A show cave—also called tourist cave, public cave, and, in the United States, commercial cave—is a

cave A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...

which has been made accessible to the public for guided visits.

Definition

Bridge Inside Skocjan Caves - Slovenia (7451202474)

A show cave is a

that has been made accessible to the public for guided visits, where a cave is defined as a natural occurring void beneath the surface of the earth, per the International Show Caves Association. A show cave may be managed by a government or commercial organization and made accessible to the general public, usually for an entrance fee. Unlike wild caves, they may possess regular opening hours, guided group tours, constructed trails and stairs, color artificial illumination and other lighting, musical/video/laser shows and concerts, elevators, small trains, and boats if they contain underground water features. Some caves (mainly in Asia) open to the public have temples, monasteries and religious statues or monuments. Some caves are visited by millions of tourists annually. The term is used inconsistently between nations: many countries tend to call all caves which are open to the public show caves or public caves in contrary to all other caves which are not allowed to enter. However, there are many such caves which are not developed with trails, light and tours, which are visited by very many people. This kind of cave is often called a semi-wild cave. Access may involve anything between an easy stroll and dangerous climbing. Most cave accidents happen in this kind of cave, as visitors underestimate the difficulties and dangers.

History

The oldest known show cave in the world is probably

Reed Flute Cave The Reed Flute Cave (), also known as "the Palace of Natural Arts," is a landmark and tourist attraction in Guilin, Guangxi, China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List ...

in China with inscriptions from 792 in the time of the T'ang Dynasty. Other old show caves are

Postojna Cave Postojna Cave ( sl, Postojnska jama; german: Adelsberger Grotte; it, Grotte di Postumia) is a long karst cave system near Postojna, southwestern Slovenia. It is the second-longest cave system in the country (following the Migovec System) as wel ...

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...

, with the presumed first record of a cave tour in 1213. Other early show caves are Jasov Cave in

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...

with inscriptions from 1452, the Sontheimer Höhle in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

which was reportedly visited by Herzog Ulrich von Württemberg on 20 May 1516 and Vilenica Cave in Slovenia where entrance fees were taken from 1633 on. In 1649, the first "authorized" cave guide started guiding Baumannshöhle in the

Harz The Harz () is a highland area in northern Germany. It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The name ''Harz'' derives from the Middle High German ...

though this cave was intensively visited much earlier. The development of electric lighting enabled the illumination of show caves. Early experiments with electric light in caves were carried out by Lieutenant Edward Cracknel in 1880 at Chifley Cave,

Jenolan Caves The Jenolan Caves ( Tharawal: ''Binoomea'', ''Bindo'', ''Binda'') are limestone caves located within the Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve in the Central Tablelands region, west of the Blue Mountains, in Jenolan, Oberon Council, New South Wa ...

, Australia. In 1881, Sloupsko-Šošůvské Jeskyně,

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

, became the first cave in the world with electric arc light. This light did not use light bulbs, but electric arc lamps with carbon electrodes, which burned down and had to be replaced after some time. The first cave in the world with electric light bulbs as we know them today was the Kraushöhle in

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

in 1883. But the light was abandoned after only seven years and then visited with

carbide lamp Carbide lamps, or acetylene gas lamps, are simple lamps that produce and burn acetylene (C2H2) which is created by the reaction of calcium carbide (CaC2) with water (H2O). Acetylene gas lamps were used to illuminate buildings, as lighthouse b ...

s for decades. Today the cave is guided with handheld LED lamps. In 1884, two more caves were equipped with electric light,

, and Olgahöhle,

. Because of the unwanted development of lampenflora ( algae attracted to heat and light) around incandescent electric lights in show caves, many of these attractions, such as Ingleborough Cave in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, have switched to cooler-temperature LED lighting.

Notable show caves (in alphabetical order)

Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst The Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst is a UNESCO World Heritage site consisting of 712 caves spread out over a total area of along the border of Hungary and Slovakia. Background This UNESCO World Heritage site includes seven component ...

, Hungary/Slovakia * Akiyoshidai Cave, Yamaguchi, Japan * Alisadr Cave, Alisadr,

Hamedan Hamadan () or Hamedan ( fa, همدان, ''Hamedān'') (Old Persian: Haŋgmetana, Ecbatana) is the capital city of Hamadan Province of Iran. At the 2019 census, its population was 783,300 in 230,775 families. The majority of people living in Ham ...

