Wabasha Street Caves

We had a fantastic time. Started with the cave tour (our guide Luke was great), then swing dancing-all for only $25! A 15 piece band rocked the night seat. Ella the instructor broke the ice and we ask danced the night away, full bar and on site free parking. Highly recommended!

We never knew this place existed, but we are glad we went! A very interesting tour that gives a glimpse of the rather fascinating history of St. Paul. Our guide, Luke, was fun, professional, funny, and did a great job! The tour guide can make or break an experience, so we’re glad we had him! I certainly recommend going (and buying tickets in advance, as it seems quite popular).

Cool history within these cave walls, if they could talk...good thing there's a tour guide who can talk! Ha! Highly recommend this tour, it was informative and exciting. I love that the owners are now sharing the history with the world, it should be carried forward! Loved our tour guide, book your slot now!

Attended a professional event for my husband's company. SO FANTASTIC! This was such a a fun venue to have an event, and the tour guide was very well-informed on the cave history, not to mention incredibly entertaining! The drinks were pretty dang good, and the food was mostly great - nothing was bad, but the appetizer layout was phenomenal (artichoke/spinach dips, salsa and guac with chips/naan). I will absolutely go back for a more detailed tour.

We toured these man-made caves, and our tour guide, Ryan, was both well-versed and entertaining. It can be tough to present historical info in a way that keeps everyone interested and engaged, but Risk did just that. For $15, this was an hour well spent.

I visited for the tunnel tour and enjoyed it. Tour guide- awesome, knowledgeable, excited. He knows his stuff. He loves his job. He's interested in sharing with you. Place- if mobsters, prohibition history, swing dancing are your thing this is a must-see. If you're not, it might not need to be on your top 5 places to go when you visit. Event- It would be a great place for an event - the interior is unique and would add a wonderful dimension to any gathering.

Tour guide was really engaging, stories were interesting. The one i went to at 1pm on a Monday was historic based. It was sitting or standing for most of it, not too much walking involved. The cold part of the tour only lasted about 15 minutes. Bathrooms were available in the office right before the tour started but not available after the tour is over. The bar isn't in operation at the time I went. You can't really self explore here (we got there an hour and a half early but there was nothing to see until the tour started so we ended up getting lunch while we waited for the tour to start). Definitely a good tour and worth seeing!!

Cave tour was awesome but kind of hard to hear the guide. The Gangster tour was awesome as well and saw alot of historical buildings and great guide. It is handicap accessible and was able to use my walker just fine. Just let them know ahead of time and they can accommodate. Not recommended for kids short attention span though

The two of us didn't know what to expect but the experience is totally worth the $11/pp. The tour guide has worked there since 2000 and LOVES his job. His enthusiasm and sweet sense of humor makes this tour great. We are from out-of-town but he gave it both local flavor and how the caves were tied to national events and early 20th century crimes. Highly recommended for all ages.

I was really looking forward to the Wabasha Street Caves tour, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to expectations. At $15 per person, I expected more than what turned out to be a rushed experience. The tour was advertised as an hour but barely lasted 40 minutes. We spent a significant amount of time sitting at round tables in regular rooms, which felt like filler. With punny jokes from the tour guide. Out of the entire tour, we were in the actual caves for maybe 20 minutes at most. We spent some time discussing the benches were used for mushroom growth. Then Dillinger's favorite car was inside the cave which really felt like a garage. That we walked right by with no mention of. Then there was small hallway that was filled with trash at the end that was the entrance to an old speakeasy. I have to say it's not bad if you're looking to kill time but you can easily skip this stop. While the history shared was interesting, it felt like we didn't get the immersive experience we were hoping for. Overall, it wasn't worth the price, and I left feeling disappointed. There is a small private parking lot for the caves. It seems most people do the tour and the gangster tour together.

Went in for a Friday afternoon historic cave tour. Check-in/ticket pickup is outside of the cave in the coffee/merch shop. There was a decent amount of parking but am sure more is needed when they are having bigger events. Our tour guide Brett was phenomenal, a great story teller and made sure to keep the tour interesting! The tour was definitely worth the $10 (if you pay cash) or $11 via card. Lots of history regarding the events that occurred inside the caves and it is fascinating to hear the story of the venue evolving over time!

