You'll Want To Take A Tour Of Robber's Cave, A Historic Underground Cave In Nebraska
By Delana Lefevers|Published February 10, 2019
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Delana Lefevers
Author
As a lifelong Nebraskan, Delana loves discovering the many hidden treasures of her state. She has worked as a writer and editor since 2007. Delana's work has been featured on more than a dozen websites and in Nebraska Life Magazine.
As far as awesome origin stories go, you can’t get much better than the tales surrounding this brewery cave in Lincoln. The 5,000 square foot cave has sat below the capital city since the 1860s, providing generations of Lincolnites with a fun (if somewhat dangerous) place to play. In 2016, it was revitalized by a local business and took on a whole new life. Today, you can tour this historic cave.
It's safe to say that just about everyone in Lincoln has heard of Robber's Cave. The man-made cave was dug out of the soft sandstone in the 1860s to make way for an underground brewery. The brewery didn't last long, but the cave became a vital part of local lore.
It earned the name Robber's Cave because of the outlaws who supposedly hid out from law enforcement in the winding passageways. Jesse James himself is said to have hunkered down here following a robbery at one time.
In more recent times, Robber's Cave was a popular place for young folks to explore. Imagine the thrill of wandering through these dark passageways, carving your initials into the rock so future generations would have proof you were there. It's the type of fun you just don't find these days. In fact, the cave was closed from 2000 until its recent reopening because of safety fears.
When the local Blue Blood Brewing Company needed to expand their operation, the property above the cave was a perfect fit - and the cave itself was a huge plus. It seems pretty appropriate that a brewing company owned by former cops would take over the cave once occupied by criminals.
When the work was done and the brewery opened atop this historical treasure, the owners began offering tours of the underground cave. Unfortunately, the above-ground brewery is now closed, but you can still tour the cave.
Your tour guide from Robbers Cave Tours will take you through the cave, pointing out interesting features and recounting some of the fascinating events in the cave's history. For example, did you know that a man once sold pet fish from a shop located down here?
Tours are family-friendly, though not all parts of the cave are accessible to everyone. Public and private tours are welcome. If you haven't visited since 2018, get ready for an awesome surprise: the tours have been expanded to include new parts of the cave!
