Native American History at Olentangy Indian Caverns

When I was preparing to move to Ohio from New England, I immediately consulted my local bookstore for an Ohio guidebook. There weren’t any. I panicked, fearing that I was moving to a place that was entirely void of things to do. As it turns out, however, my fears (which were only encouraged by my friends in New England, who said things like, “Ohio? Is there anything to do there?”) were totally unfounded. There are, as a matter of fact, plenty of things to do in Ohio-and my husband and I now explore them whenever we have a free afternoon.

One Saturday, we decided on a whim to visit the Olentangy Indian Caverns, located north of Columbus, outside the town of Delaware. It’s just west of highways 23 and 315 on Home Road-just follow the signs, and you’ll find it.

I’ll admit that I was a bit downhearted when we pulled into the parking lot (which is actually just a lawn off the driveway). At first glance, it looks like a hokey tourist trap that my parents would have dragged me to on a family vacation. There’s a picnic area off to one side. And in the distance, there’s Frontier Land, a rather campy pioneer village that’s part petting zoo and part gift shop. There was also a solitary man standing in the middle of the village, and I’m sure he told rousing stories about the pioneer days, but it was a rather quiet afternoon at the Caverns, and we didn’t want to make him go through his whole act just for the two of us.

The focal point of the area is a gift shop with a few rustic benches outside. Inside, you can buy your tickets to the cavern as well as snacks, T-shirts, jewelry, rocks, and Whoopee cushions.

The Caverns are open from April through October. During the slow season, tours are often self-guided (which, if you ask me, would be fun-to be able to explore on your own). During the busy season, tours start every half hour. Once a group meets the tour guide, visitors are taken to a small museum, which is filled with memorabilia and artifacts from the caverns (which you can peruse more after the tour). The guide takes the group 105 feet underground (by stairs) to the caverns, on a tour that lasts between 30 and 60 minutes. Visitors get to see rock formations and fossils and hear stories about the caverns, their creation, and their history.

The Olentangy Indian Caverns aren’t for everyone. Visitors climb stairs and fit through some pretty small spaces-so this tour isn’t for anyone who’s physically disabled, especially overweight, or claustrophobic. And while it’s a fun, educational experience, some of the younger kids in our group were a bit scared-and one decided to leave before the tour was over.

When you visit, be sure to come prepared. The inside of the caverns is damp and somewhat cool (it’s 54 degrees Fahrenheit year-round), so you might want to bring a sweatshirt. And while the cavern floors have been cleaned and evened out for visitors, it’s still good to wear good hiking shoes.

The Olentangy Indian Caverns isn’t for the hard-core adventurer, but it’s a great experience for families (though you don’t have to have kids to enjoy it). If you’d like to spend an afternoon there, bring a picnic lunch and a softball mitt-and play a round of mini golf on the course behind the gift shop. You can also buy a bag of rocks and dirt and pan for gold and gems.

Hours: 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM, April 1 through October 31
Admission: $8.50 for adults, $5 for kids ages 7-15, free for kids under 7
Senior discounts and AAA discounts available

For more information, see OlentangyIndianCaverns.com