Guided Tour Booking Required
Daytime Cave Walk to Ruby Falls
Standard daytime walking tour with elevator descent of approximately 260 feet followed by a roughly half-mile walk to the underground waterfall.
- Duration:
- 1.3 hr
Photo coming soon
Outdoor / Natural Site
Ruby Falls
Commercial show cave inside Lookout Mountain with a 145-foot underground waterfall — discovered 1928 by Leo Lambert and reputedly haunted by his wife Ruby and several deceased children.
1720 S Scenic Hwy, Chattanooga, TN 37409
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$$
Standard daytime cave tour ticket; premium pricing for after-hours Haunted Lantern Tours and Ghost Tour by Lantern Light. Discounts for seniors, military, children.
Access
Limited Access
Cave walking tour involves narrow passages, low ceilings in places, uneven wet floors, and elevator descent of approximately 260 feet
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1929 · Discovered 1928 by Leo Lambert · Opened to the public 1930 · Tallest commercial underground waterfall in the US · Officially designated haunted location (2014)
Ruby Falls sits inside Lookout Mountain, approximately 1,120 feet below the surface and reached by a glass-front elevator that descends roughly 260 feet from the visitor center before a horizontal walk through the cave. The 145-foot underground waterfall (as marketed by Ruby Falls; Wikipedia gives a lower figure of 63 feet for the main visible drop) is the tallest and deepest commercially accessible underground waterfall in the United States.
Leo Lambert, a chemist and amateur caver, formed the Lookout Mountain Cave Company in 1928 to commercially reopen Lookout Mountain Cave — the historic cave used by Confederate troops and earlier by the Cherokee. The original cave entrance had been sealed in 1905 during construction of a railroad tunnel. During exploratory tunneling Lambert discovered a previously unknown vertical passage above the original cave; following it led him in December 1928 to the spectacular underground waterfall he subsequently named for his wife, Ruby.
The Ruby Falls attraction opened to the public in 1930 and quickly became one of the most-visited tourist sites in the southeastern United States. It has remained continuously open ever since, including through the Great Depression and World War II. The Lambert family lost four of their six children to early-childhood illnesses — a fact that figures prominently in later ghost narratives associated with the site.
In 2014 Ruby Falls was officially designated a haunted location following a series of paranormal investigations. The attraction now offers seasonal Haunted Lantern Tours and an After-Hours Ghost Tour by Lantern Light as official Ruby Falls programming.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby_Falls
- https://www.rubyfalls.com/things-to-do/after-hours-ghost-tour-at-ruby-falls-by-lantern-light/
- https://www.chattanoogapulse.com/citylife/news/haunted-lantern-tours-bring-the-spooky-side-of-the-season-to/
'Lady in White' apparitionChildren's laughterMoved gift-shop toys and magnetic rocksSpirit-box voice identifying as 'Ruby'
Ruby Falls' haunted reputation was formalized in September 2014 when the attraction was 'proclaimed an official haunted location after a series of thorough and expansive paranormal investigations,' according to Chattanooga Pulse.
The most widely reported entity is the 'Lady in White,' a female apparition that visitors and staff describe as moving through the cave and the visitor center. Paranormal investigators cited by Chattanooga Pulse and US Ghost Adventures report holding a spirit-box conversation in which the entity identified herself as Ruby. The Lambert family connection is well-documented: Leo Lambert's wife Ruby was the namesake of the falls.
Leo and Ruby Lambert had six children, of whom only two lived to adulthood — a historical detail confirmed in family records and cited in current Ruby Falls programming. Visitors and staff report children's laughter heard in the gift-shop and visitor-center areas, which lantern-tour guides attribute to the four Lambert children who died young.
Gift-shop staff also report toys and magnetic rocks being moved or thrown when the shop is empty.
A fourth recurring story concerns the ghost of a security guard said to have died in an elevator-shaft fall. The specific identity and date of this incident are less well-documented in the public record; the claim appears primarily in ghost-tour materials.
Ruby Falls actively markets these reports and presents them in seasonal Haunted Lantern Tours.
Notable Entities
Ruby Lambert (Leo Lambert's wife)Lambert children (four of six died young)Security-guard apparition (less documented)
Plan Your Visit
2 ways to experience Ghost Hunt Booking Required
After Hours Ghost Tour by Lantern Light
Official Ruby Falls after-hours ghost tour led by lantern, recounting documented Lambert family history alongside reported sightings of a 'Lady in White' (Ruby Lambert), children's laughter, and the security-guard ghost.
- Duration:
- 1.5 hr
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#chattanooga
#lookout-mountain
#show-cave
#underground-waterfall
#haunted-lantern-tours
#ruby-lambert
Sources & Further Reading
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ruby Falls family-friendly?
Daytime tour is family-friendly. The lantern ghost tour includes references to the deaths of Lambert children and a security-guard fatality; preview before bringing younger children. Overall family fit: Moderate.
How much does it cost to visit Ruby Falls?
Standard daytime cave tour ticket; premium pricing for after-hours Haunted Lantern Tours and Ghost Tour by Lantern Light. Discounts for seniors, military, children.
Do I need to book in advance?
Yes, reservations are required.
Is Ruby Falls wheelchair accessible?
Ruby Falls has limited wheelchair accessibility. Terrain: Cave walking tour involves narrow passages, low ceilings in places, uneven wet floors, and elevator descent of approximately 260 feet.