1939 when workers were removing limestone from a quarry. Tours were opened a year later. Today the hour long guided program includes a movie on the history of the cave, the paths are paved guiding visitors down several stories below ground and you get the chance to experience pure darkness at a constant 50 degrees Fahrenheit year round. Some of the paths were so narrow, even Serene had to bend and swerve her way to make it through.

Following the tour, children can dig for fossils and pan for treasures just outside the gift shop and take home their own geological treasures.