, Iran (largest water cave) * Angitis, near

Prosotsani Prosotsani ( el, Προσοτσάνη, until 1925: el, Προσωτσάνη - ''Prosotsani'', from 1925 until 1940: el, Πυρσόπολις - ''Pyrsopolis'') is a municipality and town within the municipality located in the western part of the ...

, Greece (longest underground river cave) * Atta Cave,

Attendorn Attendorn () is a German town in the Olpe district in North Rhine-Westphalia. As of 2019 it had a population of 24,264. History The town's location was favoured by the good climate in the Attendorn-Elsper Limestone Double Basin (''Attendorn- ...

, Germany * Aven d'Orgnac, Orgnac-l'Aven, France *

Avshalom Cave Avshalom Cave ( he, מערת אבשלום, Me'arat Avshalom), known in academic literature as Soreq Cave ( he, מערת שׂורק, Me'arat Soreq), ar, مغارة سوريك, Mghar Suriq) an popularly as Stalactites Cave ( he, מערת הנטי� ...

(Absalom Cave, Soreq Cave), Israel * Bacho Kiro cave, near

Dryanovo Dryanovo ( bg, Дряново, ) is a Bulgarian town situated at the northern foot of the Balkan Mountains in Gabrovo Province; amphitheatrically along the two banks of Dryanovo River, a tributary to the Yantra River. The town is a centre of the ...

, Bulgaria (the first show cave in Bulgaria inaugurated in 1937) * Batu Caves, near

Kuala Lumpur , anthem = ''Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , sub ...

, Malaysia *

Bears' Cave Bears' Cave ( ro, Peștera Urșilor) is located in the western Apuseni Mountains, on the outskirts of Chișcău village, Bihor County, northwestern Romania. It was discovered in 1975 by Speodava, an amateur spelaeologist group. Bears' Cave rec ...

, Chişcău village,

Bihor County Bihor County () is a county (județ) in western Romania. With a total area of , Bihor is Romania's 6th largest county geographically and the main county in the historical region of Crișana. Its capital city is Oradea. Toponymy The origin of ...

, Romania * Cuevas de Bellamar, Matanzas, Cuba * Bing Cave in

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...

, Germany *

Blanchard Springs Caverns Blanchard Springs Caverns is a cave system located in the Ozark–St. Francis National Forest in Stone County in northern Arkansas, 2 miles off Highway 14 a short distance north of Mountain View. It is the only tourist cave owned by the United ...

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...

, United States * Blanche Cave, Naracoorte,

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

, Australia * Blue Grotto sea cave, in Biševo island, Dalmatia, Croatia *

Buchan Caves The Buchan Caves are a group of limestone caves that include the Royal Cave and the Fairy Cave, located south-west of , in the East Gippsland region of the Australian state of Victoria. They have a total length of between , and six entrances. ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, Australia * Grottes de Calès, near

Lamanon Lamanon () is a commune located in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southern France. Its inhabitants are called ''Lamanonais'' in French. North of the village the archaeological site of Grotte ...

, France *

Cango Caves The Cango Caves are located in Precambrian limestones at the foothills of the Swartberg range near the town of Oudtshoorn, in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The principal cave is one of the country's finest, best known, and most pop ...

Oudtshoorn Oudtshoorn (, ), the "ostrich capital of the world", is a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa, located between the Swartberg mountains to the north and the Outeniqua Mountains to the south. Two ostrich-feather booms, during 1865– ...

, South Africa *

Capricorn Caves Capricorn Caves are located north of Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. The limestone caves are one of the largest privately owned cave systems in Australia. History It was first discovered in 1881 by Norwegian migrant John Olsen. He went o ...

Rockhampton, Queensland Rockhampton is a city in the Rockhampton Region of Central Queensland, Australia. The population of Rockhampton in June 2021 was 79,967, Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. making it the fourth-largest city in the state outside of the ...

