Inner Space Cavern • Georgetown

Inner Space Cavern • Georgetown

Written by Beth Wade Friday, 11 April 2008

In 1963, while drilling to test the stability of the ground to build IH 35, the Texas Highway Department, now the Texas Department of Transportation, found an air pocket. Workers drilled a larger hole and lowered the smallest man on the crew into the unknown. He was the first person to see the cave, known as Inner Space Cavern.

“When they discovered the cave, they were having a big push to go to the moon and explore ‘out space,’ and while they were exploring ‘out space,’ they were exploring ‘inner space’ inside the earth,” said Inner Space Cavern’s general manager, Taunya Vessels.

Prior to 1963, the cave, which is the largest known cave in Williamson County, had been completely sealed for more than 10,000 years.

After its discovery, the Laubach family, who owns the land just west of IH 35 and some land on the east side, blasted an entrance into the cave.

The family owns nearly five total miles of cave because of a law that states whoever owns the entrance to a cave owns the entire cave.

The Laubachs lease the cave to the Georgetown Corporation, established to help develop the cave, including creating its pathways and lighting system. The corporation now runs the gift shop and tour business.

“For me, it is about the science and teaching the history of the earth,” said Amy Daniel, Inner Space tour guide and science teacher at Pflugerville High School. “But also, I think, the really important part of it is the watershed aspect of it. This is part of the natural flow of water through our Earth.”

Tours of the cave and the gift shop began in 1966.

Visitors are taken into the cave by tram. The first few rooms are cool, but the humidity rises once deeper inside. The landscape of the cave is similar to the Hill Country above.

“People are surprised by the humidity and the temperature of the cave,” Daniel said, “even the walking up and down in the cave.”

At the time of its opening, scientists were still exploring the cave. They found the remains of several extinct species of animals, including saber toothed cats, wooly mammoths and the Equus, a horse-like creature with shorter legs that was completely blind. Scientists are still interested in the cave and what lives inside.

“We have an entomologist from [SWCA Environmental Consultants] to study our insects,” Daniel said. “He has decided that the species of beetle that lives in our cave only lives in Inner Space Cavern. So that would make it unique.”

Today, Inner Space is a tourist attraction and educational experience for visitors from around the region and the world.

“What is amazing for me is the amount of tourism we get here. We get a lot of people from Norway and Japan,” Daniel said. “They come from around the world to Georgetown, Texas, because you wouldn’t expect that. This cave actually brings people [to Georgetown].”

The cave consists of several types of formations, including stalactites and stalagmites, cave popcorn, cave ice, the Flowstone, cave coral and cave drapery. On the tour, guests are taken room by room and told made-up stories about cave kings and castles, sharks and mermaids and cartoon character formations.

“My favorite part of the cave is Lakes of the Moon [a room at one time thought to resemble the moon] because of the water,” Daniel said. “[The cave] was pretty last summer when it was raining. The water would just flow down the Flowstone. That was just beautiful to see.”

Inner Space Cavern, Underneath IH 35 at exit 259, Georgetown, 931-2283