Seneca Caverns is a
show cave
A show cave—also called tourist cave, public cave, and, in the United States, commercial cave—is a cave which has been made accessible to the public for guided visits.
Definition
A show cave is a cave that has been made accessible to ...
located in northeastern
Seneca County,
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
, USA, just outside
Flat Rock. The cave is designated as a Registered Natural Landmark by the
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) is the Ohio state government agency charged with ensuring "a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all." ODNR regulates the oil and gas industry, the m ...
.
History
The cave was discovered in June 1872 by two boys named Peter Rutan and Henry Homer while they were hunting rabbits with their dog. The dog chased a rabbit into a brush pile, where they then disappeared. While searching through the brush pile, the two boys found an opening, fell through it, and landed in the first level of the cave, where they found their dog. The boys returned home and told everyone about their discovery. The cave became known as Good's Cave, named for Emmanuel Good, the owner of the farm on which the cave was located.
History of Seneca Caverns
In 1931, Don Bell, a lawyer from Bellevue Bellevue means "beautiful view" in French. It may refer to:
Placenames
Australia
* Bellevue, Western Australia
* Bellevue Hill, New South Wales
* Bellevue, Queensland
* Bellevue, Glebe, an historic house in Sydney, New South Wales
Canada ...
, discovered a series of passageways and rooms in the cave which led to an underground river, called Ole' Mist'ry River, which is part of the vast groundwater system that underlies the surrounding region. After two and a half years of improvement effort, the cave was renamed Seneca Caverns and opened to the public on May 14, 1933.
Levels
There are 7 levels that are open to the public
*Level 1: "Foyer", entrance, and exit. About 20 ft under ground.
*Level 2: "Fossil Room". About 30 ft under ground.
*Level 3: "Chert Alley." About 55 ft under ground.
*Level 4: "Inscription Hall", "Cathedral Hall" and "West Hall". Ranges from 60 to 65 ft under ground. Largest level at 250 ft in length.
*Level 5: Beginning of Lucas Dolomite. About 80 ft under ground. Typical water level in spring.
*Level 6: Smallest level. Ranges from 95 to 100 ft under ground. Typical water level in early to mid summer.
*Level 7: "River Room". About 110 ft underground. Typical water level in late summer to autumn.
There are lower levels that have only been explored during severe droughts
*Level 8: Flooded. Deepest level for early public tours of the 1930s. No longer part of the tour.
*Level 9: Flooded.
*Level 10: Flooded.
*Level 11: Flooded.
*Level 12: Flooded. About 220 ft underground. Deepest level any person has reached.
*Levels 13+: Unknown
Gallery
Image:Seneca Caverns site entrance sign.JPG, Entrance sign
Image:Seneca Caverns visitor's center.JPG, Visitor's center
Image:Seneca Caverns tourist gift shop.JPG, Gift shop
Image:Seneca Caverns 1872 grafitti.JPG, The oldest graffiti in Seneca Caverns. It reads: "C. Dreese 1872".
Image:Seneca Caverns submerged stairs to seventh level.JPG, Submerged stairway leading down from the sixth to the seventh level of Seneca Caverns.
References
External links
{{commons category
Seneca Caverns Homepage
Caves of Ohio
Show caves in the United States
Landmarks in Ohio
Landforms of Seneca County, Ohio
Tourist attractions in Seneca County, Ohio