Sunny Jim Cave Store

This cave is one the oldest tourist attractions in La Jolla. The cave was dug in 1902, has 145 steps to the bottom, some turns, wet steps, dim lights, low ceilings for safety they do have handrails. As you begin to decline down the cave you immediately can hear the sound of the crashing waves onto the rocks. It takes approximately 2 — 3 minutes for the average person to get to the bottom… as you approach the end of the cave the average adult will have to bend down due to the low, low, low ceiling which takes you to the platform that looks like it can hold approximately 10 — 15 people. The width of the stairway is narrow, as people are coming and going you will have to turn into the wall of the cave to allow their passage. You’ll notice that the only light other than the dim lights along the steps will be the light shinning from the outer ocean into the cave. The craved out opening looks like the outline of a man’s face. You will notice people do go down the 145 steps much easier than when they go up. The reward of reaching the bottom gives way to a breathtaking view!
You must go through Jim Cave Store to gain access to the cave. The store offers a lot of tourist items in it, tells about when the cave was built, momentums for purchase. They also have clothing, jewelry, water, sodas, maps of the area. We found the staff to be very friendly and helpful. If visit La Jolla this attraction is a must see & do.

We went on a kayak tour to go inside caves but the waves were too strong to go inside. Instead we got a free pass to go to the Sunny Jim Cave Store. The story we were told is that a long time ago a man who lived there dug a tunnel from his home all the way to the cave! It sounded interesting so we decided to check it out. Going down the steps was pretty easy even though it was wet inside of the tunnel. We made it to the opening of the cave, the outline of it looked like Lenny Leonard’s profile. After we took pictures we went back up the steps which was a little rough! Overall, it was a pretty cool experience! After we left the store we went to the nearby cliff that overlooked three other caves. Gorgeous!

What makes Sunny Jim Cave Store unique is that it has an opening to a tunnel that leads directly into a cave! In order to check out the cave, you have to pay $ 5. The price is a little steep when considering how short the walk is, but it’s definitely worth doing once. (I wouldn’t really do it more than once).
The tunnel is beautiful! It’s kind of an eerie feeling walking down the tunnel. The air is cool and you can smell the ocean breeze. You can even hear the waves crashing. Once you get to the bottom (which will only take about 2 – 3 minutes), there’s a platform area to view the cave. the outline of the cave looks like the profile of a man’s face. It’s cool to watch kayakers passing by and watching the waves crashing into the shore of the cave. It’s definitely a cool view of the cave and much different than the outer views you’re typically used to in La Jolla.
Overall, I think that this is worth doing, but not more than once. The view of the cave is a neat novelty, but the trip won’t take you more than 20 minutes in total.

I have heard the stories about the stairs that go down to one of the caves in La Jolla and I finally got to go down and check it out. I had to pay five bucks to walk down the stairs and it was worth it to see it. Now that I have done it I can scratch it off of my list.

If you are a tourist, the Cave Store and the sea cave it protects is well worth at least one visit! As you enter the gift shop, you pay $ 5.00 to take the 144 steep stair journey downward to a wharf style balcony that allows people to stand near the inside of the cave mouth and watch as the ocean waves do it’s slow but sure cave carving work. They have estimated that it’s taken the sea about 200,000 years to carve out the cavern into these sandstone cliffs as we see it today. This is the only cave in California that is accessible from land. There is enough lighting for easy and safe viewing of the cave interior which features several types of mineral formations that may be of interest to the geologists in the group.
When gazing out of the cave to the sea, you will note that the outline of the opening has a shape of a cartoon style profile of a popular cereal mascot from the 1900’s. Hence the name of Sunny Jim. A name which most of us has probably never heard of. But the name has stuck all of these years. And speaking of years, apparently the Cave Store boasts that it is the oldest running business in La Jolla. The tunnel to the cave was dug with picks and shovels beginning in 1902 and had it’s share of changes and improvements over history including it’s use for smuggling alcohol during prohibition. While the cave does have it’s draw in luring visitors, ones interest may only last for maybe 10 – 15 minutes at the most, then there is not a whole lot else to keep you there.
When you climb back up to the little gift shop, you may find interest in some of the unique merchandise for sale that displays souvenirs, memorabilia, local artist’s handmade jewelry, and clothing. This was one of the few places during my vacation that I actually felt like spending my money!

