Cave of the Mounds

Cave of the Mounds enhances visitor flow and operational efficiency with Beyonk

Discover how Cave of the Mounds streamlined its booking experience across public tours, school groups, and events using Beyonk’s flexible ticketing system

Content

Background

Cave of the Mounds is a natural limestone cave in Wisconsin that was discovered by chance in 1939 when a quarry blast revealed its entrance. It opened to the public a year later and has since become a year-round destination, attracting between 100,000 and 120,000 visitors each year.

The site draws a mix of school groups, tourists, and event-goers. Guided cave tours run alongside concerts and educational programmes, all managed by a team of around 75 people. With so many different types of visitors and activities and events, the team needed a booking system that could keep up.

The challenge

Over the years, Cave of the Mounds evolved its booking approach from basic online gift voucher sales to online booking systems. However, the previous platform was dated and disjointed. It required PayPal for transactions, had limited integration with the website, and created a visible break in the customer journey as users were redirected off-site.

This friction was increasingly problematic as online expectations rose, particularly post-COVID. Visitors wanted to book confidently in advance and arrive with tickets in hand. The team also needed a platform that could support a wide range of use cases: public bookings, large-scale school trips with varied programme options, and ticketed events with strict time constraints.

“Being able to use one system for all of our different products is my favourite feature. It’s seamless and flexible.”

Joe Klimczak of Cave of the Mounds

How we helped

Cave of the Mounds switched to Beyonk in December 2024 after reviewing several options. The team was drawn to the user-friendly interface, smooth mobile experience, direct engagement with the Beyonk team and positive feedback from similar organisations already using the platform.

The intuitive interface was a standout factor. The booking journey aligned well with the site’s brand and worked seamlessly across devices. Crucially, the system could accommodate the venue’s three distinct operational strands: general public tours, school groups, and special events.

Beyonk enabled teachers to make tentative bookings for large school groups with programme-level approvals, while the team could manage fixed concert times separately. This flexibility meant all visitor types could be handled under a single system, without compromising on control or clarity.

We don’t want visitors standing in line unnecessarily. Ideally, they arrive, scan their ticket, and go straight into the cave, no waiting.

Joe Klimczak of Cave of the Mounds

The results

With Beyonk in place, Cave of the Mounds now offers a frictionless booking experience that reduces onsite queueing and staff workload.

Visitors typically complete their bookings in under three minutes, with an average speed of 2 minutes and 40 seconds, highlighting the platform’s ease of use. Meanwhile, customer satisfaction is high: the average shopping experience score is 9.19 out of 10 from over 550 responses, with two-thirds of users giving a perfect 10. This aligns with internal observations of a notable drop in booking-related complaints.

Beyonk’s impact goes beyond smoother transactions. It enables Cave of the Mounds to operate more efficiently, deliver a consistently strong visitor experience, and manage a complex mix of bookings with confidence. From reducing manual admin to providing actionable data, the system has become a key part of how the team runs its business and engages with over 100,000 visitors each year.

The ease of booking for the customer was a big plus… few clicks, no complicated login setup, just straightforward ticket purchasing.

Why choose Beyonk for your visitor attractions

Managing a visitor attraction can be complex, especially when you're juggling different types of events, group bookings, and day-to-day visitors. That’s where Beyonk makes a real difference.

Our platform is designed to simplify operations while elevating the visitor experience. It brings everything together in one place, whether you're running guided tours, educational programmes, seasonal events, or private group bookings. With a seamless mobile-friendly booking journey, visitors can book quickly and confidently in advance, reducing queues and easing pressure on your staff.

Beyonk helps you save time by automating key admin tasks like confirmations, capacity limits, and ticket scanning. You can also boost revenue with features like gift vouchers, upsells, and cart recovery, all built into the system. Behind the scenes, powerful reporting tools give you real-time insights into performance, customer behaviour, and booking trends, so you can make informed decisions and grow sustainably.

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