History of The Fairy Caves
Our History
The Historic Fairy Caves, an attraction within Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, was a thriving tourist destination in the 1890s, thanks to Charles W. Darrow, a pioneering Glenwood Springs attorney. Darrow and his family homesteaded the top of Iron Mountain, including the cave entrance. Today, you can tour Historic Fairy Caves as a part of the Cave Tour.
Darrow opened Fairy Caves to visitors in 1895. At that time the known extent of the cave was about 800 feet. Today Glenwood Caverns, including the Historic Fairy Caves, has more than 16,000 known feet. When the Fairy Caves opened to the public, visitors could get to the caves by walking up a trail, by riding a horse or burro, or by being transported in style in a horse-drawn carriage. Today, you travel to the Historic Fairy Caves in a gondola on the Iron Mountain Tramway.
Wild Tour Testimonial
Wild tours scheduling:
Reservations are required for Wild Cave Tours. This tour is not included in the Funday Pass. Call 970-945-4228 or 1-800-530-1635, ext. 0 Learn more about Cave Science and History >The most highly decorated cave room in Colorado! This is a 40 minute walking tour.
40 min guided walking tour suitable for most fitness levels.
For those seeking an authentic cave adventure.
Learn more about the rich history of our caves!
- This park was a great deal of fun even in winter. The two cave tours were very interesting and had great guides each time with cheesy jokes that made it fun. Altogether the staff was very friendly and helpful and made time spent enjoyable. Greatly encourage a visit!read moreread lessJaron Weese2/29/2024This place was amazing! Both adults and kids loved it. We spent most of the day here – lines got a little longer in afternoon, but nothing terrible. Cave tours were very interesting and neat to see. Highly recommend this place!read moreread lessKathy Chabot2/22/2024Thoroughly enjoyed the Fairy Cave tour, the tour guide made it an enjoyable experience. The Alpine rollercoaster was super fun, much faster if you do it with 2 people! And the park overall was nice, many activities were closed due to winter but our group still had a blast. There were plenty of things to see, the Trolls, the big bear, the breathtaking views. There were no lines for what was open due to it being winter and it being morning. I want to come again in the summer!read moreread lessAline1/30/2024
- Amazing! The caves were breathtaking, unbelievable and unique experience. We had the best tour guide, he made the cave tour so much fun! We went during winter most rides were closed but that’s okay. The pricing and cave tours were so worth it. On top of the gift shop you have an amazing view of the mountains and the city. Breath taking! We want to return for a Sumer experience!read moreread lessCaroline Galvan1/16/2024We loved this park! Some thing for everyone, short lines, some rides operate on a timed basis. Most rides had a height requirement of 48 inches and above. Several rides we could stay on and keep riding as there were hardly any lines. The food was surprisingly good. The weather was great and what views! Appreciate the spirits for adults in the food court. Pack a lunch, bring your water bottle, there are lockers available for rent to store your goods. We will definitely be back, we all had a great time!read moreread lessChoie8211/20/2023We had such a good time! On vacation from Indiana and passed through Glenwood Springs. We decided to stop and stay there on a whim, so glad we did! Caves were awesome, the rides were all thrill rides. Even just riding to the top to look around would be worth the money. It is off season, so some rides were on an alternating schedule but we still made the best of it. Our kids are 7 & 9 and loved it. Would highly recommend! Also had military discounts for tickets.read moreread lessTaylor Stuart11/06/2023
- Braved the roller coasters. Defiance was about a 54-second rush! Loved the Alpine ride! The gondola ride to and from offered breathtaking views!read moreread lessCharla B11/03/2023Always a crowd-pleaser–visited with an extended family group with ages ranging from 2-70. Everyone had a great time with lots of options for the elementary-aged kids, the grandparents, and more challenging attractions for the group in their 20’s. After our gondola ride up, we all enjoyed several trips on the Alpine Coaster–always a thrill! The 20’s -30’s group set off for a previously scheduled “Wild Tour” while the over 60+ group stayed with the kids. We alternated between the 2 caves tours–always informative & engaging as they are led by guides who truly love what they do–and a multitude of age-appropriate attractions for the kids, including laser tag, fossil digging, both smaller roller coasters, a small Ferris wheel and pictures with the trolls after a troll hunt. It was so nice to be able to say “yes” to everything the kids wanted to do with a Fun Day pass. After we reunited with the Wild Tour group, we had plenty of time to explore the Canyon Swing, Defiance, Crystal Tower and the Tree Swings together. The staff is always attentive and friendly and the park is just the right size to explore fully in a day. Even the rest stops in the central plaza were pleasant with live music, convenient restrooms, water bottle refill stations and sunblock. Highly recommended that you spend a day here. You won’t regret it!read moreread lessBrenda Peterson10/06/2023As a rollercoaster freak, I’d been wanting to try Glendwood Caverns Adventure Park for a while. I was not disappointed. The two coaster and, in particular, the Alpine Slide, were thrilling! But the entire place is so lovely and delightful, a very different experience from most amusement parks. You don’t have to be a fan of rides to go. Just a ride up the gondola and a walk around the small park is worth it. And there are “family friendly” rides as well. The staff is incredible… friendly, helpful and everyone seems happy just to be there. The food I had was very good. I can’t wait to go back.read moreread lessTom P9/09/2023