Over the years we have been privileged to provide thousands of students with a high quality learning experience in our unique “underground classroom.” We are extremely pleased to present a cave in its natural state and without the distracting laser light and sound shows often found at other, more tourist-oriented caves that lack the dense formation growth found in our cave. We also understand the benefits of small class size and divide large groups into smaller touring groups of 15-20. Those awaiting entry into the cave are kept busy with a variety of bonus activities.

It is so very rewarding to receive comments such as this from satisfied teachers:

“Our students thoroughly enjoyed their time at Raccoon Mountain Caverns. The tour was terrific, the video was informative and the panning for gems was great. We had no idea that you existed and we are very thankful for the teacher that steered us in your direction. We will be recommending the caverns to the other teachers.”

Naturally, it is even more rewarding to see children as they observe a tiny brown bat sleeping just a few feet above their heads or pass a baby salamander resting on nursery rock.

Our commitment to the success of your field trip will be evident from the time that you call and schedule your field trip. Our Cave Manager will discuss the many activities which we offer as part of our field trip program. After you schedule your tour, we will mail you a complimentary copy of our own 40 page Teacher Resource Manual which was developed by our own Staff Geologist. This manual provides in-depth discussions about how caves form, the geology of our area, and includes several classroom discussions.

Please feel free to contact us at (800) 823-2267 and ask to speak with Patty Perlaky, our Cave Manager and Senior Staff Geologist. She can answer any of your questions and assist with scheduling your field trip.

Downloading a copy of our 2011 School Field Trip Guide is as simple as clicking here: Guide

SPECIAL OFFER

We appreciate the hard work and dedication that teachers do in educating our future generation. Simply present your school identification card at the gift shop counter and you will receive a complimentary Crystal Palace Tour admission. Sorry, but this offer is limited to teachers at qualified public and private schools.

Our tours are all about learning. We are pleased to be able to present a cave in its natural state and believe that this enhances the learning experience. Consequently, it is especially rewarding when students take the time to drop us a note about their experience. They include:

Dear Tour Guide,

Thank you for teaching us about so many great, cool things. I enjoyed learning with you. I am so glad we learned about caves, and the history of all kinds of stalagmites, stalactites, soda straws, and the Crystal Palace. It was absolutely beeee-autiful!!! Again, thank you so much. M.R.,

Dear Tour Guide,

I really enjoyed the caving, learning about all sorts of minerals, and going hunting minerals (gem panning) myself. I might bring your pictures on the internet. The photos might inspire people to see what is so important about caving. Z.S.

Dear Tour Guide,

I would like to say thank you for giving is a good tour of the cave. It was very neat. A thing I learned is that bats come in different shapes and sizes, and that they are smart animals. A thing that I liked about it was seeing the crickets and the little salamanders. It was really cool. I would like to come back sometime and do it again. J.J.

Dear Tour Guide,

That was so cool when we went into the cave. I have a lot of pictures. One thing I learned when we were in the cave was that the cave was always 60 degrees. I thought that was pretty cool. I really enjoyed washing the gems and those are very cool. I have a lot of them and they are so pretty. I think I could speak for everyone that came on the trip.... IT WAS GREAT !!!! So all this letter is for is to thank you for the tour. P.S. I hope that White Nose Syndrome doesn’t get to teh bats. J.P.