Katrina Julia- Katrina Julia
One Day in Cave City, KY: Itinerary to Transform and Travel with Just Brennon
Guest Post by Brennon Hightower with Just Brennon Blog
Typically when people plan vacations and think of travel, they tend to consider the major hot
spots. But, if you dig a little deeper, you will find that there are so many unique places to take
your family to visit and vacation. Take for example, Cave City, Kentucky.
A few years ago, I stumbled upon Dinosaur World which was only four hours away and having
two boys who loved dinosaurs, it definitely seemed like the perfect place to visit.
Since we would normally take a one week vacation every fall, it made sense to plan our
vacation around family friendly attractions close to Dinosaur World.
After doing my research on the town and local attractions, I decided to create a multi-day, fall
vacation all based in and around Cave City. From all that we learned and experienced, I’ve
shortened it down to one full day of family fun that you may enjoy, especially if you love the
outdoors.
Photo Credit: Brennon with Just Brennon Blog
One Day in Cave City, KY: Itinerary to Transform and Travel
Although, I have crammed everything into a One Day Itinerary for Cave City, Kentucky, it’s important to note that, we spent three days in Cave City in order to make it to all of the attractions that we had planned.
So, make sure that you give yourself some time and plan to stay at least three days for the
ultimate family experience.
Fun Facts on Cave City, Kentucky
Did you know that even though there are so many attractions in Cave City, there are only about
2,000 people living in the town?
What’s even more interesting is that, the town was actually created to be a resort surrounding
the popular Mammoth Cave and Mammoth Cave National Park – which makes it no surprise
that Cave City’s main industry is tourism.
Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Resort
For starters, you will want to get a good night’s sleep before your big day. Instead of a traditional
hotel or motel, book a cabin at Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Resort. The resort is located in the center
of Cave City making it extremely accessible to other attractions, as well as the highway.
In addition to location and accessibility, Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Resort offers clean cabins, a
general store on the campground, along with fun activities and events. They even have an
arcade, a jumping pillow, putt-putt golf, and a swimming pool. Just remember to bring your own
linens, as they are not provided.
We spent a lot of our time at the campground when we were not at other attractions. WE
watched movies in our cabin or made smores at the firepit. We even ordered pizza one night
for dinner from the general store on the campground. It was actually pretty good.
By going during off-peak season, it was less crowded and the boys had many of the activities to
themselves such as putt-putt and the jumping pillow.
The best advice that I can give for you for staying here is to bring your own groceries and a
cooler, especially if you plan on staying for several days. It’s a great way to have plenty food
and snacks that you enjoy without spending so much money.
Photo Credit: Just Brennon Blog
Mammoth Cave National Park
Upon waking, the first place you must explore is Mammoth Cave National Park. Mammoth Cave
National Park is located right in Cave City and encompasses portions of Mammoth Cave, the
longest cave system known in the world.
While at Mammoth Cave, consider visiting the Visitors Center, doing some walking or hiking,
having a breakfast picnic, or even better, registering for an early morning cave tour. Cave tours
vary in duration and cost, so be sure to check how long your cave tour will be and plan the
remainder of your day accordingly.
Photo Credit: Brennon & Just Brennon Blog
Dinosaur World
After spending the early morning at Mammoth Cave National Park, you absolutely must head
over to Dinosaur World. We spent two hours at Dinosaur World during off-peak season but have
also spent an entire afternoon there during peak season.
Dinosaur World features over 200 life-size dinosaurs throughout the outdoor theme park, as well
as a variety of hands-on activities to participate in such as Fossil Dig and Dinosaur Excavation.
Parking is free and admission is less than $20 per person. Don’t forget to visit the Gift Shop on
your way out for some fun dinosaur souvenirs.
I know many people who love buying souvenirs, unfortunately, I am not huge on spending a lot
of money for souvenirs for children. On this trip, I actually brought souvenirs ahead of time from
Dollar Tree. Yes! I’m that mom!
I purchased some dinosaur activity books that I gave to the boys as we drove there. This was a
way to keep them busy and to also get their minds thinking about dinosaurs. I also purchased a
pack of dinosaurs to help engage them.
When we arrived to Dinosaur World, I gave them each a dinosaur and told them that if they
found a match to their dinosaur and I got a picture of them with it, then they could have $5 to
shop in the gift shop. By doing this, the walk through the outdoor theme park was more
interactive and I was able to set the cap on how much was spent in the gift shop.
