Rickwood Caverns will again transform into a unique, winter wonderland for the holiday season this year.
Known as Wonderland Under Warrior, the park’s centerpiece cave system offers a magical experience featuring festive light displays, decorations and a number of characters who are available for photos. It all accentuates the cave’s natural formations.
“It’s clear ‘Wonderland Under Warrior’ has become one of the top attractions at the park every year, and families seem to come back each holiday season to enjoy it,” Rickwood Caverns State Park Superintendent Chris Bentley said. “We are so proud to keep this holiday tradition going for all of our guests, many of whom tell us how much they look forward to it annually.”
Wonderland Under Warrior began Saturday, November 19, and runs through January 8, 2023, operating from 2-8 p.m. The last tickets will be sold daily at 7:30 p.m. Reservations are highly recommended and can be made online www.reservealapark.com.
The attraction will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, November 24; Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, December 24-25; New Year’s Eve, December 31; and most Mondays and Tuesdays through January 8.
A complete schedule can be found on the park’s website. All regular cave tours are suspended for the duration of Wonderland Under Warrior. Those tours will resume in 2023.
The cave temperature remains at 62 degrees year-round, which makes it the perfect place to visit on a cold day. The park’s gift shop will be decorated for the holidays and offer gifts, ornaments, snacks and hot cocoa for purchase.
For first-time visitors, please note Wonderland Under Warrior features an out-and-back self-guided tour, so the 110-step ascent at the end of the normal cave tour is not required. This makes the walk easier for guests with mobility issues or small children. The entire walk is about a mile inside the cave.
“The staff at Rickwood Caverns State Park has truly made Wonderland Under Warrior one of the state’s very best holiday attractions,” said Greg Lein, State Parks Director for Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. “We know many of our guests look forward to it each year. We are committed to providing one-of-a-kind experiences that people can’t get anywhere else, and this is a perfect example. We hope to see new visitors and old friends visit Rickwood Caverns during the upcoming holiday season.”
Rickwood Caverns State Park is located just off Interstate 65 in Warrior, about 30 miles north of downtown Birmingham and about 75 miles south of Huntsville.
About Rickwood State Park
Rickwood Caverns State Park features 260-million-year-old formations that were created by water and reveal evidence that the cave was carved from an ocean bed, all 175 feet below the Earth’s surface. The park also includes a campground, playground, hiking trails, gift shop and Olympic-sized swimming pool fed by cool waters from the cave. Learn more at www.alapark.com/parks/rickwood-caverns-state-park.
About Alabama State Parks
The Alabama State Parks Division operates and maintains 21 state parks encompassing more than 50,000 acres of land and water in Alabama. The parks range from Gulf Coast beaches to Appalachian Mountains and provide opportunities and facilities from basic day-use activities to resort convention lodging, restaurant and golfing areas. Learn more at www.alapark.com
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