A Highway Crew Drilled Into This Sealed Cave in 1963
A guided mile of lit, paved trail through the rooms a 1963 drilling crew opened by accident.
🚧 What the Core Drill Hit
The bit went through 40 feet of limestone in the spring of 1963 and dropped another 26 feet into open space. The crew was testing ground for an I-35 overpass. What they broke into had stayed sealed for more than 10,000 years, and it opened to visitors in 1966.
The Adventure Tour walks a paved, lit trail of about a mile. A guide points out the largest rooms and the most decorated formations, and tells the discovery story where it happened. Plan on 60 to 75 minutes below ground, where the air holds near 72°F and 98 percent humidity feels closer to 80.
Wear shoes with grip. The path tilts, dips and stays slick in places, and strollers, wheelchairs and anything on wheels stay outside. Tours leave every 15 to 25 minutes, no reservation needed. Adults pay 27.95 dollars Monday to Thursday and 29.95 dollars Friday to Sunday and holidays, before tax, with children 4 to 12 at 18.95 and 19.95. Tickets for today are sold at the cave, and online tickets cover advance dates only, in limited numbers.
