A young Charles Wuest who fell in love with the girl next door – literally. Emelie Forshage lived on the ranch next door, and together they inherited the land that, unbeknownst to them, sat atop a huge series of caverns. Charles and Emelie embraced the hard work of ranching and raising a family. Their eldest son, Hilmar grew up working on the ranch; and it was a life he loved.

Hilmar Wuest and his wife, San Antonian Clara Wolfe, were doing the best they could to save their livestock when there was a tragic accident on the ranch. Hilmar was gravely injured, leaving Clara a young widow with two children to raise. She had already been to secretarial school before becoming a rancher and mother, so she put those skills to work. She was hired to work with the Comal County Extension Office; eventually becoming the first woman to chair the Comal County Farm Bureau. She developed a sophisticated understanding of agriculture and efficient ranch management. It was still tough going, but she and her son, Reggie Wuest, never gave up.

Four students from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio – Orion Knox, Al Brandt, Preston Knodell, and Joe Cantu –  convinced Clara Wuest to let them explore what they believed was a small cave on the property. She was reluctant at first, but they must have been quite persuasive. On March 27, 1960, they made a discovery that changed the future for the Wuest family. Instead of just a small cave they found two miles of chamber after chamber, each filled with magnificent formations including gigantic, towering columns, emerald pools, delicate crystalline soda straws.

And it was still alive and growing.

Clara, Harry, (Clara and state highway patrolman Harry Heidemann had recently married), along with their son Reggie, agreed to take on the opportunity presented by the discovery. They put everything they owned on the line, borrowing against the ranch they’d poured their life blood into. They began building what would become Natural Bridge Caverns. In 1963, three years after the discovery of the interconnected chambers, development began.

Natural Bridge Caverns opened to guests for the first time on July 3, 1964. A month later Texas Governor John Connally dedicated the Caverns as “A Jewel in the Crown of Texas Attractions.” The family took on roles within the business and attendance grew–and so did the Cavern.

Suspecting that more caverns extended south of the existing Cavern entrance, Harry and Clara urged more exploration in 1967. Reggie Wuest, along with Jack Burch and Myles Kuykendall were lowered into bore holes to take a look. There they discovered large chambers filled with stunning formations including soda straws growing over 10 feet long. The family developed that new passage for guests using the same determination, careful planning, and undying stewardship of the Cavern.

The Texas Historical Commission designated Natural Bridge Caverns as a State Historical Site in ceremonies that were held on December 7, 1967.

The US Department of the Interior designated Natural Bridge Caverns as a National Natural Landmark.

The Visitor Center underwent a major expansion to serve the growing number of guests coming through the park.

Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch opened, owned and operated by Raymond Soechting and Trudy Wuest Soechting. Among the top 20 drive thru safari parks in the country, the Wildlife Ranch is home to over 40 species from around the world.

A tunnel was constructed into the Hidden Cavern, entering at the top of the Jaremy room, which allowed guests walkable access to the room.

Natural Bridge Caverns founder Clara Wuest Heidemann establishes the Heidemann – Wuest Foundation (HWF). HWF supports not-for-profit charities that focus on youth and agriculture, education, heritage, faith, wildlife, conservation, exploration, law enforcement, and veterans.

Wild cave adventure tours began at Natural Bridge Caverns with guest being lowered 60′ down a well shaft into what is now called the Cathedral room in the Hidden Cavern. Today there are two available adventure tours, both in the Discovery Cavern.

Caroling in the Caverns launched with live musical performances inside the massive rooms in the Discovery Cavern. This holiday celebration continued through 2005.

Geologists from the University of Texas at Austin remove a section of flowstone in the Hidden Cavern to study weather record stored in the formation using a process of microdrilling. This study is ongoing.

A skilled team of archaeologists from The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) performed a series of excavations to investigate the historical remains. A varied sample of artifacts were uncovered, including a prehistoric cooking hearth, stone tools, projectile points and charred plant remains.

Natural Bridge Caverns was named to the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of Interior. The designation followed the archeology excavation that was conducted in 2003.

Natural Bridge Caverns opened a new Lantern Tour into the Discovery Passages with only the light of a lantern to guide their way. The Lantern Tour replicates lighting conditions similar to what the original explorers had, and shares what it was like to be one of the first people to ever explore Texas’ largest and most spectacular underground attraction.

