Howe Caverns

Nicholas Themelis

2024-04

Incredible experience. Had Connor for a tour guide and loved it. Recommend going later in the day to avoid a large crowd for the exploration.Only thing I don't love is the random light colors in the cave, would prefer one static color because I want to see the cave itself not crazy lights.They mentioned spelunking which I'm super interested in, but it's hard to find details on the website probably have to call. That allows going deeper into the cave with no light assistance in a wetsuit

Gisel A Costa

2024-04

Such an amazing spot! I really enjoyed the cave tour! It wasn’t too cold. I went end of March with my bf and we absolutely loved it. The tour is over a mile long. We had a great tour guide we explained different stones and various parts of the cave. We also went on a boat where two tour guides managed to lead us on a fantastic ride.The gift shop is cute! I purchased a few crystals and stones. Also magnets for my friends and family.

Rebecca Gagliardi

2024-03

My boyfriend and I stayed at the motel and took a tour for our anniversary recently. We both haven’t been since we were kids, and had been saying for a while that we should go again. I’m so glad we did. We got a king bed room and it was a lot bigger than we were expecting. It was very clean and the bed was extremely comfy. We also got a little goodie bag in our room! We did the Tour & Stay package which came with a ½ pound of their homemade fudge & one large bag of gem mining rough that we did the next day at home. The cave is the same temperature all year so don’t be worried about going in the winter! We ended up having the last cave tour of the day and were lucky enough to get Betsy as our tour guide. She was very nice and welcoming. During the tour she kept us all laughing and intrigued. You could tell the caverns mean a lot to her throughout the tour and I absolutely love that. Thanks for the wonderful stay, we will definitely be back this summer, hopefully with some friends.

Humayra Binte Amin

2024-04

Went with family (of 5) all adult but far more better for kids especially. So much fun and very useful information can be absorbed from the tour guides (it is only done through guided tour) we still loved it. *Be mindful of a ton of information to be coming at you* Our guided tour was done by Betsy, and we loved it!!It’s 52° down there so be prepared for a bit chilly weather down there. Also wear sneakers- a bit slippery from all the little dripping water (it’s natural)TICKET MUST BE BOUGHT ONLINE *beforehand* and they’re also open on specific days so don’t drive for over 2hrs or more without online booking! The tour is 1hr and 30min long, and very on time so if you’re not there at least exactly at the reserved time then you WILL miss your reservation. No wait time unless you arrive too early

Jessica Sadler

2023-12

This experience really exceeded my expectations. To start, the facility is beautiful and the staff were very organized and efficient with getting the tour groups going. Our tour guide was so sweet, funny, and knowledgeable and really made the tour even cooler. The caverns were so stunning - the boat ride and the narrow winding bit at the end were my favorite parts.

Mary Peters

2024-04

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Kathy Zucker

2024-04

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Patricia Sawyer

2024-04

I have fond memories of this place from my childhood. Got to take two of my children to visit, and they enjoyed it too.They've added some different lighting and new twists on some of the stories associated with the cavern. It's worth the drive for the views of beautiful upstate NY, and the cave tour is fun.Get some fudge while you're there and DEFINITELY try the cave Aged cheddar.

Nicole

2024-03

I went here on a class trip many years ago (15 years ago). I still think about this place from time to time because of how cool it was. I remember the tour guides being very nice and the place itself was very well-maintained. This is a place that everyone should go to at least once.

Suzzette Corsi

2024-04

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Andy Burke

2024-03

Absolutely amazing experience. Worth the drive and would to come back in the summer for the longer tour. Guide was great and the cave was just fantastic.

Mr. Trim

2024-04

Truly unique among bucket list experiences, Howe Caverns afford one the opportunity to not only descend into the earth but go back into time over 350 million years. A combination of geology, biology and history, the caverns are a prime example of the natural beauty residing below our planet as well on it. I best enjoy them when I can quietly stroll among them at my own pace, considering their truly ancient age and the fascinating processes that carved and sustain these natural wonders. My one wish is if more personalized/private tours were available at similar rates to the public ones to truly appreciate these magnificent formations.

Scott Pilarski

2024-04

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Timothy Haluska

2024-04

Great place for a day visit! The traditional tour is about 90 mins with a boat ride (the water is very shallow, nothing to fear). Not recommended for anyone with difficulty walking, but the pace is not bad as long as you have a steady gait, you should be good.The staff was wonderful. They were even able to move up our tour time, we arrived 2 hours early (it was a slower day). This would be a good place for kids. There were a few other attractions there, including a mining building, an escape room, and what appeared to be a high ropes course. I did not experience the other attractions. I would look into it because just going for the traditional tour, may not be enough entertainment for the kiddos...

