Our family of four (kids aged 9 and 12) visited one weeknight in late August. We arrived at 6pm as instructed and were able to walk around the (small) area and hear some interesting information about how the cave was formed and how it relates to the nearby Natural Bridge Caverns.An hour or so later, there was another interesting talk from a charismatic lady who told us about the bats and their behaviours. Unfortunately this talk was cut short by the emergence of the bats themselves, at which point we all migrated over to the seating by the bat cave.Watching millions of bats come out of a cave is, ultimately, what you choose to make of it. They don't do much except pour out of the cave continuously for several hours and then fly away. This was plenty enough for me! My 9 year old became restless after a few minutes until he noticed a hawk diving and preying on the bats, and a few skunks which were exploring the area in front of the cave. Watching these animals, and noticing how the shape and pace of the batnado changed over time, kept him entertained for a good while. We ended up leaving about 8.30pm having felt that we've definitely done the bats.If you like animals and you want to do something a bit unique while in San Antonio, check this out!

I cannot imagine how anyone could find this experience less than absolutely magical. The batnado that surrounds you in swirls goes on and on. Watching these amazing creatures go out for the night is enchanting and mesmerizing. Thank you to the BCI and the dedicated volunteers for sharing this bucket list experience with us!

The Bracken bat flight is something you have to see to believe. We had a wonderful experience here. It was a rainy day, and we weren't sure if they would still allow visitors in or if the event would be cancelled. Luckily things went on as planned. We arrived around 6:15. The driveway where you turn is a bit hard to find. Look for the orange cones just past a subdivision called Seven Hills Ranch on the left hand side of the road if you're coming from San Antonio. If you reach Natural Bridge Caverns, you've gone too far. They close the front gate at 6:30. Once inside we were greeted by a nice lady who checked our names off the list and told us to head on down the gravel road. As we were driving, we had several deer run across the road in front of us. Once you reach the site, you can either attend the bat lecture in the covered area or head to the wooden benches that sit across from the entrance to the cave. We opted to go the cave to take photos before it got dark. As it got dark, we saw several raccoons head down to the entrance of the cave; we had no idea that they were predators for the bats. Hawks also circle overhead looking for easy prey. At about 8:00 the bats started exiting the cave - close to 20 million of them. They swirl around in what looks like a bat tornado getting higher and higher until they reach the point where they can trail off into the sky. It takes hours for them to leave the cave. We watched for a little over thirty minutes before it got too dark to see them anymore. It was amazing - definitely an experience worth doing. A lot of people are fearful of bats, but imagine how many mosquitoes they eat, and they're also pollinators. If you're interested in going, you have to join Bat Conservation International with a small donation. They'll give you a date for the ticket release, and you can reserve your spot then. Bring a small flashlight with you because it's very dark when you head back to your car. There's a porta potty style restroom on site. If you're a nature lover, put this on your to do list - it's simply amazing, and we look forward to going back next year.

Wonderful experience with the family. Took my mom for her birthday and she loved it. We enjoyed the experience. There is a drive down a rugged road and a short walk, take bug spray and there is only one potty.

I cannot imagine how anyone could find this experience less than absolutely magical. The batnado that surrounds you in swirls goes on and on. Watching these amazing creatures go out for the night is enchanting and mesmerizing. Thank you to the BCI and the dedicated volunteers for sharing this bucket list experience with us!