Kids love caves and we tour every cave we pass on our road trips. So we had to visit Inner Space Caverns in nearby Georgetown, Texas. Is a visit to a cave right for your family. Here’s what to expect at Inner Space with kids.
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History of Inner Space Caverns
Wonder why Inner Space Caverns is conveniently located on Interstate 35? Texas Highway Department discovered in the spring of 1963 while drilling core samples.
Holes were drilled to see if the ground was staple enough to support an overpass. While drilling one of the holes, the drill bit suddenly dropped 26 feet.
Word traveled and the Texas Speleological Society came to do a survey. In November 1963, the first explorers lowered down the 6-inch wide hole through solid limestone into the cavity below. Within a few weeks, the speleologists discovered 7,000 feet of the cave.
Inner Space Caverns opened to the general public in 1966. It’s a popular destination for school-age kids.
What to Expect at Inner Space Caverns with Kids
The Inner Space Caverns Adventure Tour takes a little over an hour. And the temperature inside the cave is a moderate 72 degrees year-round.
The walk from room to room is easy and it’s not at all claustrophobic. The cave is well lit and none of the kids on my tour had any issues with the dark.
During the tour, learn about the formation of the geological features and how water is responsible for forming the stalactites and stalagmites. Since Inner Space Cavern is a living cave don’t touch the formations. The oils from your hands kills the rock formations.
About half way through our tour, the tour guide stops short and shines his flash light a few inches above our heads. To his delight, the kids spot a BAT.Yes, a tiny, little bat. The kids on the tour go WILD trying to climb over each other to see it.
The tour guide moves the tour along and the bat remains unharmed. He gathers the group in another room and gets our attention.
FLICK, he turns off the lights in the cave. Wow! Black. The kids start to howl like kids, in the dark, underground. Before it gets too crazy, he turns the lights back on and I’ll admit, I’m a little relieved.
At the end of the tour, we walked by the exhibit displaying all the prehistoric animals found in Inner Space Caverns. I won’t spoil the surprise but if you have a dinosaur-loving kid, then this is a must visit.
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Inner Space Cave Tours
Adventure Tour
This is the standard tour and lasts an hour-and-a-half. All ages allowed.
Adults–$20.95 Monday through Thursday and $21.95 Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Kids 4 to 12–$14.95 Monday through Thursday and $15.95 Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Kids 3 and under–Free
Hidden Passages Tour
Open to kids 7 and older. Explore the newest section of the cave. The Hidden Passages Tour lasts an hour and a half.
Adults–$25.95 Monday through Thursday and $26.95 Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Kids 7 to 12–$17.95 Monday through Thursday and $18.95 Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Wild Caves Tour
For kids 13 and older, this tour goes off the path and explores the dark passages for three and a half to four hours.
All ages $100 and reservations required.
Where’s Inner Space Caverns
Located at 4200 South I-35 Frontage Road, in Georgetown, 25 miles from Austin, Texas. Open daily from 9 a. m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a. m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Find a gift shop and snack area.
Know Before You Go
- Inner Space Caverns is NOT wheel-chair accessible so strollers aren’t allowed in the cave.
- The trails are wet in spots, wear tennis shoes for the best traction.
- The temperature is a mild 72-degrees year round.
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