Seneca Caverns (Ohio) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Seneca Caverns |
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A subterranean gallery in Seneca Caverns.
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| Location | Flat Rock, Ohio |
| Depth | Unknown |
| Length | Unknown |
| Discovery | 1872 |
| Geology | Columbus Limestone and Lucas Dolomite |
| Entrances | One |
| Access | Fee |
Seneca Caverns is a cool show cave you can visit in northeastern Seneca County, Ohio, USA. It's right outside a place called Flat Rock. This amazing cave is so special that the Ohio Department of Natural Resources has named it a Registered Natural Landmark. This means it's an important natural place worth protecting!
Contents
Discovering Seneca Caverns
How the Cave Was Found
Imagine this: It was June 1872, and two boys named Peter Rutan and Henry Homer were out hunting rabbits with their dog. Suddenly, their dog chased a rabbit into a big pile of brush and then disappeared!
The boys looked through the brush pile to find their dog. Instead, they found a hidden opening in the ground. They accidentally fell through it and landed in the very first part of the cave! Luckily, they found their dog safe and sound.
From Good's Cave to Seneca Caverns
When the boys got home, they quickly told everyone about their amazing discovery. The cave was first called Good's Cave. This was because it was on the farm owned by Emmanuel Good.
Years later, in 1931, a lawyer named Don Bell from Bellevue explored the cave even more. He found many new tunnels and rooms! These led to an underground river, which he named Ole' Mist'ry River. This river is part of a huge system of water flowing underground in the area.
After two and a half years of hard work to make the cave safe and fun for visitors, it was renamed Seneca Caverns. It officially opened to the public on May 14, 1933.
Exploring the Levels of Seneca Caverns
Seneca Caverns has many different levels, and you can explore seven of them on a tour! Each level takes you deeper underground.
- Level 1: The "Foyer"
- This is where you enter and exit the cave. It's about 20 feet (6 meters) underground.
- Level 2: The "Fossil Room"
- You'll find this level about 30 feet (9 meters) underground. Look closely for ancient fossils here!
- Level 3: "Chert Alley"
- This level is around 55 feet (17 meters) underground. It's named for a type of rock called chert.
- Level 4: "Inscription Hall" and "Cathedral Hall"
- This is the biggest level, stretching about 250 feet (76 meters) long! It's 60 to 65 feet (18 to 20 meters) underground. You might see old writings on the walls here.
- Level 5: Beginning of Lucas Dolomite
- At about 80 feet (24 meters) underground, this level marks where a different type of rock, called Lucas Dolomite, begins. In spring, water often reaches this level.
- Level 6: The Smallest Level
- This level is 95 to 100 feet (29 to 30 meters) underground. It's the smallest part of the tour. Water usually reaches here in early to mid-summer.
- Level 7: The "River Room"
- This is the deepest part of the tour, about 110 feet (33.5 meters) underground! In late summer and autumn, you can often see the Ole' Mist'ry River here.
Deeper, Flooded Levels
There are even lower levels in Seneca Caverns that are usually filled with water. Explorers have only been able to reach them during very dry times.
- Level 8: Flooded
- This was the deepest level for early tours in the 1930s, but it's no longer part of the public tour.
- Levels 9-12: Flooded
- These levels are completely underwater. Level 12 is about 220 feet (67 meters) underground, which is the deepest anyone has ever reached in the cave!
- Levels 13+: Unknown
- There might be even more levels below Level 12, but no one has explored them yet!
Images for kids
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Entrance sign
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Visitor's center
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Gift shop
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The oldest graffiti in Seneca Caverns. It reads: "C. Dreese 1872".
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Submerged stairway leading down from the sixth to the seventh level of Seneca Caverns.
