Attractions

We spend most of our lives above ground, but once in a while it’s fun to go below and find something interesting to do.  If you want to get below the surface, you won’t want to miss these places.

See a Garden: Forestiere Underground Gardens in Fresno, California.  An underground network of rooms, passageways, and patios, it was dug by hand by Baldassare Forestiere, a Sicilian immigrant.  He worked for 40 years in his spare time to create this home, which includes underground trees and plants.

Forestiere Underground Gardens, Fresno, CA

Visit a Waterfall: Ruby Falls, inside Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga, Tennessee.  Ruby Falls is America’s deepest commercial cave and most-visited underground waterfall.  At a height of 145 feet, Ruby Falls is one of the largest underground waterfalls open to the public.  It lies 1120 feet beneath the mountain’s surface.

Ruby Falls, Chattanooga, TN

Drive Through a Tunnel. You might want to try the Eisenhower/Johnson Memorial Tunnel on I-70 in Colorado, which is 1.67 miles long and goes through the Continental Divide of the Rocky Mountains.

Eisenhower Tunnel, Colorado

Have Dinner at a Cave: Luna Rossa Trattoria & Wine Bar, Stillwater, Minnesota.  Enjoy dinner in this Italian steakhouse and then take a guided tour of the limestone caves that were home to the John Wolf Brewery.  The caves have been there since the late 1800’s.  Even better, you can eat in an actual cave at the Cave Restaurant and Resort, Richland, Missouri.  The restaurant seats 225 people and is in a real cave, and claims to be the only restaurant in the United States that is inside a cave.

Luna Rossa, Stillwater, MN

Sleep in a Cave: Kokopelli’s Cave Bed & Breakfast, Farmington, New Mexico.  This 1650 square-foot, one-bedroom luxury dwelling sits 280 feet above the La Plata River, yet is 70 feet below the surface, carved into the side of a sandstone cliff.  Sleep underground and awake to views of the Four Corners area.   Or, perhaps you’d rather sleep in a cave every night.  For only $1,950,000, you could be the proud owner of a 3-bedroom, 3-bath cave house on 37 acres near Bisbee, Arizona.   That’s right, the Cave House is for sale, and its website will tell you all you need to know about becoming its next owner.

Explore an Underground City: In some cities streets were elevated at some point during their history, leaving the original street level to be below ground.  The Seattle Underground is no longer used, but is available for tours, and in Atlanta, Underground Atlanta has become a shopping and nightlife area.

Seattle Underground

Visit a Missile Site: Several Cold War-era missile sites are now open to visitors:  Ronald Reagan Minuteman Missile Site in North Dakota, Titan Missile Museum in Arizona, and Minuteman Missile National Historic Site in South Dakota.  And if you’re a fan of living underground with 8-foot-thick walls, perhaps you’d like to buy a site.

Titan Missile Site

Explore a Mine: Many old mines are now available for underground tours.  Don your hardhat and go deep into one of these:  Soudan Underground Mine (iron) in Minnesota; Adventure Copper Mine in Michigan; the Kansas Underground Salt Museum; or the Sutter Gold Mine in California.

Photo credits:  ezekielhouse on flickr; benclark on flickr; aeu04117 on flickr; Dave Huston on flickr; cliff1066 on flickr.

Linda (minnemom) writes about family travel at Travels with Children.

Related Posts:

Ten Cool Things for Kids at Yellowstone

Ten Cool Things for Kids in North Idaho