Fun tour with Ellie! Great entertainment. Will highly recommend to others. We've also been for dancing on Thursday nights and it's a fun, different atmosphere with a large band.

This was a lot of fun. Our tour guide definitely loved his job and made sure to give us a lot of information. This was really cool. I was very surprised about the space and seeing pictures of the wall with it filled, not sure how they fit so much in there! The open areas where changes occurred from owners and the information given was great. A one-hour tour was definitely enough and perfect. The people getting you checked in were not the nicest, that is my only complaint.

Was a great time and learned a lot! Definitely should try to go to the bathroom before the bus tour, but there is a bathroom on the bus. Loved this, great activity to spend time

I wasn't sure what to expect when I booked this tour, but I'm SO glad that I did. Our tour guide (John Dillinger actor) was hilarious! I don't think I've laughed that hard on a tour in a long time. The people on the tour with me were hilarious as well. A good group can really make or break these trip, and my group was incredible. I was traveling solo so I loved all the group engagement. Ok enough with the laughs :) The tour itself was also full of interesting information about the gangster history in St. Paul. I was coming into this tour with zero knowledge and I feel like I learned so much. I ended up getting to the bus tour an hour early so I joined the cave tour as well. The cave tour had less and laughs and informations, but it was still really cool to see - especially for only $10. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a rainy, cold day activity in St. Paul. It's also something totally different than what you will get visiting a museum or historical house.

My friend and I were in Minneapolis/St. Paul for Memorial Day weekend, and a tour of Wabasha Street Caves was our very last fun thing before heading the airport to go home. We did the 1-hour historic cave tour. The tour - just like the caves themselves - is so unique! The caves aren't really caves - well not natural caves; they're caves created as a result of mining. But that's now why they're famous or a must tour. The caves' history is what makes them a must visit! They were used a speakeasy during prohibition and home to a restaurant/nightclub after the end of the prohibition. They were allegedly host to many gangsters and famous big band groups! Our guide Ryan was hilarious and clearly loves his job. We learned so much about St. Paul (and its being a safe haven for gangster for decades of the early 20th century), the various use of the caves over the 20th century (nightclub, mushroom farm, storage). It was such a great tour. I'd love to visit again - for a special tour (they offer a 2-hour gangster tour and a lost souls (ghost) tour, for swing dancing night (every Thursday), or other special events they offer! Such a unique place and great tour. A must visit for anyone who's interested in local history, ghosts (it's considered one of the most haunted places in Minnesota), swing dances, fun tours, Prohibition,....! Definitely check it out.

I tried the gangster tour of St Paul. 2 hours in a bus with no AC We did not get out of the bus at all. Imagine a guide talking for 2 hours telling you amazing stories about the gangster of St Paul but you don't get a chance to visit or explore any of the location the guide mentions. Too bad... this has so much potential! I feel like it would be best as a virtual tour since the guide is really fun and knowledgeable.

Great place for social dancing on Thursday nights! The parking lot fills up quickly, so come early. Free lessons are available when doors open at 6:15PM and the love band starts at 7PM. In the summer, it's pretty busy and hot, but I hope to be back!

I did the 1-hour tour. It was amazing! Our guide was very knowledgeable and funny. If you have a knack for history, this is an awesome place to go and learn more about the era itself and the cave's involvement. Also, it was a fair price for two people attending which made this experience even better!

The swing dance nights are quite nice, no food sold but plenty of free water and admission is affordable. The tours are expensive but fun. The staff are friendly and patient people. The exterior and interior of the place is beautiful and quite educational! The bands they get to perform are perfect and overall the caves are a terrific place!

Excellent tour, filled with fascinating history and a healthy sprinkling of humor. Never would have guessed a few caves carved into the side of a hill would have held such far-reaching impact on the Twin Cities and beyond.

We did a gangster tour that left a lot to be desired. The bus driver seemingly was not given a route to drive so the guide "Edna" gave him directions over the microphone the whole time (very odd) with several wrong turns. She read often from her notes. You get off the bus once, but there seems to be no reason to, as you do not actually see anything at this stop. I got a few fun facts from the tour but not a good sense of history or gangster culture in general in St. Paul

This is a diamond in the rock. Literally such a treat to take a tour of the caves - you have to go if you appreciate history and cheeky tour guides. We loved it and wish we could go for a jazz night sometime if we lived in the area!

