Robber Baron Cave Preserve
Preserve Manager: Joe Mitchell
Assistant Manager: Mike Harris
Robber Baron Open House 2019
The next Robber Baron Open House is scheduled for Saturday, September 28, 2019 from 9am to 3pm. This special event only occurs once every 18 months, so don’t miss this rare opportunity! The Open House is open to the public. It is
Tours at the Robber Baron Open House
The Robber Baron Open House is Saturday, November 11, 2017 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm and we hope you can attend! Even though advance reservations are now full, they are NOT required to take the regular self-guided tour to
Robber Baron Open House 2017
The next Robber Baron Open House is scheduled for Saturday, November 11, 2017 from 9am to 3pm. This special event only occurs once every 18 months, so don’t miss this rare opportunity! The Open House is open to the public.
Visitation
The surface of the property and the sinkhole is open to the public. However, the cave itself is closed to regular public visitation. This is both to protect the cave from vandalism (of which it has had a long history), as well as to protect people from getting lost or injured in the cave (which also occurred frequently in the past). TCMA does hold an occasional Robber Baron Open House when a portion of the cave is open for exploration by the general public. Another way to visit the cave is to volunteer with the Friends of Robber Baron. Members of this group help out with occasional work projects and maintenance activities and, in exchange, get to tour the cave. For more information about the open house or Friends of Robber Baron, see the corresponding section below or contact the Preserve Manager.
If you are interested in caving in general, the Bexar Grotto is the local caving group and is a great place to learn about caving and have opportunities to go underground. More information can be found on the Bexar Grotto website at www.bexargrotto.org.
Open House
Robber Baron Cave Preserve hosts an Open House every 18 months, usually in April or November. During the Open House, the cave is open to the public and visitors can tour a portion of the cave. This is a self-guided tour, although there are volunteers placed throughout the cave to answer your questions and also to keep you from getting lost—Robber Baron Cave has more than a mile of underground maze passages!
Robber Baron is a “wild” cave. During the Open House, we will provide visitors with helmets and lights, along with optional gloves and kneepads. There are no sidewalks or handrails, and you do a small amount crawling or stoop-walking. We recommend that you dress appropriately:
- Old jeans and T-shirt
- Sneakers or boots (no sandals, no Crocs, no open-toe shoes)
Depending on how adventurous you are, you might get a little muddy (or possibly a lot if you really want to explore all the nooks and crannies).
Open House Notifications
This event is a fundraiser for the TCMA. It is free, but we would appreciate a donation for your visit. We have photographers to take pictures of you in the cave, and printed photos are available on the surface when you exit. We also have our famous Robber Baron Cave Map t-shirts for sale in a variety of sizes and colors. Come to our Open House to support the TCMA while you have a great underground adventure!
Friends of Robber Baron
Friends of Robber Baron are volunteers, neighbors, cavers, and anyone with an interest in preserving Robber Baron Cave. Members of this group help with occasional work projects and maintenance activities and, in exchange, get to tour the cave.
Friends of Robber Baron are welcome to use the park facilities. While you are there, we ask that you help monitor the property and alert the Preserve Manager to any maintenance issues, such as overgrown vegetation, fallen branches, trash, vandalism, or other damage.
If you would like to join the Friends of Robber Baron, please fill out the form below and we will contact you about opportunities to help Robber Baron Cave, such as projects and special events.
You can help Robber Baron Cave.
If you are interested in helping us protect and maintain this unique and special part of San Antonio, please consider joining Friends of Robber Baron or donating to TCMA to help maintain Robber Baron Cave Preserve.
Donations may be made online, or checks may be mailed to TCMA, P.O. Box 7427, Austin, TX 78713. Please indicate on the check that it is in support of Robber Baron Cave Preserve.
