Best Bargain Family Adventures:  Cascade Caverns

One of the first commercial caves open to the public in Texas, Cascade Caverns has long drawn spelunkers, scientists, and tourists to its 100-acre site about 40 minutes north of San Antonio. Two years ago, its owner, Jim Kyle, passed away. Luckily for cave enthusiasts around the world, Jim left the caverns in the good hands of his nephews.

Meet the Cave Men
Scott and Lance Kyle, Co-owners

“When I heard about him owning a cave, it just sounded like another ‘Uncle Jim’ idea,” Scott says. “I had no idea we’d inherit it someday.” Now Scott, an architect, and his brother, Lance, a banker, are sprucing up the tourist attraction while preserving a family legacy. They’ve renovated some of the site’s older buildings and its adjacent campground, and plan to expand the visitor area. “We want people to know how valuable the caverns are,” Scott says. “Both to our family and to Texas.”

Boerne, Texas (Exit 543 off I-10);cascadecaverns.com