, Australia * Castellana Caves, near Bari, Italy *

Carlsbad Caverns Carlsbad Caverns National Park is an American national park in the Guadalupe Mountains of southeastern New Mexico. The primary attraction of the park is the show cave Carlsbad Cavern. Visitors to the cave can hike in on their own via the natur ...

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...

, United States * Cascade Caverns,

Boerne, Texas Boerne ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Kendall County, Texas, in the Texas Hill Country. Boerne is known for its German-Texan history, named in honor of German author and satirist Ludwig Börne by the German Founders of the town. The pop ...

, United States * Cathedral Caves, South Island, New Zealand *

Cave Without a Name The Cave Without a Name is a limestone solutional cave in the Texas Hill Country region of Central Texas. It is a National Natural Landmark. The cave is located from downtown San Antonio, and 10 miles northeast of Boerne off FM 474 and Kreutz ...

, near

, United States *

Craighead Caverns Craighead Caverns is an extensive cave system located in between Sweetwater and Madisonville, Tennessee. It is best known for containing the United States' largest and the world's second largest non- subglacial underground lake, The Lost Sea. ...

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

, United States * Cross Cave, Slovenia * Crystal Cave (Ohio) in

Put-In-Bay, Ohio Put-in-Bay is a village located on South Bass Island in Put-in-Bay Township, Ottawa County, Ohio, United States, east of Toledo. The population was 154 at the 2020 census. The village is a popular summer resort and recreational destinati ...

, United States (The world's largest known geode, a celestine geode 35 feet (11 m) in diameter at its widest point) * Dan yr Ogof in

Powys Powys (; ) is a county and preserved county in Wales. It is named after the Kingdom of Powys which was a Welsh successor state, petty kingdom and principality that emerged during the Middle Ages following the end of Roman rule in Britain. Geog ...

, Wales * Dechen Cave,

Iserlohn Iserlohn (; Westphalian: ''Iserlaun'') is a city in the Märkischer Kreis district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the largest city by population and area within the district and the Sauerland region. Geography Iserlohn is locat ...

, Germany * Deer Cave, near

Miri ) , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = State , subdivision_name1 = , subdivision_type2 = Division , subdivision_name2 ...

Sarawak Sarawak (; ) is a state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in northwest Borneo Island, and is bordered by the Malaysian state of Sabah to the northeast, ...

, Malaysia * Dirou Pyrgos Caves ( Glyfada Cave and Alepotrypa cave) with underground river, Pyrgos Dirou, Greece *

Devil's Throat Cave Devil's Throat Cave, or Dyavolsko Garlo ( bg, Дяволското гърло ), is located in the western Rhodopes close to the village of Gyovren in Bulgaria, near its border with Greece. A popular tourist attraction, Devil's Throat branche ...

, Western Rhodope Mountains, near

Gyovren Gyovren ( bg, Гьоврен; tr, Gövren) is a village under the municipality of Devin in the Smolyan Province in the southern part of Bulgaria. Geography Gyovren is located in the Rhodope Mountains on the northern slope of the Trigrad plat ...

, Bulgaria * Dobšiná Ice Cave, Slovakia * Doolin Cave ( Pol an Ionain) in

Doolin Doolin () is a coastal village in County Clare, Ireland, on the Atlantic coast. It is southwest of the spa town of Lisdoonvarna and 4 miles from the Cliffs of Moher. It is a noted centre of traditional Irish music, which is played nightly ...

, Ireland * Cuevas del Drach (Dragon Caves) on Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain (with concerts) *

Dupnisa Cave The Dupnisa Cave ( tr, Dupnisa Mağarası), aka Dupnisa Caves, is a show cave located in Kırklareli Province, northwestern Turkey, close to Bulgarian-Turkish border. The cave itself, unlike what the original name suggests, is actually three, inter ...

Kırklareli Kırklareli () is a city within Kırklareli Province in the European part of Turkey. Name It is not clearly known when the city was founded, nor under what name. The Byzantine Greeks called it Sarànta Ekklisiès (''Σαράντα Εκκλησι� ...

, Turkey * Eisriesenwelt, near

Salzburg Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label= Austro-Bavarian) is the fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is on the site of the Roman settlement of ''Iuvavum''. Salzburg was founded ...

