Guided-Tour

One of the best-preserved caves in Texas staying a constant 72 degrees year round which makes it a brilliant beat-the-heat option on a blazing Austin summer day. Kids are wowed by the massive stalactites and stalagmites on the one-mile paved Adventure Tour and the guides pace the experience well for families with younger children. The cavern was discovered in 1963 during highway construction and still contains Ice Age fossils of mammoths and giant sloths which gives kids something genuinely cool to talk about afterward. Tours depart every 20 to 30 minutes so you rarely wait long.

A dramatic limestone gorge carved by a massive flood in 2002 that exposed layers of rock millions of years old along with real dinosaur footprints and fossils. Access is by guided tour only through the Gorge Preservation Society and kids who are into geology or dinosaurs will be absolutely riveted. The guides are knowledgeable and make the science accessible for school-age children. Tours require advance registration and fill up fast.

A massive cave system formed by an ancient underground river with cathedral-sized rooms that kids find absolutely thrilling to explore. The guided walking tour covers about a mile through well-lit passages with fascinating geological formations. Unlike most cave tours the path is mostly flat and dry. The CCC-built stone structures above ground are impressive in their own right and the hilltop views of the Hill Country are worth the drive alone.

The largest commercial cavern in Texas with massive formations illuminated by dramatic lighting on guided tours that descend 180 feet underground. Above ground a six-story ropes course and zip rails give older kids an adrenaline rush and the AMAZEn Ranch Roundup outdoor maze is a hit with younger children. The gem mining and panning activity keeps kids busy for a surprisingly long time.