With record high gas prices this summer many Lincoln residents are holding off on long distance summer trips and looking for Staycation options here at home. This week KLIN’s Chris Lofgreen is highlighting a few of the fun things families can do in an around Lincoln.
Joel Green is an author and tour guide at Robbers Cave and shares some of the history. “The cave, the oldest date I found it was a land grant from 1864 and then Lincoln’s first brewery was built right off the side of the bluff,” Green says.
Green also says the cave was used as a hideout. “Jesse James has often been associated with Robbers Cave as a hideout. I think any cave you visit in the Midwest will have Jesse James folklore tied to it.” But Green says based on research of that time it’s unlikely James used it to hideout.
The soft Dakota sandstone walls are covered with a variety of carvings, including names, initials, dates, band names, symbols and Greek letters. Over the years the cave has grown to be a Lincoln tourist attraction and was recently designated a national historic site. The new owners have re-positioned the cave and facilities into an event space for wedding and reunions as well as making it available for tours.
Tours of the cave are available Monday-Friday from 3:30 to 10 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. You must book your tours in advance by calling 402-975-0598
