CARLSBAD, New Mexico - For two special nights in December, park rangers will present Rock of Ages Historic Lantern Tours inside the Big Room at Carlsbad Caverns. This annual event will take visitors back in time where they will meet park staff re-creators who will tell the stories of past explorers, scientists and rangers who helped weave the historic fabric of this spectacular national park.
The two-hour candlelit tour concludes with a re-creation of the Rock of Ages Ceremony, which was regularly conducted in the Big Room during the 1930s and ‘40s. At the conclusion of the tour, all candles are extinguished, immersing visitors in total darkness as local artists sing the hymn “Rock of Ages.”
Rock of Ages Historic Lantern Tour tickets are available now for Friday, Dec. 13 and Saturday, Dec. 14. The tour is from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 5-15 (children under 5 are not permitted). Reservations are required as each tour is limited to 40 people.
Tickets may be purchased by phone at 575.785.3152 or in person at the park visitor center, which is open daily 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. (closed Thanksgiving Day).