Is the Cave privately owned?
Yes, and it has been since the day it was discovered. The Cave is on Brigham Farm, which was founded in 1828 by Ebenezer Brigham, the first european settler in Dane County. When he passed on, he left the property to his great nephew Charles Brigham, Sr. Charles and his family operated the property primarily as a dairy farm, but occasionally leased quarry rights to local contractors, and thus in 1939 the Cave was discovered! In 1988, Cave of the Mounds earned the National Natural Landmark designation, entering into a public-private partnership with the National Park Service. This partnership ensures that the Cave will be managed & protected for future generations as a prime example of Wisconsin’s Natural Heritage. What causes the different colors in the Cave? The mineral calcite is white. Calcite is the primary mineral that you see in the Cave because it is essentially limestone that has been dissolved and redeposited. Reddish brown colors come from iron oxide, or rust. Shades of black,
