A memorable experience with options for all ages!

Explorers of all ages and sizes will be absolutely awed by Georgetown’s Inner Space Cavern. Located thirty minutes north of Austin, the caverns are open daily and offer not one, but three different tours through their many underground mazes. They are set up so you can design-your-own adventure based on the age and skill level of your spelunkers.

The caverns were discovered in 1963 while the Texas Highway Department was researching whether the area could support a large highway overpass. Instead, the drillers found a 26-foot drop. By November of the same year, 7,000 feet of the caves had been surveyed. The first explorers found passages ranging from very tight crawl spaces to large cathedral-type rooms and halls. Three years later, they were opened to the public. 

Because the caves are – well, caves, and located underground – exploring them is a great way to be outside with a much-needed reprieve from the hot summer sun. That said, don’t expect it to be cool inside. According to the website, it’s usually 72 degrees in the cavern, but with regular 98% humidity, it feels closer to 80 degrees inside. Open seven days a week, the cavern tours are not free, but we think it’s well worth the price to explore.

Prices vary by day (it’s slightly cheaper to visit Monday through Thursday) as well as the tour selection. The hour-long Adventure Tour is cheapest ($14.95-$21.95) and is by far the easiest to traverse. A guide will lead explorers for a mile walk over a paved, lit trail passing through large rooms and formations while sharing the cavern’s history. All ages are welcome on the Adventure Tour. 

The Hidden Passages Tour costs $5 more per ticket and lasts a little longer at approximately an hour and a half. The guide provides guests with flashlights to better explore the more delicate cave formations. This tour takes you past some of the site’s undeveloped trail through a newly-opened section of the caverns. Due to a more rugged terrain, this trail is not open to kids under seven, and guides recommend that guests with physical limitations or claustrophobia sit this one out. 

For a much heftier fee, the Wild Cave Tour is $100 per person and takes guests – 13 and up – on a three to four-hour adventure through deep underground passages. Expect hiking, crawling, climbing, and squeezing through tight spots. Previous experience is not required, but be warned this tour is described as physically demanding and a signed waiver is required. The payoff, of course, is witnessing mind-boggling formations and large rooms formed well below the surface. (Wild Cave crawlers should wear pants, clothing they don’t mind staining, and hiking boots with ankle support.) Reservations are required for this tour. 

Comfortable, walking shoes are a must, and, unfortunately, wheelchairs are not permitted on most tours. 

Just ten minutes away, El Monumento is a perfect place to refuel!

*Photos provided by Inner Space Cavern