Karchner Caverns with kids?

A day trip to Karchner Caverns would be very interesting I think....HOWEVER, my two children are aged 2 1/2 (boy) and 10 (girl). We%26#39;d be going in mid-June, staying in N.Scottsdale for a week. From reading the website about the caverns I know we couldn%26#39;t do the Big Room tour because my son is too young.

Has anyone ever taken a toddler on the other tour of the caverns, and how did it go? My son is really of the ';I want to touch everything'; mindset right now and I%26#39;m wondering if this might not be the right activity for us.

Advice welcome.

Karchner Caverns with kids?

If your youngest can walk 1/2 mile (or you can carry him without a backpack), then you might enjoy the tour. I think he may be a bit young, might be scary being in a cave. My son loved Carlsbad Caverns (similar) when he was 7, but I think he would not have liked it as much under age 4.

You may want to look at something that is better for your toddler. In Tucson, the AZ/Sonora Museum would be great. Also Tombstone could be fun. Playing in the hotel pool will probably be the most fun!! LOL!

Have a great trip.

Karchner Caverns with kids?

Geez... forgot to mention..take him into Wind Cave there in Colorado Springs, see how he does there with being in a cave situation!

Enjoy.

I have done both of the Kartchner Cavern Tours and they are wonderful, but I would not recommend it with a 2 1/2 year old. You would probably find yourself totally stressed trying to keep him from touching anything. That would spoil your enjoyment of the tour and perhaps annoy others on the tour. Wait until he is 4 or 5 to try a cave tour. When the lights are turned off to experience total darkness it can really be unsettling to a small child.

The Big Room Tour is only open during the winter months, October-April.

Suggest the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and the Old Tucson Studios as an alternative. Probably more fun for a toddler.

The lights are never turned out completely in either of the Kartchner Caverns tours, so that is not something you would have to worry about.

But I agree, he is probably too young. They are very strict about not touching anything other than the guard rails inside the cave, so having him along really would probably spoil your enjoyment.

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