Wonder World Cave and Park
Wonder World Cave and Park
4
About
Welcome to Wonder World Park, a one-of-a-kind Theme Park, known as the 1st show cave in Texas. Visitors have enjoyed touring the Balcones Fault Line Cave for over 105 years, and now, the park has many other attractions for family fun and entertainment. Enjoy a guided tour and discover the nation's only true example of an earthquake formed cave. Go deep underground and see up close the devastation of a major quake. Exit by the "Stratavator" and ride high into the sky to the Tejas Observation Tower. Be amazed by the Topsy-Turvy World of the Anti-Gravity House where everything is backwards, even water flows up hill! Board the train and splash through the waterfalls of Mystery Mountain on your way to the Texas Wildlife Petting Park. Educational and fun for ALL ages, Wonder World Park Cave and Attractions is just minutes from I-35 in San Marcos between Austin and San Antonio. Gift shops, free picnic grounds, free parking and much more await your visit.
Duration: 2-3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.0
232 reviews
Excellent
96
Very good
67
Average
33
Poor
23
Terrible
13
Deborah R
1 contribution
May 2020 • Family
Terrible management. We had to wait an hour to book a Cave only tour at 2:30. Once 2:30 came the announcer told everyone with a 2:30 tour to go to the train depo we did. Once we got there we waited people got filed on trains we asked if we paid for this. They said no since we had the cave only tags. I went to talk to the 2 people at the front desk and ask what we were supposed to do. They couldn’t find our names anywhere on the schedule or mention of a 2:30 tour. When asked who sold it to us I told them and they nodded at each other. The lady asked the guy if he would want to take us on our 2:30 tour and he said no he did not want to and we could wait for Ashton to get back from the train tour. We didn’t get our cave tour till 3:15. Our kids were restless by then unhappy; we ended up having to leave mid tour because they were crying. Management should 1) honor the tour times and 2) have the common sense to take care of families with small children.
Written 24 May 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lynn V
San Marcos, TX51 contributions
Aug 2019
We took our very young granddaughter and it was a hit for her. She loved it and thus the adults involved thought the outing a success. Entertainment value for adults is limited unless you take a child. Price is a bit more than I thought it was worth but we had 6 adults for one child which made it a bit expensive. Be sure to purchase lots of feed for the animals on the train ride. That was the best part
Written 18 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ashleigh D
2 contributions
Jul 2023 • Couples
My husband and I visited Wonder World on a Sunday morning and had a great time. He really enjoyed the train ride/animal visit and the cups of feed are a reasonable size for their price. The cave was neat to see since it was formed from an earthquake rather than water. Since the cave tour isn't that long, I would advise parents to try to leave any backpacks/diaper bags in the car as you'll be busy either helping the young ones up/down the steep steps or carrying them. There are guardrails for the most part, but as a grown adult some of those steps felt steep even for me. There are also some low hanging rocks, which the tour guide did warn us about multiple times, but I still managed to whack my head against so be aware of your surroundings. The anti-gravity house wasn't worth it to me, but other people seemed to enjoy it so to each their own. Do hold onto your kids though because I did see one little one take a hard tumble into the wall. Overall a good experience for the whole family!
Written 3 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Raider-Rojo
39 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
There is nothing better than spending your time in a cool cave in the summer Texas heat! The tickets are very reasonable for a family and I recommend you go all out and do all of the activities! Activities include - petting zoo, short cave tour, elevator ride from cave to lookout tower and the anti gravity house. We first took a ride on the train to the animal petting zoo! Buy lots of bags of zoo feed for the animals because they are hungry and will eat out of your hand! Bags of feed are really affordable! Your little ones will enjoy seeing and feeding the various animals surrounding the wagons! Next we went on cave tour. We took a 4 year old and a 9 year old and they were able to complete the cave tour. The cave is not crazy long which is great for the little ones or elderly people. There are some tight and low hanging areas in cave so you will get a little workout and have to squat to avoid getting some bumps on your head! There are some cool areas in the cave but do not expect to see incredible formations. The tour guides are very informative and they throw in some cheesy jokes which makes the tours entertaining! After the cave tour we took an elevator to the top of the lookout tower. After the tower you are then guided to the anti gravity house. The anti gravity house is a leaning house that is an optical illusion. Hold on to the rails and your kiddos because they will run into the walls. There is a gift shop and a little restaurant with a limited menu. Overall the kiddos enjoyed this place! This is a great place for the family and very affordable!
Written 7 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Renee555viola
Arlington, TX13 contributions
Jun 2021 • Family
Shout out to Tommy our tour guide! Wish I had his energy and my teen daughter admired his beautiful hair! Tommy was entertaining with his stories, and brought the newborn lamb to us to ogle over. He took time to take photos of us in the cave and didn’t rush any of the tour. Be aware that the tower moves with the wind. It feels like you are on a cruise ship on the ocean! If they added some fans to the train/tram ride, it would help, so bring your own misting fan to stay cool on it. We did the all in one ticket which lasted 2 hours, and everyone on the tour was laughing and having a fun time. The gravity house was nostalgic because I haven’t been to one since Six Flags in Arlington closed theirs in the 90s.
