City of Caves

Updated June 11, 2025

THE CITY OF CAVES | This was shot at the City of Caves in No… | Flickr

## City of Caves (Nottingham): what you’re actually visiting

City of Caves is an underground visitor attraction in Nottingham, England, built around a network of human-carved sandstone caves beneath the city.

What makes it distinct isn’t a single “show cave” chamber—it’s the way the site interprets how Nottingham’s caves were used over time. The attraction is explicitly tied to the wider fact that Nottingham has hundreds of man-made caves, used for centuries.

## Where it is (and the entrance detail that trips people up)

The address you provided—Garner’s Hill, Nottingham NG1 1HF, United Kingdom—matches the current access route described for the attraction.

One caveat: older references say the attraction was accessed via Broadmarsh Shopping Centre and that construction work would “finish in 2021.” That date is clearly time-bound and may no longer reflect the current situation, so treat it as historical context only and rely on the attraction’s official “Plan your visit” information for up-to-date entry details.

## What you’ll see underground (historically grounded highlights)

The caves showcased at City of Caves are carved from sandstone and have been repurposed across different eras. Documented uses include:

– Tannery use (industrial/workspace history)
– Cellars associated with public houses (storage and service spaces rather than “tourist tunnels”)
– Air-raid shelter use (wartime adaptation)

That “layering” is the real story: the caves weren’t built for sightseeing—they were practical infrastructure, reused as the city changed.

## Know before you go: hours, tickets, and how visits are structured

### Opening hours (check before you commit)
The official site lists opening hours as 10am–5pm Monday–Wednesday (and provides booking/ticketing). Hours can change seasonally or for events, so verify close to your visit. Justice Museum

A practical timing warning appears in visitor feedback: arriving late in the day may mean you can’t join the last entry/tour even if the attraction “closes at 5pm.” Treat this as a real-world planning risk and aim earlier.

### Ticket prices (officially published)
The attraction publishes the following standard prices:

– Adult: £11
– Child (5–17): £9
– Under 5: Free
– Concessions (students, over 60s): £10 Justice Museum

Visit Nottinghamshire also states tickets grant unlimited entry for a year from the day you purchase them (great if you’re local or returning). Nottinghamshire

### Money-saving option: joint ticket
There’s an official joint ticket option combining City of Caves with the National Justice Museum (same organisation), marketed specifically as a reduced admission route. Justice Museum

## Accessibility and comfort: what the site says (and why it matters)

This is the most important “reality check” section, because it affects who can visit.

– The attraction states that, due to the historic nature of the caves, it is unfortunately inaccessible for wheelchair users, and also not suitable for prams/pushchairs or many visitors with limited mobility. Justice Museum
– The official FAQs specify access is down a spiral staircase, and that the cave floors are naturally uneven because they were hand-carved in sandstone. Justice Museum

### Inclusivity note (factual + practical)
Because the site explicitly isn’t physically accessible for some visitors, planning an alternative activity nearby is worth doing in advance if anyone in your group has mobility constraints. I’m not adding “accessibility workarounds” here because the official wording is unambiguous and I don’t want to guess beyond it. Justice Museum

## The bigger context: why Nottingham has so many caves

If you want a quick, non-mythologised explanation: Nottingham sits on Sherwood Sandstone, a geology that’s been described as part of a sandstone ridge laid down roughly 200–280 million years ago. That rock is workable enough that people carved extensive cave spaces into it over long periods. of Caves

## A smart way to fit City of Caves into a Nottingham day

If you’re trying to build a low-stress half-day around this, the attraction itself already points you toward pairing it with the National Justice Museum via the joint ticket. That pairing makes thematic sense: underground “everyday survival infrastructure” + above-ground institutions of law and civic control. Justice Museum

## Internal links
You asked for two contextual internal links “if possible.” I can’t add accurate internal links to RealJourneyTravels.com without seeing your existing URLs/site structure, and I’m sticking to your requirement to only return information I 100% know.

If you want, paste two relevant RealJourneyTravels slugs (e.g., your Nottingham guide + National Justice Museum page), and I’ll weave them in cleanly.

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City of Caves

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Places to Stay Near City of Caves"There are historic things to see in city of caves."

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