Diamond Caverns facts for kids
Diamond Caverns is a super cool cave located in Park City, Kentucky. It was first found way back on July 14, 1859! Today, you can visit Diamond Caverns all year long for guided tours. Just remember, it's closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day.
Explore Diamond Caverns
How Caves Are Made
Diamond Caverns is mostly made of a type of rock called limestone. This limestone formed a very long time ago, during the late Mississippian Period, when most of Kentucky was covered by a warm, shallow sea.
Over many, many years, fresh water slowly drips through the ground. This water is a little bit acidic, which means it can dissolve the limestone rock. As the water moves and loses its acidity, it leaves behind minerals. One common mineral found in caves is calcite. This process of dissolving and then depositing minerals is how amazing cave formations are created!
Amazing Cave Formations
The cool rock formations you see in caves are called speleothems. At Diamond Caverns, you can see many different kinds of these formations, including:
- Soda Straws: These are thin, hollow tubes that look like drinking straws.
- Stalactites: These hang down from the cave ceiling, like icicles made of rock.
- Columns: These form when a stalactite from the ceiling and a stalagmite from the floor grow and meet in the middle.
- Flowstone: This looks like frozen waterfalls of rock, forming as water flows over cave surfaces.
- Drapery/Bacon Strip: These are wavy, curtain-like formations that often have different colors, making them look like strips of bacon!
- Cave Pearls: These are small, round formations that look just like pearls. They form when layers of calcite build up around a tiny piece of grit.
Images for kids
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Cave Pearl formation, New Discovery - Diamond Caverns, Park City, Kentucky