What an awesome adventure. We booked the combo cave tour and Gangster Bus Trip and I highly recommend it. Starting with the cave tour, the guide 'John Dillinger' was very engaging and funny. He included everyone in the tour, added great tidbits of information along the way and sprinkled jokes liberally throughout. We were lucky to also have 'John' for our Bus tour guide. He and his sidekick driver Leftie made a great pair. I learned more about the historic buildings in St Paul then ever before. If you have an opportunity.. I highly recommend seeing this. We will likely be back for the other tours they offer.

We took a tour of the caves because it was reccomend to us by a local. It's great that they have local public transportation that took us there. We had a bit of a wait but the tour we had was 45 minutes which wasn't all that bad. There's a couple of interesting things to that you learn if you love history. I felt like there was more to explore in this place and other parts aren't actually original to this place. The tour felt rushed and didn't feel like too much of an experience.

This was one of the most comprehensive, interactive, and entertaining tours I have ever been on! Lasting ~45 minutes, there was ample time to see the caves and learn interesting details about the history events that occurred there. I was surprised that the temperature inside the caves was not cold, so no need for a heavy coat or boots, and that they are not true caves since they are man-made. Highly recommend this tour and would definitely bring friends or family who are visiting the area.

Interesting place. Pretty cool if you're into local history. It's a series of underground caves that are built into a bluff. The tour guide was awesome and enthusiastic,knowledgeable, and humorous. He provided a thorough history of the origin of the caves all the way until its present day ownership as well as the different uses for it... Gangsters, ghosts, nightclub, are just some of the types of venues it's been turned into over the past close to 200 years. Currently hosting salsa lessons and salsa night Thursdays and a site for historical tours as well as wedding and an event venue. They also host ghost tours, and a gangster bus tour around the city of St Paul. Overall it was a good time and nice to get some history on my current hometown. Pretty interesting; a must-see if you're a resident! and of course if you're a tourist.!

We took the one hour cave tour. The tour was a great introduction to different owners and lives of the caves, plus stories and information from within them. Our tour guide, Blake, was excellent. He knew his material and the script was well done - so that the tour didn't feel scripted. After a small taste of his character (Parker) for the more role play events, we were pleasantly surprised that it felt genuine. I could see the in-character themed evenings being a blast, and not a cheesy one! (Coming from NYC theatre scene and working in live entertainment myself, that was a concern going in that I am pleased to say was assuaged!) We learned interesting facts about the time period and the city. The hour went by very quickly as we spent the perfect amount of time in all the different rooms and caves. The story about Dillinger and the story/theory of the fireplace were highlights for us. Wish we were in town for a swing night (Thursdays) - would LOVE to dress up and swing to a live band in such a historically relevant spot!!! Also, before we chose this tour, we thought about doing the 2 hour bus tour of the city. It just seemed too long and too pricy. However, after taking this tour with Blake, we agreed that while it is expensive, the mob history in St. Paul is clearly substantial enough to fill two hours! If we're back in the city, we'll be back for that! My two suggestions are that I'd like more history in the tour (more on the mobsters in particular). It makes sense if the owners don't have access to that information, but if they do, they should imbibe the tour with more stories and tidbits on the individual mobsters that patronized the caves. That would be fascinating. Also, there should definitely be a gift shop.

I am writing this review based of a event that was held at this fabulous venue. I attended a themed party called Flappers and Fedoras a 1920s theme. The St. Paul Jaycees hosted a fabulous fundraising event here. Upon arrival I was impressed that the Wabasha Street caves had staff helping you park. I always appreciate this when the parking lot doesn't have defined lines, I loathe being blocked in. Staff also directed us to the entrance. We were greeted by 1920s flappers we presented our tickets and we're given information about tonight's event. I did expect to walk inside a cave but everything was quite finished in the main areas. The entrance was set up with silent auction items and a fun photo booth. I didn't feel the need to use props as I was already in costume. The largest room held a full brass band and humongous dance floor. They were very loud but casted a 1920s a vibe throughout the whole place. Venture to the right through a small opening you'll find a long wooden bar and a large table with catered food for the event. The iconic fireplace that is riddled with bullet holes from the 1920s era is a interesting site to see. My date and I signed up for the 9 o'clock cave tour. The cave tour was lead in costume character. We were shown historic photographs and learned the ways of prohibition held in the caves. I was ready to start meandering for miles in the caves but they limit it to a short area.

