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As of January 30th, 2025 we are re-open to the public with updated winter hours. We are open 5 days a week, Thurs-Monday 9-6 PM and closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Please come by and see us!
Guided tours leave every 10 minutes. Tours are limited to 15 people total, including underage children. We recommend you arrive early in the day to purchase tickets for the next available tour. You can also purchase tickets for a later time, leave the grounds, & then return 15 mins. before your tour time. We operate first come first served. There is no internet access on site & we cannot take reservations or phone sales.
Due to limited air flow inside the caverns face masks are recommended for immune compromised visitors.
Admission is $14.00 per adult, $13.00 per senior age 62+,$12.00 per child age 5-12, & children age 4 years & under are free.
We appreciate you visiting & your patience as you wait for your tour.
Located at the southern gateway to western NC's High Country region, Linville Caverns is an ideal destination for visitors of all ages. The beauty of our mountains is echoed within Humpback Mountain and visitors are invited to explore the splendor and wonders nature created "inside a mountain".
For centuries, the marvels of Linville Caverns were unknown to man. In the early 1800's a fishing expedition headed by Henry E. Colton, of eastern NC, were astounded to see fish swimming in and out of what appeared to be rather solid rock. A small opening in the mountainous terrain allowed them to enter the subterranean recess that is still home to native trout in an underground stream. Colton, who later served as the state geologist of Tennessee, wrote of his exploration in an 1858 issue of NC Presbyterian, "...now began the wondrous splendors of the hidden world...we emerged into an immense passage, whose roof was far beyond the reach of the glare of our torches, except where the fantastic festoons of stalactites hang down within our touch. It looked like the arch of some grand old cathedral, yet it was too sublime, too perfect in all its beautiful proportions, to be anything of human, but a model which man might attempt to imitate. It was not a large, gross cavern,...pendants were of a delicate lightness, and a most beautiful hue..."
Linville Caverns was opened for public touring in 1937. Since that time many upgrades to the pathways and lighting system have enhanced the safe touring experience that now exists. Courteous and experienced guides take you into the subterranean world, giving you the history of the caverns and allowing you to view the grand work of nature. We invite you to visit often and experience the beauty of these age-old mountains from the inside!
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