crystal lake cave

We had a young lady who has only been there a few months lead our tour. She was friendly and did well to keep the young and old alike interested and engaged while on the tour that is privately owned and has many features that few other caves within the United States have to offer.

This was a neat place to go to on our last day of vacation. The boy at the front desk (I wish I had gotten his name) was very pleasant and personable, and you could tell he loved his job. The tour guide, Aleah (sp?) was amazing! Very young girl, but you could tell she loves what she does and I could see her doing this for years to come! She was very knowledgeable about the cave, and very upbeat. The cave was neat, and the stories of how it formed were neat, too. There are a few narrow areas, but not horribly narrow. Also, if you're tall, be careful! There's a lot of ducking you have to do, and some of the formations hang kind of low, so be mindful of your head. The "cave kisses" were unexpected, too. It's when the cave drips water on you. And don't wear good shoes that you don't want to get wet, because there are a lot of puddles to walk through. All in all, it was a neat place to visit.

I love caves, and this tour did not disappoint. All the usual corny jokes and puns that make cave tours unique and interesting sights. Great for families especially.

This is a great little cave tour! Best to go on a hot day, this way you stay cool the entire time you are underground.

It's interesting but for older kids and adults. My 3-year-olds were not amused. The guide was friendly, but couldn't really go "off-script" to make it more age-appropriate (it was just our family on tour). It was an ok tour, but not sure I would make a repeat visit when my kids are older.

Well worth the time!! Our whole family enjoyed the tour. It's a little off the beaten path (there are plenty of signs) and hard to believe there is a cave on the property (it looks like a farm!!) If you don't like tight spaces, this may not be for you, however, you aren't in one place for too long. The formations are really neat.

This place is a great and family owned. It was the highlight of my trip to Galena/Dubuque. Our guide, Lexi, was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. She did a great job of managing a large group of people to make sure everyone was having fun. Our group had a lot of kids and she kept us entertained in the front of the line while we waited for all the kids to finish looking at things. Lexi also gave us ideas of things to do in Galena. This is a good spot to stop if you want to do something a bit different :)

We came here upon the recommendation of a friend. It isn't far off the highway, but it isn't a place you'd notice without a heads up. It's a cool cave experience. The tour took about 45 minutes or so and was interesting. Everyone enjoyed it, especially those who hadn't been in a true cave before with the stalactites and mites.

Our whole family of 7 loved this! We have kids ages 10 to 17. Our tour guide was very enjoyable. Lots to see and we'll worth it. A great gift shop as well!

I have been to many caves and was excited to learn Iowa had one to tour while walking. The guide was young but knowledgeable. I wanted to take more pictures but was at the front of the line and didn't want to hold everyone up. Neat that they turned a part that was destroyed by guests into a hands on spot, but please respect the caves!

On a 90 degree day this was the perfect thing to do. We really enjoyed the tour and had a very knowledgeable guide. Wear tennis shoes since you will walk in water and bring a sweatshirt or jacket.

Great guided tour for beginners like my group of two moms and six boys. Very educational and adventurous at the same time.

A Wonderful Cave Lots Of Formations.The Guide Was Great.There Was Cave Flowers Called Anthodites. A Rare Form Of Aragonite Crystals.Found In Only 2 Caves In The US.

Courtney was an amazing tour guide. we had my hearing impaired mother in law and she made sure that she apoke loud enoufh for her to hear. Nice little gift shop to get souvenirs at too. Julie is a very friendly owner and makes everyone feel welcome.

Very nice cave, but we didn't care for our young, unfriendly Guide ( I think his name was Hunter)....He seemed annoyed and a rude!