Inner Space Cavern (Georgetown)
June 28, 2011 by Julia
Filed under day trips, travel, exhibits, festivals, and shows, Featured, Leander and Georgetown, reviews
When it’s over 100 degrees outside and the pool is getting old, why not find a way 50+ feet below ground to stay cool? That’s just what we did. Off to Inner Space we went with friends! This was the first “spelunking” expedition for our kids, and probably the third time that hubby and I had visited the cave over the years.
We purchased tickets and waited a short time for our tour group to be called, which gave ample time for the kids to peruse the gift shop and whine about this or that they wanted. My daughter has been to work with me and seen all the geology specimens in the science prep/storage rooms so she was beside herself with all the polished rocks and minerals for sale. ”It’s just like your work only I can buy a rock and take it home!” Now how do I deny a child a bit of earth so I promised her two rocks (or minerals) when we finished the tour if she could tell me one thing about the cave when we got out.
Our tour group crammed into the people mover tram, riding down the inclined track into darkness. Before proceeding any further, we were all asked to take photos for “security” reasons which may be true, but the photos are printed for later purchase at the gift shop. Our tour guide, in true tour guide fashion, had a multitude of corny jokes, but that didn’t detract from the wonder of the cavern. I appreciated the little bits of geology trivia, but mostly I just ignored the jokes and snapped a zillion photos to use in my classroom.
I’m not a geology-buff by nature, but I was still awestruck at the enormity of the cave and how long it takes to form everything in it. My first adventure into a cave was when I was a young child, visiting Tennessee with the family, and I remember being so proud of myself for knowing the words stalactite and stalagmite. Hooray for passing down this bit of mineral-geek to my three year old who now can identify a stalactite and stalagmite with the best in the tour group. 
When asked what was their favorite part of the tour, my daughter said she liked the story the tour guide told about the princess, using different cave formations as props. My son said that he liked the train ride going down and the “chicken nugget” bats that are in the cave.
I would recommend sturdy walking shoes, preferably ones with a little bit of traction. Parts of the cave can be slippery, even with handrails in the steeper areas. I’d also recommend to wear breathable clothing. The cave is cool (low 70s) but very humid. The adventure experience is not physically grueling. The kids handled the hour long walking just fine.
The one hour “adventure tour” price is $17.95 per adult and $9.95 for children (ages 4-12). Kids under 3 get in for free. I think visiting this cave (or any cave) is worth every penny. Mother Earth is fantastic.
Inner Space Cavern
4200 S Interstate 35
Georgetown, TX 78626-8000
(512) 931-2283
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