Underground

One of the most visited natural attractions in New York with guided tours through a massive cave system 156 feet underground. The 80-minute walking tour includes a boat ride on an underground lake that kids think is magical. Limestone formations, narrow passages, and the sheer scale of the caverns are genuinely impressive. The temperature underground is a constant 52 degrees making it a great rainy-day or hot-day activity. An above-ground adventure park with ropes courses and zip lines adds outdoor fun.

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.

Longhorn Cavern State Park is one of the most unique underground experiences you can share with kids in Texas. The guided walking tour covers about a mile through a massive cave system carved by an ancient underground river, and unlike most cave tours, the path is mostly flat, dry, and well-lit - making it manageable for kids as young as 4. The cave stays a constant 68 degrees year-round, which makes it a perfect escape from Texas summer heat or a cozy winter outing. Cathedral-sized rooms open up along the route, and your guide will point out fascinating geological formations along with stories about the cave’s wild history - it served as a Confederate gunpowder factory, a Prohibition-era speakeasy, and a hideout for Sam Bass’s gang. ...

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.