For this post I wandered 120 feet underground – you could say, right into another world. This past weekend we decided to go on a family spelunking adventure in Lewisburg at Lost World Caverns. Granted we took the self guided walking tour, but when you have a four year old with you I’d say that’s still considered a “spelunking adventure.” She thought so anyway. To be sure, we had a great deal of fun. We meandered our way through the immense caverns and marveled at the remarkable formations, making sure to point out the massive stalactites and stalagmites to Olivia in an effort to instill a sense of wonder and curiosity for science, while rekindling our own. Needless to say, the incredible formations in this vast cave are sure to impress young and old alike. I never cease to be amazed by caves and their fascinating interiors that are built over millions and millions of years.
If you’ve not yet been to Lost World Caverns, I recommend checking it out (or maybe going again if you have). As I mentioned, the self guided walking tour is pretty spiffy and not at all difficult, although there are a lot of stairs. I might actually like to go on one of the Wild Cave Tours one day. These expeditions take you on a four hour guided journey where you explore chambers more than a mile inward. I understand it’s a muddy, wet, fun time. It sounds awesome! However, I would be a bit worried I’d get a touch claustrophobic… On the up side, they provide showers and a hot lunch after your exploration, and they even offer a snack while you’re on the tour. Talk about an all-inclusive adventure.
Lost World Caverns also has a fun gift shop as well as a small natural history museum which boasts the largest collection of dinosaur and fossil replicas in West Virginia. While there’s not a restaurant affiliated with the establishment, there is a nice picnic area, not to mention Lewisburg is well known for its many tasty dining areas and shops (read more about that here) so you could easily make that your next stop. As long as the weather is cooperative, I personally think a picnic and a spelunking expedition sound like a fabulously fun family time. So next time you’re looking for something entertaining to do, you might want to consider visiting Lost World Caverns. It’s sure to be a hit.
PS: They also offer group rates for field trips!
Behind the scenes funny fact…
We showed Olivia massive stalactites that were millions of years old, and apparently she was most impressed with the dog paw print in one of the concrete steps… Haha!
