Natural Bridge Caverns
San Antonio, TX, 70°F inside, from $25
A cavern in Burnet, Texas, about 90 minutes from Austin, entered down 52 stone steps, at 68°F all year.
The story
Scientists in the 1930s found that prehistoric people used the cavern as a trap, driving animals such as mastodon and bison over its opening, and flint was mined here for tools. During the Civil War, bat guano from the cave helped the Confederacy make gunpowder. In the 1930s it ran as an underground nightclub and restaurant with live music. The state park opened in 1932, and from 1934 to 1940 Civilian Conservation Corps Company 854 dug out more than 3,000 truckloads of debris and built the park roads and buildings. In the 1960s it was a stocked nuclear fallout shelter.
- Open to visitors since
- 1932
History source: visitlonghorncavern.com.
Tickets and timing
- Hours
- Memorial Day–mid-August daily 9am–6pm; rest of the year weekdays 9am–5pm, weekends and holidays 9am–6pm. Closed Christmas.
- Booking
- Reservations highly recommended; online tickets guarantee entry.
Getting around underground
- The walk
- 52 stone steps down to the entrance.
- Wheelchairs
- Facilities and cave walkways aren't wheelchair accessible.
- Strollers
- Single strollers and carriers allowed if you carry them down the 52 steps; no side-by-sides.
Dogs, weather and what to wear
- Dogs
- Leashed dogs in the park and on trails; only service animals in the cavern.
- Temperature
- 68°F year-round
Special tours and events
Wild Cave Tour, Blacklight Tour (weekend mornings 9:30am), gem mining and geode cracking.
Getting there
Longhorn Cavern is in or near Burnet, TX.
- Austinabout 46 miles
- San Antonioabout 88 miles
- Dallasabout 171 miles
Distances are straight-line from each city center.
Questions people ask
How cold is it inside Longhorn Cavern?
68°F year-round.
Can you visit Longhorn Cavern in a wheelchair?
Facilities and cave walkways aren't wheelchair accessible.
Are dogs allowed at Longhorn Cavern?
Leashed dogs in the park and on trails; only service animals in the cavern.
Do you need to book Longhorn Cavern in advance?
Reservations highly recommended; online tickets guarantee entry.
Checked on 2026-10-22 against visitlonghorncavern.com (home and FAQ pages). Prices and hours change, so confirm on the official site before you drive out.