After years of careful development and millions of dollars invested in design, engineering, technology, construction and guest experience, Natural Bridge Caverns will open its latest and most ambitious tour: Hidden Wonders. Already the state’s largest and most visited commercial cave, this new multi-million-dollar tour experience features state-of-the-art lighting, a sound and light show and expansion into never before toured areas of the property’s Hidden Cavern. Development of the new tour experience and careful development of new areas of the cavern has been underway since 2017 and will open to the public on May 12th.
Explore Hidden Cavern
The Hidden Cavern is a second cavern at Natural Bridge Caverns and part of the same geologic system. This distinct and unique environment never had a natural opening to the surface. As a result, incredibly delicate and beautiful formations were able to grow in a completely sealed environment. 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
Fully programmable state-of-the-art lighting is one of the dramatic changes in the cavern as well as a 1100-foot-long expansion of the public passageways beginning with a stainless-steel bridge across the cavern’s deepest point. Now guests will tour through an area that was only previously accessible by cavers. This addition will showcase an underground canyon, more formations and a large 5700 square foot dome chamber called the Ballroom which serves as an event space. A new viewing area overlooking a massive passage called the Box Canyon is now a natural theater for a unique sound and light show finale. Exiting the Hidden Wonders tour will also be a one-of-a-kind experience as guests effortlessly ride from underground to the surface on the 700-foot-long BAT (Belt Assisted Transport) through the newly constructed exit tunnel. The Bat is the world’s first conveyor system ride out of a cavern. All in all, these innovative features will combine to deliver a completely new experience of this Historic National Natural Landmark.
GO EXPLORE
Find more information on the Hidden Wonders Tour and future expansion efforts planned at Natural Bridge Caverns here.
Image courtesy TravMedia