Absolutely beautiful venue! Went here for the Red Bull Crashed Ice Welcome Party and had an absolute blast. They even included the Gangster Cave Tour, which was really cool! Its so interesting learning about the history of a building/ location and this was no different. The tour was really great and the tour guides were so knowledgeable and fun! The atmosphere of the caves is beyond perfect. I can see why it is used as a wedding reception venue. I would easily do a proper historical tour here when it isn't booked out for a private event. If you look at their website they have different activities throughout the months so there is always something to give you a reason to get down there and check this place out! I am from Plymouth so it is a bit of a drive to get over there, but I can tell you the drive was well worth it.

The swing dancing is always extraordinary here! I love the swing beat band (last week of the month usually). The crowd is a great mixture of timely old folk and high school swing clubs. Why didn't I do swing dance club in high school, how cool is that? Anyway, if you're feeling brave enough to do this as a first date, it's actually a super fun idea! A heads up, no credit cards are accepted, cash only!! Doesn't scare me away, it shouldn't to you either. I'll be sure to check out the tours sometime too.

We enjoyed the cave tour and historical information. It was fun to hear about all the ways the caves have been used over the years. The tour was just the right length. Our tour guide, Emily, was great. I want to come back for the swing dancing in the ballroom space.

We did the street cave tour: 45 minutes long, 8$/person (CASH only) probably one of the coolest tours I've ever been on, a lot of history, exciting ghost stories of the gangsters that once used these caves as a speakeasy and nightclub in the 1930's. Our guide was interactive with everyone in the group and brought a lot of humor and history with it. Would highly recommend it, had a blast!

An easy hour was spent touring the caves. The guide was wonderful - full of knowledge and enthusiasm. Everything worked smoothly, with a small crowd waiting for the ticket sales to begin, and as promised, right on time! The caves were not what we expected but enjoyable none the less. The price was appropriate. It's a "one time" kind of tour but I would recommend it to others looking for an interesting hour in downtown St. Paul.

I went to Wabasha Street Caves thinking it would be like most other caves I have been to, not that that's a bad thing. I was surprised to see this cave is very different. It may not be as pretty as the other caves, but what these lack in beauty, stalagtites and stalagmites, it makes up for with its stories and history. These caves started out as a mine, then a mushroom farm, then a speakeasy frequented by gangsters. At this point, the stories the guides have make the place come alive. Today, the caves are carpeted with stucco walls. The guides tell you about the fascinating history of the caves, and they show you each of the caves. Eventually you see some less developed caves, then the tour ends. It was enjoyable, and I'd recommend going on the tour.

This review is for the venue only - a lot of reviews I'm reading for hosting an event here seem to mix-up venue staff versus catering staff. Our caterer was D'Amico's, and they were also amazing.We hosted our non-traditional wedding here, and I think utilized most of their offerings. So this review will be thorough. We couldn't rave enough about them! Planning/pre-wedding: Email responses for planning were a bit slow, but any time you got the coordinator on the phone she answered every question she could on the spot. I do think the venue could use a second coordinator for all their tours versus the wedding/events. Setup/take down of your decorations is on your own (unless the caterer offers to help), but 2 hours before and 1 hour after is sufficient with some help. Entertainment: We started the evening events with the 3 person improv. We provided them with fun details about people who then participated on stage, and it had everyone in stitches! We even had one gangster do a mock ceremony for us to exchange personal vows. It was funny and touching (and we loved the little geek reference he put in there too). Then we had a cave tour, which people were really surprised how much they enjoyed learning all the history of the caves. Our tour guide was hilarious, another gangster from the improve, so that is probably why it was so enjoyable. Finally we had swing dance instruction before we started the open dance, which was once again enjoyed by many people. Staff: Only staff present all night is the bartender and parking attendant. The tables were exactly where we'd discussed via the floor plan with the coordinator and moved to clear the dance floor after the show too. Caterer provided linens/settings. Our bartender was very friendly and helpful. People were very pleased with his service. The man in the parking lot was very prompt with his umbrella, as there was rain during out event. He helped with rearranging the tables too before the dance. I would highly recommend Wabasha Street Caves for a unique venue. We are a week out from our wedding and still beaming and laughing over the fun we had.

