Niagara Cave offers a selection of minerals, fossils and other reminders of what lies beneath.

July 7, 2025

A mile-long underground hike at Niagara Cave leads guests to nearly 200 feet below the surface after descending 275 steps. Known for delicate and massive cave formations and a subterranean wedding chapel, the hallmark of this Top 10-rated cave destination is a 60-foot waterfall that visitors can view from a bridge that crosses over the cascading rush. Thus, the name Niagara Cave.


Conveniently positioned at the entrance and exit is the cave’s gift shop, where visitors purchase tickets and lay eyes on a teaser: expansive glass shelf displays of gemstones in all sizes, geodes, minerals and fossils from all over the world.


Some are pocket-sized and others are eye-catching centerpieces. Aaron Bishop and his brother, Ryan, co-manage the mine that their parents took over as owners in 1995.


“We want kids and adults to go home with something to remind them of Niagara Cave,” says Aaron Bishop, speaking to the gift shop’s range of price points and stock of nature-based and educational products, many of them designed to spark curiosity.


Name-drop headlamps, pottery and apparel for all ages are just some of the many souvenirs in the gift shop.
Photos: Jessica Thompson

For instance, refracting prisms and spin tops are simple fun that “gives people something to puzzle over,” says Bishop.


Over the years, the Bishops have curated a real gem of a gift shop that offers whimsical keepsakes, educational sets, a world of gems and fossils, and practical apparel for a cave is consistently 48 degrees. And with on-site activities such as gemstone panning and an 18-hole mini golf course, visitors can extend their stay in Harmony, Minnesota, and get advice from shop staff and guides on other outdoor attractions in the region.


Regardless of how visitors spend their time at Niagara Cave, the experience starts and ends in the gift shop.



Natural collectibles

An array of shiny objects and fascinating fossils sets the tone for cave tours and provides guests with a truly unique shopping experience. Bishop points to some especially enticing pieces such as lapis lazuli with its rich indigo color and labradorite that emits iridescent rainbows.


While not a gem, bismuth metal has a low melting point and reveals crystal structures. “People think it looks like the Wizard of Oz castle,” says Bishop.


Large-scale geodes are cracked in-house, and palm-sized geodes give kids something to open once home. The gift shop’s displays encourage exploration with gems situated on glass shelves along the shop’s perimeter. There are island displays for smaller specimens. While the glass is a constant dusting project for guides, the benefit of transparency is there are no blind spots so less of a chance for shrinkage.


The Bishops source a great deal of their gems and fossils from the Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Show as well as the Denver Mineral, Fossil, Gem & Jewelry Show. The shop also relies on suppliers such as Quasar Gems in Milwaukee and Driftstone Pueblo in St. Elmo, Illinois.


A variety of name-drop hoodies are great souvenirs that also help to keep guests warm during their visit.

Occasionally, there are global opportunities. Bishop’s father, Mark, was invited to Morocco from a vendor in Tucson. He traveled there for the experience but also brought home some special finds for the Niagara Cave gift shop. “Morocco is known for its fossils and also minerals like azurite and malachite, both copper-based,” says Bishop.


Bishop and guides at the cave know their fossils and minerals. They engage guests in conversations about what they experience in the cave and see in the shop.



Priced to purchase

The Bishops want everyone to have an opportunity to take home a memory from Niagara Cave, so price point is an important factor. For example, visitors might not think about the cool temperature of the cave when it’s 90 degrees outside in the summer, Bishop points out.


“We want people to feel comfortable in the cave and if there is a family of five, they shouldn’t have to spend a fortune for hoodies,” he says.


Of course, the gift shop has to make a profit. But the Bishops aren’t into gouging and want to maintain a family environment. Apparel bearing the Niagara Cave name is a go-to souvenir, and the shop carries a variety of sweatshirt weights. Some are thicker and others more lightweight.


“Our blue tie-dye hoodies do really well, and most of our sweatshirts are hooded,” says Bishop of pullovers or zipper styles. The store carries some crew neck, as well, along with T-shirts and hats. Most apparel comes from Cotton Gallery or Image Star.


Because of the influx of student groups and scout troops that visit Niagara Cave, the shop stocks items kids could buy with their allowance. Popular picks include gemstones, magnets, keychains, spin tops and plush such as Ty Beanie Boos. Name-drop headlamp mining hats are also priced to take home. Bishop chooses to mark up the item only slightly compared to many cave destinations, he says.


Gemstones are a favorite souvenir at the Niagara Cave gift shop, with exotic finds like Moroccan geodes.

Educational toys and playsets by Tedco Toys and Toysmith include the Rebuild-a-Saurus take-apart dinos and dig kits with dinosaur bones to assemble. A magnifying bug view finder is a “house” for insects that allows for closer inspection. Themed gift box sets in the geology, biology and paleontology categories appeal to an audience of all ages that seeks out cave experiences, Bishop says.


Meanwhile, impulse jewelry by A.T. Storrs Ltd. includes abalone shell jewelry that sells through quickly.



Taking stock

Niagara Cave and its gift shop is a seasonal business, open weekends in April and seven days a week starting May 1 through the last weekend in October. The Bishops dedicate winter to cave-related projects and spend the immediate months after closing reviewing sales records and inventory to determine what to buy for the following season.


Keeping inventory fresh is an ongoing focus at Niagara Cave’s gift shop. The same is true for the cave tours and how the Bishops are evolving the purpose as more than a destination.


“The underground environment is a dark reflection of what’s happening on the surface,” he points out. “There are impacts from land use that show up in caves, and we are starting to use our cave as a classroom and a site for exploring queries like sampling the water for nitrate contamination.”


The Bishops also learn from guests, asking them about other caves they’ve explored. He says, “Every cave is different, even if they are close together.”