This is a great way to view one of the 7 sea caves without having to swim or kayak. This is the only cave you can access by land in southern california. I would recommend it to any first time visitors. 5 bucks is extremely cheap in comparison to most anything you can do in la jolla. its 3 for kids. I think its funny seeing the comments claiming that its expensive. there are plenty of things i can think of to do in the world that are «expensive». this is not one of them. A 145 step tunnel was dug and built for visitors to see the cave. The walk down isn’t as strenuous as the walk up. the handrails help. Kids will love this. No restrooms here but there are some near by so its no big deal. They dont have their own designated parking lot so its first come first serve in the area and can get quite busy. They also offer snorkel rentals in the summer and have a great jewelry selection in their gift shop above the cave.

It’s a little hidden gem. It’s fun to walk long flight of stairs to view the ocean n kayakers from inside a cave. Personally, i think its more fun during higher tide as the water will splash up to the viewing area.

Cool stop if you’re in La Jolla. Kind of pricy for not that big of a walk. Neat all the same. If you’re in the area it’s a why not try it out once kind of place. The shop itself is just your typical tourist stop by the beach.

The Cave Store is a fun little tourist spot but enjoyable for locals too! Parking is tough. Views are amazing. If you can go in a non-​weekend day that would be advisable.

This is a great experience to pay the 5 dollars and go down into the cave and have a great view of the shores. You can even see stand up paddle boarders or kayakers through the cave.
Once you go down there you will spend about 5 minutes maximum and will take a few pics but that it about it

Okay why i took away 1 star: there was exactly 4 parking spots so thats something to look out for, but mainly the rest of the store was lack luster and over priced at best.
on to the good! The main attraction was of course the stairs down into the cave… i know 5 $ a person was a little steep (pun intended) for climbing stairs but for a one time trip i didn’t think it was a total rip off (they have to make money some how!). It was a fun memory and a great view.
A word to the wise: they aren’t kidding when they say make the climb only if you are able… those stairs had me out of breath climbing back up.
Over all I would recommend the climb to m friends and would go again if i were to take family there.

There were nice things in the store, but I came for the cave and I am very happy!
It’s got an old-​timey feel to it. I’m a hand-​rail gripper so I was relieved that there was one on each side. I recommend using them. It gets a bit wet towards the bottom. All the way down the stairs you can feel a rumbling and hear the crashing of the waves. Once you get down you get a delightful view. But what kept me transfixed was the whoosh of the waves.
That said, keep your expectations in check. It’s a cave. I happen to love caves and neat little places. If you are like-​minded you will enjoy.

The lackluster reviews for this place is hilarious. Unless you are on a serious budget, who cares about $ 5/​person? You’d spend more at starbucks and not blink. Crazy.
Yes, the whole experience will last 30 minutes max. The store/​shop is a joke, everyone knows it, that’s why you go there for the cave. It’s a very unique experience and there’s nothing like it in San Diego.
The stairs are spooky and dark and damp and wet and somewhat dangerous — aka fun unless you are disabled or elderly. The cave at the bottom is super cool. The only other way to see that is if you kayak or scuba into the caves and that’s a half day or more of an ordeal. This is a sweet way to waste 30 minutes for $ 5 that I think is very memorable.
Parking is TERRIBLE in the entire La Jolla Cove area. You can’t blame them for that. If it’s the weekend, you will drive in circles and you will park far away and have to walk. That’s because the Cove is beautiful and tourists and locals both know it.
The cave should just be PART of your experience at the Cove. There are views, shopping (expensive), hotels, food, and beautiful beaches and seals throughout various parts of this area. If you go to the cave shop and then leave the area immediately you are crazy and will probably think it’s lame.

i don’t mind spending money for good experiences — however i really do feel like this was a waste of money. it’s $ 5 a person to walk down steps to be in a cave and look out into the ocean. i looked at the pictures on Unilocal and thought it would be worth it. however, once you get down there, you can only spend like a maximum of 5 minutes here. i actually made my bf take a ton of pictures there so i could feel like i got my money’s worth. go enjoy the other spots in la jolla cove for free and don’t bother paying for this.
on a side note, do be careful going down the stairs. it was wet and slippery, so holding on to the handrails is a must. the ceiling is low so if you’re tall watch out. on the bottom there are some puddles of water that are hard to see so be careful. i had boots on so i was okay, but my bf had sandals on and got his feet wet.

