Educational & Group Tours

Cave Adventures for Students & Youth

Education Programs For All Ages

Educational tours

Plan your next educational field trip at Cave of the Winds! We provide a wide variety of interactive cave activities for students from preschool through high school.

Availability is limited – make your reservations at least two weeks in advance to secure your preferred date!

Please call 719-685-5444 EXT 5 with any questions you might have or Click here to contact us and book your field trip today!

Bats & Caves, Part I: Pre-School Aged Children

Available: Weekdays, September-May
Program Length: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Maximum Group Size: 100 children

In this introductory program, young children will explore the mountain from inside out! This exciting program includes a cave creatures and bat presentation workshop, a geology lab held in our underground lab, an age-appropriate tour of the caverns, and the Subterranean Play Land Experience.

Highlights of the Subterranean Play Land Experience:

An Explorer’s Maze where children hunt down bat facts
A Caver’s Crawl Challenge that simulates real caving
A Crystal Find that allows children to become geologists and dig for their own crystals – and they can take home what they find!

Price: $9/person
One teacher or chaperone free with every 15 paid students.
Groups of less than 15 may pay a flat fee of $135 to participate in this program.
Between December-February, this program is discounted to $7/person, or a flat fee of $105 for groups of less than 15.

Bats & Caves, Part II: Grades K-4

Available: Weekdays, September-May
Program Length: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Maximum Group Size: 100 children

This program is designed to help early learners understand caves and cave systems, and includes a bat presentation workshop, a geology lab held in our underground lab, an age-appropriate cave tour, and the Subterranean Play Land Experience.

Highlights of the Subterranean Play Land Experience:

An Explorer’s Maze where children hunt down bat facts
A Caver’s Crawl Challenge that simulates real caving
A Crystal Find that allows children to become geologists and dig for their own crystals – and they can take home what they find!

Price: $10/person
One teacher or chaperone free with every 15 paid students.
Groups of less than 15 may pay a flat fee of $150 to participate in this program.
Between December-February, this program is discounted to $8/person, or a flat fee of $120 for groups of less than 15.

Underground Adventures: Grades 5-8

Available: Weekdays, September-May
Program Length: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Maximum Group Size: 100 students (75 students December-February)

Specially designed to challenge middle school students, this field experience features an extended cave tour, a geology lab, and gemstone panning. Students will learn about Colorado geology in our cave classroom before investigating cave formations in a 1 hour, 45 minute tour of Cave of the Winds. Students will need to bring a flashlight for the highlight of the program in the Manitou Grands caverns, the location of some of the most active passages of the cave. Expect clothing to get slightly dirty.

During the program, you and your students will be given a bag of sluice material so that you may pan for your very own gemstones using our authentic sluice – just like the miners did during the gold rush! You’ll get to keep the gemstones you find there.

Price: $12/person
One teacher or chaperone free with every 15 paid students.
Groups of less than 15 may pay a flat fee of $180 to participate in this program.
Between December-February, this program is discounted to $7/person, or a flat fee of $105 for groups of less than 15. Gemstone panning is not available during this time due to freezing temperatures.

Caving 101: Grades 9-12, Youth Groups

Available: Weekdays, September-May (Saturday tours available on a limited basis)
Program Length: 2 hours
Group Size: Minimum 15, Maximum 45 Youth

Take your high school students or youth groups on an exciting off-trail caving experience! Students will explore undeveloped sections of the Manitou Grand Caverns and climb and crawl through passageways by flashlight. Knowledgeable guides provide groups with 2 hours of good, clean, muddy fun underground! All participants must bring a flashlight and a change of clothes – crawling is required and the cave is often muddy.

Price: $25/person
Groups of less than 15 may pay a flat fee of $375 to participate.
Between December-February, this program is discounted to $20/person, or a flat fee of $300 for groups of less than 15.

Subterranean Summer: Grades K-6

Available: Weekdays at 10 am and 12 pm, June-August
Program Length: 1.5 hours
Maximum Group Size: 60 Youth

Escape the summer heat with this kid-friendly summer tour that focuses on geology, the importance of bats and – most of all – FUN!

Price: $7/person
Groups of less than 15 may pay a flat fee of $105 to participate.
One teacher or chaperone free with every 15 paid students.

Teachers, have your students bring at least $5 each for spending money and allow them time to find that one-of-a-kind souvenir in our gift shop after your tour!