Have you been to this fun cave in Southern California?
We love traveling as a family most anywhere. One of the funnest things about it is that we can be spontaneous on these travels. Sure, we do have a general idea of what we will do on our trips, but we also like to keep it interesting and find new things along the way.
What is the history of Sunny Jim’s Cave?
Sunny Jim’s Sea Cave has such a fun little history, and honestly, it makes visiting it even cooler.
Back in 1902, a German entrepreneur named Gustav Schultz owned the building above the cave. At the time, it was actually his home. He had the idea that tourists might pay to see the sea caves below, so he hired two Chinese laborers to dig a tunnel from the house down into the cave.
And they did the whole thing by hand. Like, with shovels and pickaxes. It took them two years to finish, which is kind of wild to think about when you are walking down there today.
By 1905, Schultz started giving tours through the tunnel. At first, people had to use a rope to get down into the cave, which sounds absolutely terrifying. Thankfully, stairs were added later, making it a lot easier and way less sketchy for visitors.
The cave got its name from L. Frank Baum, the author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. He thought the cave opening looked like Sunny Jim, a cartoon character from that time.
There are also some interesting rumors about the cave. During Prohibition, people said it was used to sneak whiskey into San Diego. Other stories say it may have been used to smuggle opium or even bring immigrants into the United States.
In 1994, Jim Allen bought the store above the cave. Before that, the shop mostly made money selling seashells. Today, Sunny Jim’s Sea Cave is still one of the most unique things to do in La Jolla. It has ocean views, a little mystery, and one of those backstories that makes you stop and think, wait, people actually dug this by hand?
Going Inside the Cave
One summer, as one of our many vacations in San Diego, CA was coming to a close, I was on the search for one last adventure we could go on. Jonas, my seven year old, loves to explore. He also loves Minecraft and anything to do with it. So, I wondered if I might find a cool cave we could go see on our way home.
The only thing I found nearby was Sunny Jim’s cave in La Jolla. It was about 30 minutes out of the way on our drive home, but so worth it. To get to the cave you have to purchase your tickets at The Cave Store.
We immediately knew this place was cool. The man who named it and who had actually been down in the cave was Frank Baum, author of The Wizard of Oz. How cool is that!? I think we all felt pretty adventurous as we started down the steep wooden steps to the bottom of the cave.
At the bottom of the cave there is a large opening that looks out onto the ocean. Apparently this opening looks like some guy named Sunny Jim. This is what the author of The Wizard of Oz thought and how the cave got its name. The view was really beautiful and we stood down there and watched the kayaks and splashing waves for a bit.
This is an awesome cave to take the kids if you are staying in La Jolla or driving on your way to or from San Diego. We all loved the cave and the cool story behind how it got its name. I thought it was a fun adventure to have with the family and it didn’t end up costing us much at all.
Things to Know Before You Visit
Sunny Jim’s cave is open daily and they also have a cool cave gift shop to visit!
Tours at Sunny Jim’s cave are self guided and no reservations are needed.
- Location – The Cave Store, 1325 Coast Blvd, La Jolla, CA 92037
- Hours – Daily 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM
- Cost – Adults – $13 Kids (age 3-17) – $7
- Difficulty – Fairly easy hike with 145 steps down to the sea cave and a hike back up the stairs.
- Disability Access – There is NO disability access for this cave. Everyone has to walk or be carried down the 145 step flight of stairs.
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