I’m not one for bad reviews, but this was a tough one. I tried calling on a Sunday during business hours, but no one picked up, so we chanced it. The location is not very accessible for patrons in wheelchairs. They do have a ramp, but it’s very steep and not easy to get into the store. It is very cramped, and we did find out after talking to someone the cave is definitely not very accessible either. I will come back and visit another time when it’s just me, but for now, I can’t give them more stars.
Parking is atrocious as well!

Here’s a summary of Sunny Jim Cave — their claim to fame is that you can walk down a tunnel of 145 stairs to see a natural cave in La Jolla. It’s beautiful but also uneventful at the same time. People come here for the cave. Is it worth $ 5 per person? Probably not. Will people continue to come here? Yup. I am certain that Sunny Jim Cave pays rent with the admission fees and not for their shell and jewelry sales…
Free cave admission with a $ 20+ jewelry purchase.
Fun Factoid: The cave itself looks like a man (named Jim?). If you look at my photos, you can see the profile of a man with a pointy nose, his beard and the tip of his cap! Enjoy!

While I am only giving the cave store 3 stars, it has more to do with what the store carries, and less to do with the actual cave.
First of all the trek down the stairs to cave is a MUST even if you’ve done it a hundred times. It can be a bit claustrophobic at times, and the stairs can be slippery and uneven, but that’s part of the adventure! Most people thinking walking down is easier than walking up, but I’ve found the journey back up to be more enjoyable than the one down. Once you reach the bottom there is a platform and a nice view out of the opening of the cave. Not much room to do much more than that, but still very cool!
As I mentioned earlier I would give this place more stars, but I just can’t get into the «gift shop» part of the store. There are random nautical items, and some jewelry… that’s about it. I am really disappointed they don’t offer ANY items that represent the cave. The cave is what draws people to this place and yet there are no knick-​knacks proudly showing off «Sunny Jim» or your experience in the cave.
Overall fun little adventure, but this place would really be a site to see if the store actually sold merchandise that reflected the cave is the main draw to this address.

If your in La Jolla – come in visit the cave at least once. No matter how many times I visited La Jolla, I always keep forgetting to visit the cave. I finally did!
I went with my boyfriend and it was also his first time to go down there as well. It was nice to adventure down the tunnel and get to the end of the cave. I actually expected more out of the cave but it was pretty cool being down there though. It was pretty small down there and not whole lot to walk around. I couldn’t really take a good picture because all of the glare. But anyways this is a one time thing for me and this crosses off my bucket list.

$ 4.00 per person to enter the cave. Be aware of the slippery stairs, luckily there are handrails. Walking downstairs is always easy peasy. Walking upstairs will give you a good mini-​workout. It’s definitely worth checking out at least once!
The entrance to the cave:
The view inside the cave:
The number of steps to reach the bottom: No picture found. =P

I always had a great time here whenever my dad took me here as a kid. Going back as an adult, it’s still cool! The entrance to the stairs to get to the cave is inside a little gift shop. The gift shop sells little trinkets and jewelry. I also saw this lovely framed piece of art.
To get down into the cave, you pay $ 4 per person and walk down the dark stairwell. Make sure you use the handrails, as a lot of the times the stairs can be wet.
It’s a really cool cave, and it’s been there for over 100 years. Once you get down there you are greeted with this lovely view.
There are often kayakers outside who explore the other caves there, as you can see in the photo.
I love going to La Jolla. The views are gorgeous, the water is clear, and there is a lot of sea life visible. Down in the cave that day we saw cute little crabs. Outside there were lots of sea lions.