School/Civic Group Field Trips

at Onondaga Cave State Park

Please read the following information before reserving your tour at Onondaga Cave State Park. If you have questions that are not answered on this page, you can email the park or call staff at 573-245-6600, ext. 227.

Groups of up to 60 people (includes adults) wanting a Cathedral Cave Tour

Please email the park directly to schedule a group tour of Cathedral Cave. Tour times and dates are limited due to staffing requirements.

Groups of up to 90 people (includes adults) wanting only an Onondaga Cave Tour

# in Group Tour Required Amount of Time
30 people 1 tour 1 hour, 30 minutes
60 people 2 tours, spread 15 minutes apart 2 hours
90 people 3 tours, spread 15 minutes apart 2 hours, 30 minutes

The park cannot accommodate more than 90 people per scheduled group. If your group size is greater than 90, please divide it appropriately and schedule multiple trip dates. Contact the park office if you have questions.

Please note that the time required above does not include lunch or visitor center and museum/gift shop time.

How many adults can we bring with our group?

If you are bringing 30 people (one tour/one class), we recommend that three (minimum) to eight adults (included in the total of 30) accompany your group.

If you are bringing 60 people (two tours/two-three classes), we recommend that six (minimum) to 10 adults (included in the total of 60) accompany your group.

If you are bringing 90 people (three tours/three-four classes), we recommend that nine (minimum) to 15 adults (included in the total of 90) accompany your group.

For example, if you are bringing a class of 22 fourth graders, you are encouraged to bring a maximum of eight adults with your group. If you insist on bringing more adults (for this example, we'll say you want to bring 16 adults), you will need to contact the park one week in advance and your group will be split into two tours if staffing is available (for this example, there would be 19 people on each tour). If you do not give the park a confirmed total more than the allotted amount (see above), staff will not be able to accommodate the extra adults. Please note that any changes to group size require a confirmation before your arrival to ensure the highest quality tour for your group.

Required Information to Make a Reservation

Once you have chosen a date (and a backup date) and determined your arrival and tour times, please call 573-245-6576, ext. 227 to make your reservation. If nobody answers, leave a message and your call will be returned as soon as possible.

The following information will be required when you make your reservation:
1.  Tour date (have a back-up in mind).
2.  Tour time.
3.  Number of children in group.
4.  Number of adult supervisors/chaperones/teachers in group.
5.  Group name.
6.  Contact name.
7.  Contact phone.
8.  Contact email address.
9.  Contact address.
10.  Special request - This is where you would add a nature program (for groups of 60 or less) or a Science in a Box request.

Reservation Window
Please keep in mind that a minimum of two weeks notice is required on all reservations. Failure to make a reservation two weeks or more in advance will waive all tour discounts. Reservations cannot be made more than seven months in advance.