Cave of the Winds
Cave of the Winds is a geology adventure tour that has you walking through one of “America’s Greatest Show Caves.” At a constant 54F degrees and no natural light, the Cave of the Winds tours guide you through the silent, living earth. Or the more mysterious Lantern Tour, which is a 90 minute tour by lantern light and goes much deeper into the cave. We’ve heard that the Lantern Tour is definitely worth your hard-earned dollar. ***INSIDER TIP: You can listen to a Podcast available from their website which gives you directions and some background on the caves. Something to listen to while you’re driving there. *** A visit to the Cave of the Winds begins with a drive up a twisty set of switchbacks. Right from the start you know you’re in for a unique experience. The views from the parking lot and building are really beautiful: panoramic views of the foothills, Pikes Peak, Manitou Springs and Colorado Springs beyond. And the first look across the canyon to the main building is worthy of a few oohs and aaahs. 
Outside the entrance, a mock gold-mining water tower is a kid magnet. Water flows down from the water tower and into sift pans for kids to sort through sediment in search of valuable minerals and hopefully… gold! It’s a nice distraction while you’re waiting for your tour. The tours run about every 20-40 minutes. You can purchase your ticket in the gift store and they will call your number over the intercom. You enter the cave through the gift shop built in front of the tunnel entrance. Apparently the “wind” of the Cave of the Winds created such a loud howl, they needed to put something in front of it. From there, you head into the caves through a man-made tunnel. The tour takes you through wide open limestone spaces, squeezes you through tight corridors, under low cave ceilings, past stalactites & speleothems (say what?! ask your guide), and up and down some narrow sets of stairs.
We won’t tell you too many details, as that would ruin the “discovery” in the Discovery Tour. ;) There is a moment at the end, however, where they shut off the lights to show you what total and complete darkness is like in a cave, to which your eyes can never adapt. It’s really eerie. Overall, the tour is unusual and fun, especially if you’ve never been in a cave system. We think $18 is a bit steep for this experience (and found ticket deals on www.rubberdollar.com ) but kids 6-11 are only $9 and kids 5 and under are FREE. To its credit, Cave of the Winds does not pretend to be something it’s not. There is no hiding the fact that this is a Tourist Attraction. And as such there are ample opportunities to spend money. 
The gift shop in front of the cave entrance is full of souvenir items from colorful rocks to magnets to mugs to bumper stickers to fake gold, and did I mention the colorful rocks? The snack bar has tons of junk food, and then there are those photos taken before the tour that everyone gets the opportunity to purchase at the end…But, overall, if you’ve never been inside a cave system before, you will likely be impressed with the bizarre, natural formations inside and stunning views outside. Happy Spelunking! Discovery Tour – 45 minutes Latern Tour – 90 minutes Hours: Directions: From I-25 in Colorado Springs, take Exit 141. Go west on Highway 24 for six miles. Cave of the Winds www.caveofthewinds.com
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