Shenandoah Caverns facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Shenandoah Caverns |
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| Location | near Mount Jackson, Virginia, U.S. |
Shenandoah Caverns is a cool show cave (a cave open for tours) found near Mount Jackson, Virginia. It's in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. Guess what? It's the only cavern in Virginia with an elevator to take you down!
When you visit, you can take a mile-long guided tour. The cave stays a comfy 54 degrees Fahrenheit (about 12 degrees Celsius) all year. You'll explore 17 different 'rooms' connected by pathways. Inside, you'll see amazing rock formations with fun names like the Diamond Cascade and the Grotto of the Gods. There's also Rainbow Lake and the Oriental Tea Garden. These cool formations are lit up to show off their beauty. Some unique "bacon" formations were even shown in National Geographic Magazine in 1964!
Contents
History of Shenandoah Caverns
How the Caverns Were Found
Shenandoah Caverns was discovered by accident in 1884. Workers were building the Southern Railway through the Shenandoah Valley. Many local farmers, like Abraham Neff, gave stones from their land for the railway. The Neff family let the railroad dig for rocks on their property.
Abraham Neff's two sons were playing near the digging site. They felt cold air coming from a hole in the ground. They were super curious! The boys grabbed ropes and candles. Then, they climbed down a twisting, winding shaft that was 275 feet deep. That's how they first explored the amazing caverns.
Opening the Caverns to Visitors
The railway was very important for opening Shenandoah Caverns. Hunter Chapman, a businessman from Woodstock, owned shares in the B&O railroad. When he heard about the new railway and the discovered caverns, he saw a great chance. He wanted to open a new attraction right by the train tracks.
In 1922, Chapman bought the property from Abraham Neff. He then opened Shenandoah Caverns. It even had a full hotel on the second and third floors for visitors. People could take the passenger train right to the caverns until after World War II.
Changes Over the Years
The caverns were sold to H. B. Long in 1954. A few years later, in 1957, there was a fire. The caverns' lodge was being updated when the fire started. It sadly destroyed the top two floors of the building.
In 1966, Earl C. Hargrove, Jr. bought Shenandoah Caverns. Mr. Hargrove owned a company called Hargrove, Inc. His company was famous for making parade floats and props. They created floats for every Presidential Inauguration since 1949! They also made things for the Miss America Pageant and other big celebrations.
To show off his retired parade floats, Mr. Hargrove opened American Celebration on Parade in 2000. This cool attraction is right on the Shenandoah Caverns property. In the 1990s, the second floor of the lodge was fixed up. In 1996, Main Street of Yesteryear opened there. It's like stepping back in time!
Later, in 2007, Hargrove opened the Yellow Barn. This barn shows off his old carriages and farm tools. It's also a popular spot for weddings and special events.
How Caverns Are Formed
Understanding Karst Topography
The Shenandoah Valley sits on top of a type of rock called limestone. This area also has something called karst topography. This is a special kind of landscape where caves, sinkholes, and springs form easily.
The Process of Cave Creation
Here's how caves like Shenandoah Caverns are made:
- Rainwater falls and soaks into the ground.
- As it moves through the soil, the water picks up a tiny bit of acid.
- This slightly acidic water then seeps down into the limestone.
- Limestone is mostly made of a material called calcium carbonate.
- The acid in the water slowly dissolves the calcium carbonate.
- Over thousands of years, this dissolving action creates tunnels and large rooms underground.
- This is how many caves and caverns have formed all around the Shenandoah Valley!
