Polar Caves

8/10 Mommy Approved Smiling Faces

705 Rumney Rte 25,

Rumney, NH 03266

https://polarcaves.com/

603-536-1888

The Polar Caves was so much fun for our kids and the whole family.  I really liked that not only are there caves to explore here, but there is also animals to feed, a beautiful, informative and lush nature trail, a gemstone mining activity for the kids to participate in and a very elaborate gift shop with all things New Hampshire you could ever want.

My kids loved the caves best.  They raced from one cave to the next with excitement. Some had wide openings while others were so snug that you had to crawl through.  The kids had no problems at all, just us adults felt cramped with a couple of the caves. They were rigged with lanterns so that you could find your way as you traveled through the caves.  King Tut’s cave even had a bench inside so we took a family photo and rested for a bit.  Polar Caves has many stairs so climbing, bending and keeping up with two excited kids, we were winded and in need of a rest.  I would say we finished all 9 granite caves in an hour and then walked the short but enjoyable nature trail and read the informative signs in less than a half hour.  The kids liked to look at the animals found in New Hampshire and compare it to the animals we have in Rhode Island which was cute.  I forget how much they know due to all of our cumulative nature activities and they impress me at times with their knowledge. We all love to learn about nature so these signs were appreciated.

Feeding the animals was very entertaining for my kids.  They loved the amount and variety of ducks at the pond.  It was fun to watch them all glide and swoop over once the food came out.  They performed crash landings in the pond where my son had his bag of corn.  Feeding the deer was also a nice touch and something that the kids enjoyed but the deer were pretty skittish and only interested in humans with food.

Mineral mining was something that my kids did before at Pow! Science and have seen at many other locations.  It’s pretty popular these days.  It’s like finding treasure for kids because they start with a container of sand and have to sift it under running water to see what surprise appears.  I think for my kids, they like the activity more than they like the stones so once it is done, we are left with a pile of pretty rocks that no one knows what to do with.  That is why I decided not to have the kids participate in this activity but, we actually met a homeschooling family that bought my kids sand bags so they could mine their own stones instead of watch.  It was very kind of them and we were touched that they wanted to make my kids smile with this random act of kindness.  My kids were elated.  Don’t ask me where those stones are now though because as I said, they could care less about them after the activity is over.  Hopefully your kids are more interested in their “treasures”. 🤷🏽‍♀️🤪. A reference pamphlet is provided to identify the findings and classify them when purchasing the sand bags.  Based on our experience, older kids would likely be more interested in the actual findings.

The gift shop was another big hit for my kids.  It was neatly stocked with everything you could possibly imagine that says New Hampshire souvenirs.  This included maple syrups, gemstones, candy, note pads, cookbooks, sweatshirts, hats, dreamcatchers, coffee mugs and more.  It was quite sizable so the kids were again very happy to poke around for something special, or shall I say tasty when it comes to my daughter!

The Skinny:

• Weather :  A nice, dry day is preferable with no rain the day before so the grounds are not muddy.
• Parking and Admissions : There is a humungous, free parking lot with plenty of spaces to park. Reservations are recommended over walk-ins reserving 2 hour window slots for the following prices:

• Prices

  $24.50	Adults Ages 12 – 64
  $14.50	Youths Ages 4 – 11
  $21.50	Seniors Ages 65+
  Free	Cub Pass 3 and under
  $21.50	Military/First Responder Please show ID upon arrival

• Location : This is a park in the White Mountains area of New Hampshire with 9 granite caves carved in the stone due to glaciers that have stairs and walkways built around them for exploration.  A short nature trail with classification signs present.  Ducks and deer on the property can be fed by kids for a small additional fee ($2-3).  The kids can also mine for minerals for the fee of the bucket / bag they choose ($8-25).  There is also an outdoor sand box if the kids wish to play. This area is included in the admissions pricing.
• Hours :  Their last day for the season was October 17!  When called to find a re-opening date, they explained it is weather dependent due to ice in the caves and on the boardwalk so they usually re-open in May. and stay open through mid- October.
• Duration : We spent 2-2.5 hours with the kids here.  My son was really into the mineral mining, both kids enjoyed shopping in the gift shop and racing through the caves.
• Tips and Recommendations :  Definitely wear some comfy sneakers and be prepared to walk / climb stairs a lot.  Some of the rocks can be slippery as they were during the humid morning we visited so watch your step.  If you have limited mobility, you may not wish to visit the cave area here as there are so many tight quarters to walk through contouring your body in various peculiar positions for cave passage.

Jewel Approved: 👍🏼

Jamison Approved: 👍🏼

While in New Hampshire you may want to try out some other cool areas:  check out Alpine adventures for chilling activities.  Be certain to go to Flume Gorge and Lost River Gorge and Boulder Caves for forever stairs and outdoor beauty.