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Sunny Jim Cave and The Cave Store

Part of Interesting Sights, our guide to interesting sights, viewpoints and landmarks in San Diego County.

The Cave Store sells tickets to Sunny Jim Cave, a tunnel dug in 1902 down through La Jolla sandstone to a sea cave. Adults pay $13 and youth ages 3 to 17 pay $7. Tours run 9 am to 4:30 pm, tickets are sold at the door only, and the stairs make it unsuitable if you cannot climb.Checked October 23, 2026.

$13adults
$7youth, ages 3 to 17
About 145stairs each way
15 minself-guided
View from inside a dark sea cave through the opening to the ocean and coastline
Looking out through Sunny Jim Cave to the La Jolla coast. Tomás Del Coro from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Address1325 Coast Blvd, La Jolla (from a search lead; not confirmed on the official page)
HoursTours run 9 am to 4:30 pm (cavestore.com, read 2026-10-23)
TicketsAdults $13; youth (3 to 17) $7. At the door only; no reservations or advance purchase; first come, first served.
AccessAbout 145 stairs each way (about five minutes of climbing); slippery; closed-toe shoes advised. Service dogs only, no pets.
Good forKids and adults who can climb stairs; under 18 must be accompanied by an adult or carry a signed guardian letter
Official pagecavestore.com

What You Do

The tour is self-guided and takes about 15 minutes. You walk a tunnel dug in 1902 from the Cave Store down through the sandstone cliffs into Sunny Jim’s sea cave. Small groups of 15 to 20 enter at a time.

Before You Go

Expect slippery stairs. Wear closed-toe shoes. This is not a good fit for anyone who cannot climb stairs. There is no way to reserve, so arrive and buy at the door.

A Story The Page Tells

The store’s page includes a legend of Prohibition smuggling, which it frames as “it’s been said”. We treat that as an unconfirmed story, not a documented fact.

Sunny Jim Cave and The Cave Store Open the map. © OpenStreetMap contributors.

What We Could Not Verify

  • The street address (1325 Coast Blvd) came from a search lead and was not on the Cave Store page text we read. The Cave Store can confirm.
  • The stair count differs on the store page: 145 in one place and 144 in another. We say “about 145”.
  • The hours line on the page reads 9 am to 4:30 pm; a search result listed other hours and was treated as a lead only. The Cave Store can confirm.
  • The Prohibition smuggling story is a legend the page itself hedges. Not confirmed.
  • The map point is from OpenStreetMap and is approximate.

More in Interesting Sights

FAQ

Can I buy Sunny Jim Cave tickets online?

No. The Cave Store page says tickets are at the door only, with no reservations or advance purchase.

How many stairs are there?

About 145 each way. The page gives 145 in one place and 144 in another.

Can kids go?

Youth ages 3 to 17 pay $7. Anyone under 18 must be with an adult or carry a signed guardian letter.

Sources

  1. The Cave Store

Checked October 23, 2026 by It’s San Diego. Cite this page: It’s San Diego (itssandiego.com), checked October 23, 2026. Free to quote with a link to this page; tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.