Crystal Cave (Wisconsin) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Crystal Cave |
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Travertine soda straw stalactites and bulbous stalagmites in Crystal Cave
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| Discovery | 1881 |
Crystal Cave is a cool underground place in Wisconsin. It's found in Pierce County, close to the town of Spring Valley. Two brothers, George and William Vanasse, found the cave in 1881.
Crystal Cave is a special type of cave called a solutional cave. It formed in a kind of rock called dolomite. This rock was made about 485 million years ago. Back then, a warm, shallow ocean covered much of Wisconsin and Minnesota. Crystal Cave is the longest known cave in Wisconsin!
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What is Crystal Cave Like?
Crystal Cave is like a giant maze with three different levels. It goes down about 69 feet (21 meters) deep. The cave stretches for about 4,600 feet (1.4 kilometers) in total length. All of it is inside the old dolomite rock.
The rock that makes up the cave walls formed during a time called the Ordovician Period. The lowest level of the cave is the biggest. It grew along natural cracks in the rock. It's been tricky for scientists to figure out exactly when the cave started forming. This is because ice from a past ice age changed the cave a lot.
Most scientists think the cave formed from rainwater and melted snow. This water mixed with carbon dioxide from the soil. It then became a weak acid. This acid slowly dissolved the rock, making the cave passages bigger over time.
Amazing Cave Formations
Crystal Cave has many cool rock formations. These are called speleothems (say: spee-lee-oh-thems). You can find most of them in one part of the cave. This is where conditions are just right for them to grow.
Some common formations you might see are:
- Stalactites: These hang down from the cave ceiling, like icicles. Some are very thin, like drinking straws.
- Stalagmites: These grow up from the cave floor.
- Columns: These form when a stalactite and a stalagmite meet.
- Flowstone: This looks like frozen waterfalls on the cave walls.
- Draperies and Ribbons: These are thin, wavy sheets of rock.
Sometimes, you might even spot rare formations like helectites (which grow in twisted ways) or cave pearls (small, round rocks).
How Crystal Cave Was Found
William R. Vanasse, a local teenager, discovered the cave in 1881. He was exploring a leaf-filled hole in a farm field near his house. William and his younger brother George were the first to explore it. They used ropes to climb down into the original entrance. This entrance is now near the cave's gift shop.
Opening the Cave to Visitors
A man named Henry A. Friede bought the cave and the land around it. He was an advertiser and loved geology. He wanted to open the cave for people to visit. He was inspired by other successful show caves nearby.
Work began on November 2, 1941. Workers cleared out a lot of rock and dirt that filled many passages. An architect named Alvin Peterson designed the entrance building.
By April 1942, most of the clearing was done. Construction started on the new entrance building. The cave was named "Crystal Cave." It was supposed to open on Memorial Day weekend in 1942. But heavy rains delayed the opening until June 7, 1942.
Exploring More of the Cave
After the cave opened in 1942, not much new exploration happened for a long time. The owners thought the side passages were too narrow to explore.
But in 1986, geologists Blaze and Jean Cunningham bought the cave. They allowed groups like the Minnesota Speleological Survey and the Wisconsin Speleological Society to explore. This led to finding many new passages! These new areas are called "wild cave" because they are not developed for tours. This policy continued when Eric and Kristen McMaster bought the cave in 2012.
Other Caves Nearby
Since the land was opened for cave explorers, other caves have been found. These caves are usually not open to the public. They are only accessed during special private events. However, one cave, South Portal Cave, started offering "Wild Tours" to the public in August 2015.
A Special Shelter
In June 1942, Crystal Cave was named a public bomb shelter. Henry Friede offered it to the Village Board of Spring Valley, Wisconsin. At that time, it was the only shelter in the Midwest that could hold everyone from the town it was meant to protect.
Images for kids
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Travertine soda straw stalactites and bulbous stalagmites in Crystal Cave