Written 17 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nichola M
Florence, TX127 contributions
Jul 2023 • Family
We went 2 weeks ago, and I'm still annoyed. I wasted such a long drive and most of a day on this place. This cave is below average. My family and I have been so some great caves in the US. If you've never been to a cave before, Wonder World would really just feel like you are trekking deep into the ground, and later, you'd realize you didn't actually see much. There were more steep steps and low spots (I'm 5'3) than I felt there should have been. Since this isn't a protected cave, the owners should really make this a more comfortable tour. Our tour guide was about 20 years old and while I appreciate that he likes his job, he simply talked too long. The 8 minute conversation in the hot and steamy entrance could have been done in about 2 minutes. They need to at least leave the two doors open at the entrance to the cave to move some air around. The stories the 20 year old shared really seemed fabricated. I don't necessarily mind someone creating some fable to bring interest to the cave but move it along because there wasn't enough seating (in the "poker room" for example) and it was still too warm. The few fossils we saw were basically the same fossils we find when we have gravel road base delivered to our property. This 45 minute tour really should have not been longer than 25 minutes. Tell a quick story or two, share a couple jokes and move it along. On my long drive home on a very hot day, I reflected on the tour and thought, "What was the highlight of the cave?". Supposedly, 35 million years ago there was an earthquake and the land separated, which created a large crack in the soil in the land. So you trek down there and you are standing in the crack looking up. Later on, at about minute 30, kids can crawl around a larger boulder which takes each kid between 25 seconds and 90 second. That's it. There are some slippery spots and some more steep steps on the way out. If this were in my town, it would be a one time visit and I wouldn't bring friends from out of town there.
On the bright side, the restrooms were old but clean, the gift shop was nice, the outdoor area had some nice picnic tables and an area with fake grass that the kids enjoyed running on. The playground was decent and there is an anti-gravity room which we all did enjoy. We didn't go on the train ride.
On the bright side, the restrooms were old but clean, the gift shop was nice, the outdoor area had some nice picnic tables and an area with fake grass that the kids enjoyed running on. The playground was decent and there is an anti-gravity room which we all did enjoy. We didn't go on the train ride.
Written 30 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Angela M
Houston, TX22 contributions
Sept 2020
This was the most exciting, educational, and off-the-beaten-path attraction we have been to in a long time. The guided tours were amazing. Faye was our tour guide, and she made sure everyone, from kids to adults, were having a good time learning and having fun. She even took the time to take photos so the whole family could be in the picture!! How awesome is that?!
I highly recommend that you explore all aspects of this park. You will not be disappointed!
I highly recommend that you explore all aspects of this park. You will not be disappointed!
Written 6 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SLH
2 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
We drove an hour to go to Wonder World Cave today. We arrived at 3:30pm and were told they were closing. Their website showed they would be open until 5pm with the last tour starting at 4pm. We showed them the website and were told that it was wrong. Another family of seven had been there the same time we were. They drove two and a half hours. They had called this morning and were also told the place was open until 5pm with the last tour starting at 4pm. Don’t go because the only “wonder” is whether or not they’ll actually be open!
Written 1 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Evelyn W
Marble Falls, TX7 contributions
Jun 2020
Nice day trip from Marble Falls. The cave was a little tough on my bad knees, but the whole group was very gracious. Loved feeding the animals and even took the train ride twice. Had a really good time. Olivia was our guide. She was funny and really knew her stuff. The entire staff was friendly and helpful. If you're hungry, check out "Soulful Creations" there in the parking lot. Great BBQ!
Written 4 June 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Steve
Houston, TX178 contributions
Oct 2021
Went here for the Haunted cave tour. It was fun, like a haunted house in a cave. The actors were really good. The girls were great screamers, better than some actresses in horror movies. The one thing I would caution is that the stairs are very uneven. And the floors get slippery when wet. I think they should put more mats down when it rains. I can't speak for the rest of the park or attractions, all we did was the haunted cave tour. I would not recommend for anyone older who may have trouble walking and climbing the stairs.
Written 26 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
How difficult would the cave tour be for someone with knee problems (arthritis)? Also, are there any stairs?
Written 29 August 2018
I am 50ish and have knee problems need 3rd acl replaced. And the climb was not too strenuous as i was allowed to go at my own pace at back of pack
Written 29 August 2018
Are there things to visit from a wheelchair?
Written 22 March 2017
WWPark
San Marcos, Texas
Unfortunately, the cave and anti-gravity house is not wheelchair accessible. Although you may go on the train ride through the wild life park!
-Buddy Mostyn
Written 23 March 2017
Sherry W
Arlington, Texas
Can you only do the train and feed the animals and how much does that cost?
Written 29 July 2015
A Tripadvisor member
Austin, Texas
If I remember correctly, you pay one price and do everything.
Written 15 September 2015
Sherry W
Arlington, Texas
So is it all walking through the cave because I am disabled?
Written 28 July 2015
Yes, you have to walk up and down during the tour of the cave. Some of the places have steep stairs. The part where you can feed the animals has a train that drives you through.
Written 29 July 2015
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