Rocky Gonzalez

2024-02

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Dragon Nest

2023-09

This place was really cool I didn't know if I was going to like it as much as I did this was my first time in a cave. The tour is awesome there is all kinds of awesome things to see and it's just a different feeling being over a hundred feet underground. The boat ride was just the top and all. Our tour guide April was top-class very intelligent right on point with everything. April probably the best tour guide they have. They also have this awesome other tour will you go cave spelunking in a place that they just opened up to the public after a hundred years that is my next visit. All in all this is a very family-friendly , they have a small cafeteria on site with an eating area anda gift shop and fudge store.

jem brickner

2023-07

Solid experience! Polished tour. A bit fast-paced even though it is a long tour. Our tour guide was a teenager who did a great job remembering all the facts and figures and dates, etc. It's so good to see places still hiring and training teens. I think it is a bit pricey, overall, but it's a huge place and probably requires a lot of upkeep. Our family of four price was over $100. If you haven’t been on a cavern tour before or if you have an affinity for boat rides, I recommend this one.

Scott Hearn

2024-04

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Caize Queiroz

2024-04

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Erin Sheedy

2023-12

Thank You Tony for guiding us thru the Caverns! We had a wonderful time at Howe Caverns :) He kept us Safe & Secure.Next time, we will have to check out the Secret Caverns.We picked up the package that included Gems Sifting and Sweet Treats!We also stayed the night :)The room was perfect and cozy.Do not skip the Windy Way!!Check out the photos and videos :)

Sarah Olson

2023-08

I grew up in upstate NY and used to love going here as a child. Just went as an adult and I LOVED it! Our tour guide was fantastic and had a hilarious sense of humor. Made every minute interesting. The caves themselves were so beautiful! Loved all the different colored lights, and especially enjoyed the boat ride. It was breathtaking! Will absolutely visit again.

Megan M

2023-08

A very fun experience! The caverns are well lit and maintained. The tours are decent sizes, but not overwhelming and the tour guides do great jobs making sure everyone is included. The tour is mainly walking with several sections of stairs, but there is a smaller section where you are seated on small boats. Overall, I think a whole family would have a great time together! There is a pretty large size gift shop in the upper levels of the facilities.

Cindy Palumbo

2023-08

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Chloe Jen

2023-08

Definitely wear a hoodie/sweater with long pants since it’s underground with 52 degrees temperatures. A very fun place and totally worth going! It’s like an 90 minutes escape into another world! We got the traditionally tour 90 min tickets online, and booked the same day we went since they were lots of slots available. Cannot go in with purse, bags, water or anything, so make sure you get whatever needed before going in. It has some light inside but not as bright like outdoor so it make sense to carry as little as possible or nothing, since there’s also a short boat ride and narrow tunnel. Tunnel part was so fun!

Erin Van Buren

2024-03

I’m not going to lie, this place was majorly cool! However, my tour was a full tour, 36 people(8 in my party). We were herded into the elevator like cattle. I literally had someone else’s butt touching me and my kids. If you were worried about being claustrophobic in the cave - the elevator ride down and up will terrify you. The tour was very informative but it felt like we were being rushed and couldn’t have a good look around. Even the kids said they wished they had more time. Overall, really cool and will visit again. Best advice, do your research and look for times and days that are less busy.

Jon Cline

2024-02

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peter schewe

2024-04

The caves themselves are amazing... Truly a sight to behold!... My only issue is the business model.They simply take too many people per group, and they have multiple groups in the caves at one time, so it feels like you're either rushing past things that you'd like more time to appreciate, or you're standing up against the wall of the cavern as three dozen noisy kids rush by in the other direction... It got frustrating, as this place could easily be 5 stars.Guides are friendly... Cheese and fudge are good... DO NOT BRING ANY BAGS!... purses included!

Nick Calderazzo

2024-04

Great place , highly recommend to check out when in NY!Great tour guide as well

Ryan Mazierski

2024-04

Without a doubt Howe Caverns is the best show cave in New York State. The standard cavern tour is involves a good amount of walking and viewing some unique cave formations. After the walk you are put on boat ride through the "Lake of Venus." The boat ride is short, but fun. Be sure to watch your head so that you don't hit it on the cavern walls as you're moving through the lake. The use of colorful LED lights really does wonders to show off the cavern's unique formations. Guides do a good job on all parts of the tour.Took the "lantern tour" which you can get if you call ahead by phone. The tour does the standard cave tour and then on the way back, you get to tour the cave by lantern light. Howe Caverns is one of the oldest show caves in the US, and this tour lets you see what the cave tour was like in the days before electricity. It is certainly an interesting experience to tour the cave like this. Some parts of the tour are better like this, some are not. It is worth the extra charge, if you are interested in seeing the cave from a different point of view.Be sure to reserve your tickets ahead of time. Tours are often very large and you won't want to get shut out.

Big MAMAH

2023-09

I'm a little claustrophobic so that was interesting especially the last part of the tour where they take you through a very tight maze. Funny thing is it ended up being my favorite part. I also loved when we were on the boat and they turn the lights off in the cave so you could see how dark it is. This was an amazing tour and I want to come back with the rest of my family. Definitely would recommend it to everyone of all ages