, Austria * Erdmanns Cave near

Lörrach Lörrach () is a town in southwest Germany, in the valley of the Wiese, close to the French and the Swiss borders. It is the capital of the district of Lörrach in Baden-Württemberg. It is the home of a number of large employers, including t ...

, Germany * Fantastic Caverns near

Springfield, Missouri Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Springfield metropolitan area, which had an estimat ...

* Frasassi Caves,

Ancona Ancona (, also , ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region in central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region. The city is located northeast of Rome, on the Adriatic ...

, Italy * Grotta Gigante,

Trieste Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into prov ...

, Italy * Grutas de Cacahuamilpa,

Guerrero Guerrero is one of the 32 states that comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo and its largest city is Acapulcocopied from article, GuerreroAs of 2020, Guerrero the pop ...

, Mexico * Gunns Plains Cave in

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

island, Australia * Coves dels Hams on Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain *

Caves of Han-sur-Lesse The Caves of Han-sur-Lesse (in French: Grottes de Han-sur-Lesse or simply Grottes de Han) refers to a natural complex of caves in Belgium. A major Belgian tourist attraction (around 250-300,000 visitors per year), the caves are located in Walloni ...

(Grottes de Han), Belgium * Harrison's Cave, Barbados * Hato Caves, near

Willemstad Willemstad ( , ; ; en, William Town, italic=yes) is the capital city of Curaçao, an island in the southern Caribbean Sea that forms a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It was the capital of the Netherlands Antilles pr ...

, Curaçao * Hazrat Daoud pilgrimage cave near Nurobod, Uzbekistan *

Caves of Hercules The Caves of Hercules is an archaeological cave complex located in Cape Spartel, Morocco. Location Situated west of Tangier, the popular tourist attraction is adjacent to the summer palace of the King of Morocco. Topography The cave has tw ...

, Cape Spartel, Morocco * Horne Lake Caves near Nanaimo,

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, Canada * Caves of Hotton, Belgium * Howe Caverns in New York, United States *

Huanglong Cave Huanglong Cave () is a karst cave located in Wulingyuan District, Zhangjiajie City, Hunan, People's Republic of China and a national 4A rated scenic area. As of 2010, the cave has over a million visitors per year. Since 1997, the Huanglong Cave ...

Zhangjiajie Zhangjiajie (), also known in Tujia language as ''Zhangx jif avlar'' /dzaŋ˩ ji˥ a˩.la˥/, is a prefecture-level city in the northwestern part of Hunan Province, China. It comprises the district of Yongding, Wulingyuan and counties of Cili ...

Wulingyuan Wulingyuan (, zh, c=武陵源) is a scenic and historical site in the Wulingyuan District of South Central China's Hunan Province. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. It is noted for more than 3,000 quartzite sandstone p ...

Hunan Hunan (, ; ) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the South Central China region. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi ...

, China * Ingleborough Cave, England * Inner Space Cavern,

Georgetown, Texas Georgetown is a city in Texas and the county seat of Williamson County, Texas, United States. The population was 67,176 at the 2020 census. It is 30 miles (48 km) north of Austin. Founded in 1875 from four existing colleges, the oldest of ...

, United States * Jeita Grotto, Lebanon *

in the Blue Mountains,

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia (oldest caves, with concerts) *

Kazumura Cave Kazumura Cave is a lava tube and has been surveyed at 40.7 miles (65.5 km) long and 3,614 feet (1,102 m) deep making it the longest and deepest lava tube in the world. The cave is located on the island of Hawaiʻi on the eastern slope of Kīl ...

Kīlauea Kīlauea ( , ) is an active shield volcano in the Hawaiian Islands. Located along the southeastern shore of the Big Island of Hawaii, the volcano is between 210,000 and 280,000 years old and emerged above sea level about 100,000 years ago. His ...

Hawaiian Islands, United States (the largest and deepest lava tube system) *

Kartchner Caverns State Park Kartchner Caverns State Park is a state park of Arizona, United States, featuring a show cave with of passages. The park is located south of the town of Benson and west of the north-flowing San Pedro River. Long hidden from view, the caverns ...

near

Benson, Arizona Benson is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States, east-southeast of Tucson. It was founded as a rail terminal for the area, and still serves as such. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 5,105. History The city was ...

