Wind Cave tours to suspend May 1 for elevator replacement

Park to focus on surface programming

  • Cave tours at Wind Cave National Park are scheduled to be suspended starting May 1, 2024, while the park’s elevator system is completely replaced. The elevators provide access to the cave for approximately 130,000 visitors each year. Photo by Marcus Heerdt/Fall River County Herald-Star
    Cave tours at Wind Cave National Park are scheduled to be suspended starting May 1, 2024, while the park’s elevator system is completely replaced. The elevators provide access to the cave for approximately 130,000 visitors each year. Photo by Marcus Heerdt/Fall River County Herald-Star

    HOT SPRINGS – Wind Cave National Park officials recently announced that cave tours will be suspended beginning May 1 while the park’s elevator system is replaced and modernized.

    The elevator system at the park, which provides access to the cave for approximately 130,000 visitors annually, has been problematic over the years due to its aging infrastructure.

    According to Tom Farrell, Chief of Interpretation at Wind Cave, many repairs to the elevators have taken place over the years and the existing system includes parts dating back to the 1930s. This will be the first time a complete rebuild has happened and the work is expected to continue into the fall.