5,700 square-foot ‘ballroom’ chamber opens at Natural Bridge Caverns

Million-dollar expansion also includes new Hidden Wonders tour

Fancy a party in a cave? Natural Bridge Caverns has a new tour experience that allows guests to rent out one of the newly accessible caves known as the “ballroom.”

The new multi-million-dollar expansion opened in May and includes an 1100-foot-long expansion of public passageways through the cave, previously accessible only by cavers, and access to a 5,700-square-foot dome chamber called the ballroom.

“In developing this area of the cavern system, we have both pursued and established best-case practices for working in this delicate environment. Our goal is to give visitors a stunning view of the cavern like never before, without impacting its beauty,” said Natural Bridge Caverns president Brad Wuest.

The new Hidden Wonders tour gives guests an opportunity to stand in a new viewing area overlooking a massive passage called the Box Canyon, which serves as a natural theater for a new sound and light show finale.

Guests who take the Hidden Wonders tour will also get to exit the cave on a 700-foot-long B.A.T. (Belt Assisted Transport) that acts as a conveyor system to transport people out of the caverns directly to the surface, according to a press release.

“Developing this tour has been challenging due to many things – including the depth of the new public tour area. This expansion required the construction of a 710-foot exit tunnel - double the length of anything done before – and to do so with minimal impact on the cavern,” Wuest said.

“Due to the natural formations and restrictive bend of natural cave passages, the cavern and tours are not wheelchair accessible,” the spokesperson said. “Our above-ground area in our Discovery Village area is fully accessible.

A spokesperson for Natural Bridge Caverns told KSAT the ballroom can accommodate up to 250 people for a seated dinner and many more for concert seating. Anyone interested in renting the ballroom is asked to email Ray Martinez at rmartinez@naturalbridgecaverns.com.

Natural Bridge Caverns is located at 26495 Natural Bridge Caverns Road. Tickets can be purchased online.