When reading these reviews, keep in mind, there are several things offered at this location; 1) A 1 hour guided tour of the 'caves' 2) A bus tour covering "mob" related sites of interest in the area 3) A catering hall I only am discussing item #1. I showed up here about 15 minutes early and talked with the friendly staff. I thought I would be the only one on the tour, but within a few minutes of 11AM, approximately 10 more people showed up for the tour. Our tour guide was knowledgable, energetic, and loud enough for the whole group to hear. His presentation was very interesting and quick-moving. It really didn't feel like we were there for a whole hour. There's some talk about a mob hit, ghosts, and other blood-n-guts topics, so just beware if you are sensitive to that kind of stuff (though the guide did ask parents of young children if it would be OK before he got into it). After having done the tour once, I don't see a need to do it again for myself, but if I come back to the area with my kids, I would bring them... And the cost is only $6!

My 27yo son and I went on the caves tour ($8 each) and then decided to join last minute on the Gangster bus tour ($27 each). First, review on the caves tour, it was okay. Lasted only 30mins. Nonetheless it was something interesting to do. The gangsters bus tour- absolutely boring! A note: if you went on the cave tour prior and expected the gangster stories to continue from that, it does not. I also couldn't follow along because there was just way too much talking without anything to look at after the initial "stop and look." The tour guide tried to be funny with slapstick humor thrown in here and there while staying in character as Babe Delaney. We drove through various places of St. Paul and made a few stops which the bus stayed at for waaaay too long and didn't elaborate on why we stopped. It would have been more interesting to hear about stuff WHILE continuing to drive maybe? The places we were taken to see were drab. For both tours it would be helpful to have known that it can get chilly in the caves and/or the bus and you might need a jacket if you get cold easily. We were very cold on the bus. The caves, I can understand it would be cold. But maybe a warning on the website would have been nice. I can see how the events held at this site can be fun, but the tours, not so much. Overall, the bus tour was a complete waste of 2plus hours of our time.

The cave tour and the gangster tour were both really good. I have done them twice. Once about 18 years ago and then again this weekend. We all had a great time, St Paul has a rich history with famous mafia figures and is quite interesting. You won't go through the pretty parts of St Paul though. The areas that were nice during prohibition are no longer that nice now, like any large city, things change over many years. My only criticism is that they charge separately now for both the cave tour and the gangster tour, which makes it pretty expensive. Years ago they were combined for one price. I would like to see them include the cave with the gangster tour, for the 30.00 per person you have to pay. Also we received a brochure hand out AFTER the tour, ?? should have been given that at the beginning of the tour, so it makes it easier to follow along with the characters and stories, which at times can get overwhelming.

Wabasha Street Caves had an interesting tour and I learned some thing about St Paul that I probably wouldn't have known otherwise (unless I spent some time researching). Why if it was interesting and informative did I give it 3 stars? There wasn't much to see in the caves. They are man-made caves carved in the sandstone hills. I think the tour is worth the $6, especially if it's a cold, rainy day in the Twin Cities. If it's a nice day, you can probably find better ways to spend your time. Also, make sure you have cash! They do not accept credit cards bc they can't get an Internet connection inside the cave. They do have an ATM outside if you need it, though.

The stories and tour guides were great! The guides attire completely made the experience. I can easily see the caves being a fabulous event location.

My son and I had a great time touring the caves. Donna and her staff we're very pleasant and fun loving. It was so affordable! Only $8! One of the cheapest attractions we've ever been on and so interesting and rich in history. Considering coming back for the FREE swing dancing lesson. If you're looking for something affordable to do, either one of these events would be highly recommended.

Meh.... we went on the cave tour and it wasn't what we were really expecting. It didn't look much like a cave since it was man made and there was a lot of catering junk laying around. And wait for it... a garage door that opens into the cave...what the ??? I wouldn't recommend it if your looking to impress out of town guests. If your really into history then check it out but it wasn't impressive to me. The guide was funny and good but there just isn't much to say about it and the gangster stories weren't that interesting... I'd say it's a pass unless your really into this sort of stuff.