, United States *

Koněprusy Caves Koněprusy Caves ( cz, Koněpruské jeskyně) is a cave system in the heart of the limestone region known as Bohemian Karst in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It is located in the municipality of Koněprusy, about southwest o ...

, Czech Republic * Kungur Ice Cave in

Kungur Kungur (russian: Кунгу́р) is a town in the southeast of Perm Krai, Russia, located in the Ural Mountains at the confluence of the rivers Iren and Shakva with the Sylva ( Kama's basin). Population: 64,800 (1959); 36,000 (1939). His ...

near

Perm Perm or PERM may refer to: Places *Perm, Russia, a city in Russia ** Permsky District, the district **Perm Krai, a federal subject of Russia since 2005 **Perm Oblast, a former federal subject of Russia 1938–2005 **Perm Governorate, an administra ...

, Russia *

Cave of the Lakes The Cave of the Lakes ( el, Σπήλαιο των Λιμνών, Spilaio ton Limnon), formerly called Troupisio, is located near the village Kastria in the Achaea Regional units of Greece, regional unit. It is from Kalavryta and from Kleitoria. ...

Kastria Kastria ( el, Καστρία) is a small village in the Peloponnese peninsula, Greece. It is part of the municipality Kalavryta Kalavryta ( el, Καλάβρυτα) is a town and a municipality in the mountainous east-central part of the regional ...

, Greece * Lamprechtsofen, near

, Austria *

Ledenika Ledenika ( bg, Леденика, English: icy or glacial) is a cave in the Northwestern parts of the Balkan Mountains, 16 km away from the Bulgarian city of Vratsa. Its entrance is approximately 830 m above sea level. The cave features an abu ...

, near

Vratsa Vratsa ( bg, Враца ) is the largest city in northwestern Bulgaria and the administrative and economic centre of the municipality of Vratsa and Vratsa district. It is located about 112 km north of Sofia, 40 km southeast of Montana. ...

, Balkan Mountains, Bulgaria * Lewis and Clark Caverns in

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

, United States * Linville Caverns in

Marion Marion may refer to: People *Marion (given name) *Marion (surname) *Marion Silva Fernandes, Brazilian footballer known simply as "Marion" *Marion (singer), Filipino singer-songwriter and pianist Marion Aunor (born 1992) Places Antarctica * Mario ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

, United States *

Luray Caverns Luray Caverns, originally called Luray Cave, is a cave just west of Luray, Virginia, United States, which has drawn many visitors since its discovery in 1878. The cavern system is generously adorned with speleothems such as columns, mud flows, s ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, United States *

Magura Cave The Magura Cave (Bulgarian "пещера Магура") is located in north-western Bulgaria close to the village of Rabisha, from the town of Belogradchik in Vidin Province. The prehistoric wall paintings of Magura have great resemblance with t ...

, near

Belogradchik Belogradchik ( bg, Белоградчик ) is a town in Vidin Province, Northwestern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of the homonymous Belogradchik Municipality. The town, whose name literally means "small white town," is situated in the fo ...

, Balkan Mountains, Bulgaria (with concerts) *

Mammoth Cave Mammoth Cave National Park is an American national park in west-central Kentucky, encompassing portions of Mammoth Cave, the longest cave system known in the world. Since the 1972 unification of Mammoth Cave with the even-longer system under F ...

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

, United States (longest caves system) * Manjanggul in Jeju Island, South Korea (lava tube) * Marble Cave,

Crimea Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a pop ...

, Ukraine * Marble Arch Caves in

County Fermanagh County Fermanagh ( ; ) is one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the six counties of Northern Ireland. The county covers an area of 1,691 km2 (653 sq mi) and has a population of 61,805 ...

, Northern Ireland * Mark Twain Cave, near

Hannibal, Missouri Hannibal is a city along the Mississippi River in Marion and Ralls counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 17,312, making it the largest city in Marion County. The bulk of the city is in Mar ...

, United States * Melissani Cave, underground lake in Cephalonia island, Greece *

Meramec Caverns Meramec Caverns is the collective name for a cavern system in the Ozarks, near Stanton, Missouri. The caverns were formed from the erosion of large limestone deposits over millions of years. Pre-Columbian Native American artifacts have been f ...

