Fossil Tours at Cave of the Mounds

The red arrow points toward the gastropod fossil. Gastropods are closely related to the snail of the present day. The shell is made of a form of calcium carbonate called aragonite. Aragonite dissolves more readily than limestone so oftentimes we see only a cast of a mold that fossilized and the shell dissolved.

Crinoid in the wall of Cave of the Mounds. An ancient specimen, Crinoids were animals that lived in the ocean beginning approximately 530 million years ago. Despite their age, over 600 species of Crinoids still exist in the ocean today. They are commonly known as sea lilies or feather stars and are filter feeders that use featherlike arms sprouting from their heads as a filtering mechanism. They are made up almost entirely of individual disks, or plates, that tend to disarticulate upon their death: individual disks are the most common crinoid fossil, making whole specimens extremely rare.

Gastropod snail shell is clearly in the limestone

Cephalopod bump in the ceiling. While Cephalopoda is a class of mollusk, in this paleontologic sense “Cephalopod” is referring specifically to the variety of ancient squid-like creatures that existed in the ocean starting around 530 million years ago. Many of these animals are the ancestor to the modern squid and had soft, tentacled bodies in addition to a large, straight shells.

Cephalopod on display in Cave of the Mounds

Cephalopod protrudes from the limestone at Cave of the Mounds

Features

Tour Type
- Walking Tours
Natural Attractions Type
- Caves

Fossil Tours at Cave of the Mounds

Event Date

Feb 2, 2025. 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM

Feb 9, 2025. 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM

Feb 16, 2025. 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM

Feb 23, 2025. 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM

Cave of the Mounds
2975 Cave Of The Mounds Rd - Blue Mounds, WI 53517

Information: 608-437-3038

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Walk through an ancient ocean and look for fossils older than the dinosaurs. In a limestone cave, there are many fossils to see. Learn from our Cave Educator about different fossils that have been discovered.

Fossilization is rare. According to the BBC, scientists estimate that less than one-tenth of 1% of all creatures on Earth become fossils. Feel like a geologist, archeologist, or paleontologist by looking for fossils along the cave trail.

Along your tour, collect some fossils to take home with you in a reusable bag. The fossils are similar to the ones you will find in the limestone of the cave.

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Fossil Tours at Cave of the Mounds

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Fossil Tours at Cave of the Mounds

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