We toured on 12/27/2021. The tour and guide were very good. I give it one star because of their attitude about masks and are not transparent regarding masks. They site the city guidelines on their web. If they were transparent they would state masks are optional. When I inquired why they didn't requires masks they told me "because we don't have to." Clearly they are after customers. They even had a guy standing outside with a sign advertising "cave tours" in frigid weather. The health and safety of their paying customers are not on their list. The tour guide did nothing to ensure the group was socially distancing. About 40% 0f the group was not wearing masks. When she offered her flashlight so the group could see the bullet holes in the fireplace, she joked "I've had all my vaccines, like diptheria," and laughed. It was at that moment I decided no gratuity for her (she made it clear at the end of the tour she could accept one, but it was optional). Take a tour at your own risk.

It's worth a gangster or ghost tour. Neat to say you know what the St. Paul caves are all about and you know the secret stories, but once you have seen it you have seen it. The event area just isn't rustic enough for my taste.

Our 13 yo is learning about the St. Paul gangster scene-as in the 1920's. We took him and our 9yo to the caves for the basic tour. The woman tour guide was funny, had good stories and didn't ramble. You know those tours where they ramble on and on? This was just the right amount of story telling drama. The tour was about 45 minutes-some standing and sitting which was a perfect combo. I don't want to give anything away so I'll give some pointers -Kids under 8 or 9 probably won't like it or understand it. -There are bathrooms once you get inside. They have a swing dancing night which sounds fun. A dance lesson beforehand followed by live music and dancing. If the decor was true to the period, this place would really shine. The fake flowers and pearls in vases are pretty cheesy. The basic tour is a must for out of town visitors!

Took both the cave tour and gangster tour-both were really really good! Our guide for cave tour (Michelle) was so knowledgeable and great sense of humor. She had lots of facts and stories-it was about an hour and it went fast. The inside of caves are very nicely decorated the and history of owners really interesting. Beautiful bar and there's dancing on Thursday nights which sound fun. Then we hopped on bus for gangster tour with "Nina Clifford", who was a famous madam in St. Paul Years ago. This gal (who played her for tour) was just great, too! She also was full of facts and stories and great sense of humor. Saw lots of places that were involved in the 1930's that are still around. The two hours went fast! I highly recommend both tours! I learned a lot about St. Paul that I didn't know.

I found myself at the Wabasha Street Caves during a professional conference, our closing banquet was held within Caves 1 and 2 of the historic Wabasha Street Caves. Historians and lovers of old stuff alike will love the unique history and atmosphere of the caves. We started our event with a cocktail hour in the bar area, which provided ample space for mingling and conversation in the cozy, dark, space. The dinner itself was catered and overall was above average and the catering staff was very good. We enjoyed our table being located right next to the historic fireplace - which turned out to have quite the story of its own. After our dinner, we had the full tour experience. I have to admit, our group of historians liked to keep our tour guide sharp by asking all kinds of random questions. But, he was extremely knowledgeable and I can honestly say it was one of the best historic site tours I've experienced. I would highly recommend the Wabasha Street Caves for an event... especially for those who enjoy learning about history!

I went to the Wabasha Street Caves about a month ago for a wedding reception - what a great choice for a venue! I'd been in the caves once before to scout for an event years ago, and wasn't sure what to expect since the space was empty, dark and cold at the time I'd first seen it. But it was decorated beautifully and the curved walls, low ceilings and dim lighting (not to mention the cool indoor temps in late July) lent themselves really well to the late evening soiree. There was space for dancing, they had a slide show going in another nook, and several different "rooms" to choose from if you were looking to sit and enjoy some drink or food. All of the different areas flowed into the next and it was sort of fun for the first hour or so trying to get your bearings every time you went back to the bar...the hosted wine certainly played a part as well... I wasn't expecting the food to be much more than your typical catered fare, but was pleasantly surprised that what was served in the buffet tasted fresh and was certainly above par - plenty of vegetarian options and some really tasty pasta dishes. The bartenders weren't stocked to do much more than beer, wine or a simple mixed drink (couldn't get an old-fashioned - yes, we're THOSE people). But we could have cared less, they were friendly and prompt - especially considering the ratio of guests to bartender was somewhere in the ballpark of 100:1. Finally, the cave tour was the coolest part. I didn't think that they did them for private parties so I was pumped when they announced them! They gave two tours, and we went with about 40 or so other guests on the first one. The two guys who dressed as mobsters and gave us what turned out to be an extremely interesting history lesson on the caves were hysterical. They worked the crowd and held everyone's interest - from the middle aged men to the tween girls to the five year old boy whom they chose as their assistant. It was really cool to hear about what the caves had been used for over the years and the various scandals that had gone down within them. If I ever had a reason to throw a party here (there are plenty of cool themes that come to mind) I would in a heartbeat. May have to come back to check out one of their dance nights!!