, near Stanton, Missouri, United States *

Mladeč Caves , cs, Bočkova díra , image = Mladečská jeskyně 2.JPG , image_size = 240 , alt = , caption = Inside the cave , map_type = Czech Republic , map_alt = Mladečské Caves in the Czech Republic , map_caption = Location in the Czech Republic ...

, Czech Republic *

Moravian Karst The Moravian Karst ( cs, Moravský kras) is a karst landscape and protected landscape area to the north of Brno in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It encompasses a number of notable geological features, including roughly 1100 cav ...

, near

Blansko Blansko (; german: Blanz) is a town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 20,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Svitava River on the border of the Moravian Karst. It is mainly an industrial town. Administrative parts Vil ...

, Czech Republic * Caves of Nahal Me'arot, Wadi el-Mughara (four Caves Creek), near

Haifa Haifa ( he, חֵיפָה ' ; ar, حَيْفَا ') is the third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropol ...

, Israel * Natural Bridge Caverns in Comal County, Texas, United States * Neptune's Grotto sea cave near

Alghero Alghero (; ca, label= Alguerese, L'Alguer ; sc, S'Alighèra ; sdc, L'Aliera ) is a city of about 45,000 inhabitants in the Italian insular province of Sassari in northwestern Sardinia, next to the Mediterranean Sea. The city's name comes from ...

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...

, Italy *

Caves of Nerja The Caves of Nerja ( es, Cueva de Nerja) are a series of caverns close to the town of Nerja in the Province of Málaga, Spain. Stretching for almost , the caverns are one of Spain's major tourist attractions. Concerts are regularly held in one of ...

Nerja Nerja () is a municipality on the Costa del Sol in the province of Málaga in the autonomous community of Andalusia in southern Spain. It is part of the comarca of La Axarquía. It is on the country's southern Mediterranean coast, about 50 ...

, Málaga, Spain (with concerts) * New Athos Cave, near

New Athos New Athos or Akhali Atoni ( ka, ახალი ათონი, ''Akhali Atoni''; ab, Афон Ҿыц, ''Afon Ch'yts''; russian: Новый Афон; ''Novy Afon'', gr, Νέος Άθως, ''Neos Athos'') is a town in the Gudauta ''raion'' of ...

, Georgia (with mini-metro) * Ohio Caverns in

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, United States * Orlova Chuka Cave, Danubian Plain, near Ruse, Bulgaria * Painted Cave, Galdar on

Gran Canaria Gran Canaria (, ; ), also Grand Canary Island, is the third-largest and second-most-populous island of the Canary Islands, an archipelago off the Atlantic coast of Northwest Africa which is part of Spain. the island had a population of that ...

, Canary Islands, Spain * Phong Nha Cave, Quang Binh, Vietnam * Poole's Cavern, England * Caverne du Pont-d'Arc show cave replica of

Chauvet Cave The Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc Cave (french: Grotte Chauvet-Pont d'Arc, ) in the Ardèche department of southeastern France is a cave that contains some of the best-preserved figurative cave paintings in the world, as well as other evidence of Upper Pale ...

Vallon-Pont-d'Arc Vallon-Pont-d'Arc (; oc, Valon) is a commune in the Ardèche department, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Southern France. Vallon-Pont-d'Arc is a capital of prehistoric and cultural tourism. This small village, peaceful in wintertime, sees its p ...

, France *

, Postojna, Slovenia (the longest show cave in Europe and the birthplace of speleobiology; with small trains and concerts) *

(Lúdí Yán),

Guilin Guilin (Standard Zhuang: ''Gveilinz''; alternatively romanized as Kweilin) is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is situated on the west bank of the Li River and borders Hunan to the nort ...

, Guangxi, China * Resava Cave,

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...

* Saeva dupka, Pre- Balkan, near

Lovech Lovech ( bg, Ловеч, Lovech, ) is a city in north-central Bulgaria. It is the administrative centre of the Lovech Province and of the subordinate Lovech Municipality. The city is located about northeast from the capital city of Sofia. Near ...