Natural Bridge Caverns opened the Canopy Challenge Adventure Course and Zip Lines featuring four levels of challenging obstacle courses and high-flying fun soaring through the trees of the Texas Hill Country.

“Christmas at the Caverns”  brought a Christmas themed celebration back to Natural Bridge Caverns after an 8 year hiatus. In addition to Carols in the Caverns, the cave crew added more activities above ground as well, including a walking trail of lights, synthetic ice skating, and visits with Santa.  This one-of-a-kind Christmas celebration has grown to become a holiday tradition for families throughout the state and continues today.

Twisted Trails ropes and zip rail adventure course replaced the former Canopy Explorer and Canopy Zip Line. Twisted Trails features the Sky Trail® system – with the most Sky Rails™ in an outdoor attraction in the world, an impressive 685 feet of total track. The course is six stories tall and includes a Twisted Trails Tykes course for adventure seekers 4’ tall and under and climbing adventures. When constructed it was the largest of its kind in the world.

In May 2019, the Natural Bridge Caverns Expedition Team, led by Natural Bridge Caverns owner/operators, Brad and Travis Wuest, discovered an additional 600-feet of never before seen passage, which to date, was the largest discovery at Natural Bridge Caverns since 1967. Access to this new area has led to a whole new era of exploration and discovery.

A new cave, later named Wild Cave, was first hinted at when steam was spotted rising from a narrow crack along a dry rocky creek bed surrounded by thick cedar. The warm air rising from the crack indicated the possibility of a large void somewhere below. The narrow crack proved to be the beginning of a deep pit that aligned with but was beyond the furthest reaches explored in Natural Bridge Caverns.

The popular Discovery Tour was enhanced with the installation of a brand-new, multi-faceted, multimillion-dollar lighting, communications, and technology enhancement. The cooler color temperature LED lamps show off the beautiful contrast of true colors inside the caverns. Scenes are now brighter with more definition and clarity and showcase additional features of the chambers and formations never seen before.

T. Dexter Soechting, great grandson of Natural Bridge Caverns founder Clara Wuest Heidemann, was the first explorer to enter the pit of Wild Cave. At the bottom, he found a small hole blowing air so forcefully it caused his shirt to flap.

The initial exploration of the Wild Cave begins by the Natural Bridge Caverns Expedition Team. Exploration of Wild Cave continues through the year both South and North. The team also leads expeditions through the Natural Bridge Caverns System to further expand the surveyed areas.

In March of 2022, bones and wildcat tracks are discovered in non-public newly explored areas of the cavern. Paleontological expeditions to retrieve the bones took place in 2023.

In May of 2022, UTSA archaeologists return to Natural Bridge Caverns to examine evidence of burned rock middens in an area alongside the public walkways between Caverns.

Also in May of 2022 the Natural Bridge Caverns Expedition Team attempted to find a connection between the Wild Cave and the furthest reaches of explored areas of Natural Bridge Caverns System. No human size connection was found, but exploration and study continues.

In July a new adventure tour, St. Mary’s Adventure Tour, is launched, taking guests through a never before visible part of the Discovery Cavern.

In August a biological survey of Natural Bridge Caverns continued to identify the cave adapted species in the cavern. The study is ongoing.

In December one of the original discoverers of Natural Bridge Caverns, Orion Knox, Jr., passed away. Orion was active in the development of the caverns for many years.

The Wildcat Expeditions, with the help of UT Jackson School of Geosciences, take place in January. Bones from three wildcat skeletons were recovered and sent to the lab for ancient DNA analysis. (backgrounder here)

Opening of Hidden Wonders Tour – the largest investment in Natural Bridge Caverns History. This new multi-million-dollar tour experience features state-of-the-art lighting, a sound and light show, and expansion into never before toured areas of the property’s Hidden Cavern. Development of the new tour experience and careful development of new areas of the cavern has been underway since 2017 and opened to the public on May 12th.

First major concert takes place in the Ballroom featuring guitar legend Monte Montegomery, launching the Live Underground Concert Series in the Deepest Venue in Texas.