Photo Credit: Brennon & Just Brennon Blog
Lunch Time
Since there is no food served at Dinosaur World, we ate from our cooler in the parking lot,
although you can bring your food in and eat at Dinosaur World.
If bringing a packed lunch isn’t an option for you, you can choose to eat from one of the
restaurants in the center of Cave City such as Pizza Hut or Dairy Queen.
During lunch was also a great time for us to add sunscreen and drink plenty of water. It’s
important to stay hydrated when you are doing so many outdoor activities.
Kentucky Down Under Adventure Zoo and
Mammoth Onyx Cave
After having a bite to eat, head down the highway about six miles to Kentucky Down Under
Adventure Zoo. Kentucky Down Under is an amazing outdoor zoo where you are allowed to get
extremely close to live animals such as emus and kangaroos. You can even feed them and take
photos with them just as we did.
Most of our time spent at Kentucky Down Under was in the rain, so we opted for renting a golf
cart to get around it. I am so glad that I did because the zoo is so vast. Not only that, but I was
able to keep a hold of the boys, so that they weren’t running around.
Aside from the animals, there is also an option to tour Mammoth Onyx Cave, which we did, as
well. So, if you were unable to take a cave tour at Mammoth Cave National Park, have no
worries, you can tour Mammoth Onyx Cave in 30 minutes - which is included with your
admission.
It’s important to note that the cave is underground and can be wet and cold depending on the
time of year that you visit. In addition, it is pitch black (dark) and you will need to either have a
hand lamp or wear a cave helmet with a headlamp - which is provided.
Once my boys knew that they were getting hand lamps, they grew excited about going down
into the cave. I was even pretty excited because the adults were given helmets with headlamps
on them and I had never worn one until that tour.
Overall, we spent about four hours at Kentucky Down Under, so this could ideally be a half day
experience. For us, it was such a cool experience to learn about how the cave was discovered,
feed the different animals, and ride around the zoo in a golf cart. It’s definitely something that we
plan to do again.
Photo Credit: Brennon & Just Brennon Blog
Cave City Go Karts
After spending a few hours with the live animals at Kentucky Down Under Adventure Zoo, we
spent about an hour at Cave City Go Karts. The boys did indoor bumper carts and we raced go-
carts outside around the track. My youngest was too small at the time to drive alone, so he got
in with me to race my oldest son. That was a lot of fun! Cave City Go Karts was not originally on
our itinerary, we just happened to luck up on it and ended up having a great time!
From this, I learned to leave room for flexibility in your day. Everything doesn’t have to go
exactly as planned. Wouldn’t you agree?
Dinner
As for dinner, you may want to consider a local restaurant such as the Watermill Restaurant or
Bucky Bees BBQ, just to name a few.
For us however, we chose to eat from our cooler. I packed plenty of food, snacks, and drinks
that we enjoy so trying to figure out what to eat was never a big deal. Perhaps, the next time we
are in Cave City, we may dine at a few of the restaurants.
The Historic Wigwam Village
Lastly, once you are ready to call it a night, check in at the Wigwam Village and sleep in a tipi
(tee-pee). Yes! The Wigwam Village Inn is the most unique motel in the state of Kentucky.
These little villages are built in the form of tipis that were built in the United States during the
1930s and 1940s. Unfortunately, there are only a few left with one being located in Cave City,
Kentucky. It’s known as Wigwam Village #2 which was listed on the National Register of Historic
Places in March 1988.
Although the tipis look small from the photos, they are actually rather roomy on the inside. You
would definitely be surprised. There is also a playground in the middle of the tipis for children to
play. My boys absolutely loved running around and playing there.
Final Thoughts
Reasons to Stay in Cave City, Kentucky More than One Day
Visiting Cave City was certainly a unique experience for us. So much of our time was spent
outdoors exploring. Over the three days that we spent there, we were able to explore a national
park, toured an underground cave, learned about emus, and fed kangaroos.
Not only that, but we took pictures with life-size dinosaurs and learned about their extinction, as
well as learned about the historic Wigwam Village Inn. My personal advice for an enjoyable time
in Cave City is to plan to stay a few days and give yourself a half a day for each activity.