Howe Caverns Mining Company!
The HC Mining Company building will be open on a limited basis during the peak season. Gem Mining is always available in the Gift Shop
Purchase a bag of mining rough, and make your way to the water sluice. A water sluice is a trough of running water where bags of mining “rough” are emptied and sifted through screen trays. The water washes away the dirt, revealing sparkling gems and minerals. You are panning for earthly mineral treasures (if not gold)! You will discover garnets, rose quartz, fool’s gold, emeralds, aquamarines and many beautiful natural stones. You can use the identification charts to accurately identify exactly what you have unearthed. Try your hand at sifting for fossils or arrowheads. And remember, all the treasures you find, are yours to take home!
Gemstone Mining Rough
3-pound bag: $7.00
5-pound Bag: $9.00
The “Motherlode”
Includes Gems, Fossils, Arrowheads & Shark’s Teeth
$20 per bag
Ask about our special discounted group rates if you book a reservation in advance (must have at least 15 students or at least 15 adults). Prices do not include tax as applicable.
Try your hand at sifting for mineral treasures!
Visit our Rock & Fossil Shop featuring treasures from around the world!
Buy a Geode and have it cracked or sawed in half!
Traditional Cave Tours
Whether you live in New York, want to take a day trip, or are looking for a fun affordable overnight stay, Howe Caverns is one of the most exciting NYS natural attractions. On your journey you will wind through limestone corridors, pass through cavernous galleries, walk under massive boulders, and take a serene boat ride on a subterranean riverbed carved over countless millennia. The cave is 52°F (11°C) so a jacket or sweatshirt and closed-toed comfortable walking shoes are recommended. Flip flops are NOT permitted in the cave. The cave tour consists of a 1.25 mile walk with a 0.25 mile boat ride. There are 139 stairs throughout the tour.
Get ready to experience the most immersive escape rooms in the Capital Region.
“The Cave” is the first of three high-tech escape rooms to open at Howe Caverns.
Do you think YOU know HOWE TO ESCAPE!?
The Ultra-Max penitentiary known as “The Cave” houses the most notorious criminal geniuses in the country. Built 15 stories underground, The Cave has the latest in cutting-edge escape deterrent technology deployed in the facility. Many infamous individuals have spent the waning years of their lives behind its triple-reinforced cell walls and state-of-the-art security systems. This distinguished clientele has resulted in multiple escape attempts, but none have been successful… until now! A motley crew of the criminal elite, led by maniacal mastermind, Stu “The Flu” Galopso, have done the impossible and breached the confines of their containment sector. Society’s most dangerous and unpredictable fugitives are now at large, and only YOU can stop them!
Escape Room By Reservation Only
All ticket sales are nonrefundable, non-transferable, and may not be exchanged.