, Bulgaria * Scărișoara Cave, Gârda de Sus, Alba County, Romania *

Seven-star Cave Seven-star Cave () is an extensive limestone cave complex in Seven-star Park, both of which are popular tourist attractions in the city of Guilin in Guangxi Autonomous Region in China. The name derives from the fact the main karst limestone pe ...

(Qīxīng Yán),

, Guangxi, China * Shaitan-Koba,

, Ukraine * Skelska Cave,

, Ukraine * Škocjan Caves, Matavun, Slovenia * Syrau Drachen Cave,

Syrau Syrau is a village and a former municipality in the Vogtlandkreis district, in Saxony, Germany. Since 1 January 2011, it is part of the municipality Rosenbach.Smoo Cave,

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

* Snezhanka Cave, Rhodope Mountains, near Peshtera, Bulgaria *

Caverns of Sonora The Caverns of Sonora, a National Natural Landmark, is a unique cave located west of the small city of Sonora, the seat of Sutton County, Texas. It is a world-class cave because of its stunning array of calcite crystal formations, especially hel ...

Sonora, Texas Sonora is a city in and the county seat of Sutton County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,027 at the 2010 census. Geography and climate Sonora is located at (30.568166, –100.644163). According to the United States ...

, United States * Cave of El Soplao,

Cantabria Cantabria (, also , , Cantabrian: ) is an autonomous community in northern Spain with Santander as its capital city. It is called a ''comunidad histórica'', a historic community, in its current Statute of Autonomy. It is bordered on the east ...

, Spain * St. Michael's Cave,

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

(with concerts) *

Tabon Caves The Tabon Caves, dubbed as the ''Philippines' Cradle of Civilization'', are a group of caves located on Lipuun Point, north of Quezon municipality, in the south western part of the province of Palawan on Palawan Island, in the Philippines. They ...

, near

Quezon, Palawan Quezon, officially the Municipality of Quezon ( tgl, Bayan ng Quezon), is a 1st class municipality in the province of Palawan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 65,283 people. It is home to the Tabon Caves where ...

, Philippines * Tapolca Caves with underground river, Tapolca, Hungary * Thiên Đường Cave,

Đồng Hới Đồng Hới () is the capital city of Quảng Bình Province in the north central coast of Vietnam. The city's area is . Population as per the 2017 census was 119,222. It is served by National Highway 1A, the Đồng Hới Railway Station, ...

, Vietnam * Uhlovitsa Cave, Rhodope Mountains, near Smolyan, Bulgaria * Caves of Valeron, Santa María de Guía de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain * Cueva del Viento, on

Tenerife Tenerife (; ; formerly spelled ''Teneriffe'') is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands. It is home to 43% of the total population of the archipelago. With a land area of and a population of 978,100 inhabitants as of Janu ...

, Canary Islands, Spain (the largest lava tube system in Europe) *

Cueva de los Verdes Cueva de los Verdes (Spanish for "Verdes' cave", from the "Verdes" family) is a lava tube and tourist attraction of the Haria municipality on the island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands (Spain). The cave lies within the Monumento Natural del ...

, Haría on Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain (lava tube) *

La Verna cave La Verna is a show cave in the commune of Sainte-Engrâce in the department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques in France. of mined tunnel leads into the Salle de la Verna, the largest chamber in a show cave in the world. It has a diameter of , a height o ...

in Sainte-Engrâce, France (with the largest chamber in a show cave) * Verteba cave, Ukraine * Vilenica Cave, Slovenia (the oldest show cave in Europe) * Vjetrenica Cave, Bosnia and Herzegovina * Vorontsova Cave near Sochi, Russia * Výpustek Cave, Czech Republic * Waitomo Caves, New Zealand * Wonder Cave, San Marcos, Texas, United States *

Wookey Hole Caves Wookey is a village and civil parish west of Wells, on the River Axe in the Mendip district of Somerset, England. The parish includes the village of Henton and the nearby hamlets of Yarley and Bleadney where the River Axe travels the length ...

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

, England * Yagodinska Cave, Western Rhodope Mountains, near Smolyan, Bulgaria (the longest cave in the Rhodope Mountains, contains a very large number of cave formations, including the rare cave pearls) * Zbrašov Aragonite Caves, Czech Republic

Definition

History

Notable show caves (in alphabetical order)

See also

References

External links