This part of my review is just for the cave tour. I'd actually like to give it 3 1/2 stars. Our tour guide was informative and animated in her presentation. If you're somewhat of a history buff, you'd enjoy hearing the of local stories. This is a nice way to spend an hour discovering a little uniqueness in your own community. We also took the St Paul Gangster Tour. Our guide was in character as Baby Face Nelson, accent and all. He is clearly a big fan of this topic, which for me added to the tour. 3 1/2 stars here too, as this tour was about 1/2 too long for me. Again, if you're a history buff you'd really like this tour-I did! A great way to learn some new things about our capital city's somewhat sordid past!

After hearing about the Wabasha Street Caves for years, I finally decided to go and see what it was all about. They do a really nice job there, explaining the history of the caves, and the notoriety of the place. Please understand there's not a lot they can do there (it's not that big) but it is interesting, and entertaining, and worth entrance fee in my opinion. It's fun to hear about the gangsters of years past. I haven't yet gone there to check out the swing dancing they offer there (a young person's sport) but it sounds interesting and I hope to go there some time with my wife.

Way better than I expected! I had been to the caves before for a tour as a wedding venue. It is a really cool space, but didn't do it for our upcoming wedding. Fast forward a few months and I'm an organizer for a big group of women in town for the weekend. One of the other organizer suggested this tour. I just went along with it, but I'm glad I did. We did the basic cave tour for $6 and it was totally worth it. Not too long, not too short. I sometimes have a short attention span, but the length was good. Our tour guide was informative and quite animated. I learned plenty of things I didn't know prior to this. I think the place kind of smells and I'm not crazy about the temperature inside, but it's a cave so I get it. The smell and the broken up layout of the space is what lead me to not choose it for the wedding venue, but for a tour it's pretty darn fun. I do recommend getting there early - at least 20 minutes before the actual tour starts. We arrived 25 minutes early and the line kept growing behind us. We were part of a group of about 40 with another 25+ behind us.

This was a really fun way to spend an hour. Information given was interesting but could be shortened a bit in the beginning. If you are staying in downtown St. Paul, the caves are a reasonable walk or quick uber ride. I would suggest also going on the gangster tour afterwards, especially if you have never been to St. Paul before. The tour will allow you to see some really cool neighborhoods, and give you a good view of the city. But I would agree with other reviewers that the caves are probably a place that one would only need to see once since the space is relatively small. Both guides very fun and entertaining.

Went here for a work party. The space is pretty cool actually, and very spacious. The cave tour sounds a lot cooler than it actually is. The story is pretty cool, but the guy who did it was just trying too hard to be funny, or something, but he failed. I was pretty bummed during the tour, because I ran out of wine to numb the pain. But really, it's a cool history, except it's told while you stand in a little space they call a cave. I guess overall the place is a good space for an event, but if the "historical" tour is optional, do yourself a favor and opt to not do it. Somehow I felt that the space deserves 3 stars.

Eh, it was so so to be honest. $5 and nearly everyone on the tour had gray hair. The tour guide was great and told good stories with entertaining voices and you could always hear her well. however if tours go through there regularly you'd think they would clean up some stuff, there is old catering crap everywhere. and the place is pretty dumpy in the main hall, i couldn't believe they hold weddings there (sorry if anyone had their wedding here) but seriously it would be a cool location if it didn't look like a bad VFW event hall. Either go with the cave theme or clean the place up. The tour was pretty short and you make a big loop through the main parts of the cave. Interesting but i didn't love it.

Swing night with Beasley's Big Band. Fun! Hot and humid conditions, but this is July. Impressed by low cover charge, reasonable drink prices. Highly enjoyable dancing good time!

Super neat tour and pretty cool history. It would be cool to come on a Thursday for the 5 pm tour & stay for swing night at 7 pm. The tour guide was nice but super paranoid about people taking video when they are in fact taking a simple photo. Other than that I loved this place.