Visiting The Mammoth Cave Wildlife Museum

While visiting Mammoth Cave National Park for a few days we decided to check out the Mammoth Cave Wildlife Museum in the nearby town of Cave City, Kentucky.

They are Kentucky’s first and largest wildlife museum.

The museum has nearly 14,000 square feet of exhibit area containing taxidermied animals from around the world. Over 1,600 specimens of wildlife (I’m assuming 90% of this count is found in their butterfly and insect room) can be found here.

The museum is open daily 9 am-5 pm March through October. January, February, November, and December it is only open on Saturdays and Sundays.

When you first enter the building you will walk into their gift shop where every tchotchke and souvenir you think of can be purchased at reasonable prices (for a tourist town).

After purchasing your tickets at the desk you will begin your self-guided tour of the museum.

There is a pre-determined path to follow so you won’t get lost or miss any of the exhibits. Taxidermy dioramas from the 1960s will greet you around every corner. I believe the museum originally opened in 1969.

Taxidermy birds, fish, reptiles, bears, tigers, lions, and every mammal in between can be found in the museum.

The butterfly room was one of my favorite exhibits showcasing hundreds of beautiful butterflies and strange insects from around the world.

All of the floors of the exhibits are made up to resemble the natural habitat of the animal on display.

Multiple displays actually had beautifully painted backgrounds as well which made the exhibits look even more incredible.

A few of the exhibits look rough, because of their age, but most are still in excellent condition.

We love taxidermy exhibits and really enjoyed The Mammoth Cave Wildlife Museum. It’s an interesting place and a relatively cheap excursion for the family.