Brian E. Clark

Special to the Journal Sentinel

For the 75-plus years it’s been open, Cave of the Mounds near Mount Horeb has focused on families and school groups, usually closing around 5 p.m. every night.

In an attempt to reach out to young adults, the National Natural Landmark has begun offering monthly Cave After Dark themed events, said Kim Anderson, operations manager at the subterranean attraction in rural Dane County.

Anderson, who lives on the grounds with her husband and 12-year-old son, said the cave is overflowing with visitors in the summer. But winters have traditionally been a slow time, she said, as many people think the cavern and visitor center close after Labor Day.

“Since we opened to the public, we’ve been a family friendly and fun educational destination that people visit mostly on summer vacations and on school outings,” she said.

“We brainstormed about what we could do in the winter that would be enjoyable and different and get people out and doing things,” she said. “Because the cave is 50 degrees every day of the year, visitors are still warm, so it’s actually a nice contrast to the weather in January and February when the weather might be quite chilly and even frigid.”

Anderson said the target group for the Cave After Dark programs are (relatively) young people ages 21 to 35 who may not have kids yet and aren’t that thrilled about going on a tour with children or feeling rushed.

“Some parents, too, are also using this as a date night,” she said. “They’ll get a sitter, come out here, have fun and learn about how caverns like this are formed. It’s a nice way to soak in the cave, ask questions and have a glass of wine or a beer without having to worry about the kiddos.”

The Cave After Dark programs begin at 6 p.m., when visitors check in at the visitors center before beginning a leisurely self-guided tour. (Regular guided tours on paved underground walkways run about 60 minutes.)

“There are guides stationed at various spots in the cavern — sometimes serving wine and cheese or beer depending on the theme of the evening — but no one is moving anyone along," she said. "They can stay down there for two hours if they want.”

Anderson said the program started last winter. The biggest turnout during the inaugural season was for the Underground Blues and Brews event, when 140 people showed up. Reservations are required and the attendance limit is usually 150.

Last month, however, 160 people arrived for the “Rockstoberfest” — an Octoberfest-like beer tasting — and Anderson said everyone was let in because many said they didn’t know they needed to pre-register. She said the youngest person in attendance was 21, while the oldest was 81.

“I think they all had a good time. We had a bluegrass band and hayrides from the barn down to the cave,” she said.

On Dec. 17, the event's theme will be Underground Cocktail Lounge, with servers pouring cocktails at stations along the 800-foot-plus tour route.

“We are finalizing the list of what we’ll be serving,” she said. “We’ll probably have a classic like a brandy old-fashioned, so the guides will be telling people not just about the cave and things like stalactites and stalagmites, but also giving visitors a bit of history about how the old-fashioned came to be.”

She said there will also be a band playing “loungey” background music, which she said will be appropriately “cheesy,” as well as winter holiday tunes.There will also be cheeses to sample, while the visitor center will have snacks guests can enjoy by the fireplace. Wine and Wisconsin beers will also be available, Anderson said.

On Jan. 21, Blues & Brews returns with a blues band in the cave and a blues singer in the visitor center, plus six stations in the cavern where guests can sample brews. Anderson described the acoustics of the cavern as “fantastic” because of the form of the underground ceilings, which in some areas is “cathedral-like.”

In February, a Glow Party is scheduled for the 18th.

“That, too, is evolving,” Anderson said. “Last year, we handed out a bunch of glow-in-the-dark face paints, some black-light face paints, glow-in-the-dark tattoos, stickers and glow sticks and other fun stuff in the visitors center that people could play around with while they were having their first glass of wine or beer.

“Then they went down in the cave. After getting all glowed up in a little photo booth thing, they went through the cave, which was more dimly lit than normal. There was also a section with a black light so people could see what their glow-in-the-dark makeup looked like.”

A second adults-only February activity at Cave of the Mounds is called Love on the Rocks and will take place Feb. 11 to coincide with Valentine's Day. Anderson said it’s a little fancier than the Cave After Dark events, with a crooner in the cavern, truffles and fancier hors d’oeuvres.

The final Cave After Dark of the winter season will take place March 17. The Irish-themed party, dubbed Hooley in the Hollows, will coincide with St. Patrick’s Day. Anderson said there will be Irish performers in both the cave and the visitor center, a treasure hunt for tokens redeemable for drinks, Irish-inspired snacks and Irish beers, including Guinness.

More information: The Cave After Dark events take place from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 17, Jan. 21, Feb. 18 and March 17. Attendees must be age 21 and older. Tickets are $25 per person and include tours of the cave, performances and tastings.

See caveofthemounds.com or call (608) 437-3038 for reservations.

For other things to see and do in the area, see trollway.com.

Getting there: Cave of the Mounds, 2975 Cave of the Mounds Road, Blue Mounds, is about 110 miles west of Milwaukee via I-94, I-90 and Highways 18 and 151.