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 the public for guided visits, where a cave is defined as a natural occurring void beneath the surface of the earth, per the International Show Caves Association.Definition of show cave n.d. The International Show Caves Association (I.S.C.A.), accessed 24 July 2017
A show cave may be managed by a government or commercial organization and made accessible to the general public, usually for an entrance fee. Unlike wild caves, they may possess regular opening hours, guided group tours, constructed trails and stairs, color artificial illumination and other lighting, musical/video/laser shows and concerts, elevators, small trains, and boats if they contain underground water features, such as subterranean lakes. Some caves (mainly in Asia) open to the public have temples, monasteries and religious statues or monuments. They are often important tourist attractions - in 2012 Mammoth Cave was said to receive 400,000 visitors a year.
History
The oldest known show cave in the world is probably Reed Flute Cave in China with inscriptions from 792 in the time of the Tang dynasty. Other old show caves are Postojna Cave in Slovenia, with the presumed first record of a cave tour in 1213. Other early show caves are Jasov Cave in Slovakia with inscriptions from 1452, the Sontheimer Höhle in Germany which was reportedly visited by Herzog Ulrich von Württemberg on 20 May 1516 and Vilenica Cave in Slovenia where entrance fees were taken from 1633 on. In 1649, the first "authorized" cave guide started guiding Baumannshöhle in the Harz in Germany though this cave was intensively visited much earlier.
The development of electric lighting enabled the illumination of show caves. Early experiments with electric light in caves were carried out by Lieutenant Edward Cracknel in 1880 at Chifley Cave, Jenolan Caves, Australia. In 1881, Sloupsko-Šošůvské Jeskyně, Czech Republic, became the first cave in the world with electric arc light. This light did not use light bulbs, but electric arc lamps with carbon electrodes, which burned down and had to be replaced after some time.
The first cave in the world with electric light bulbs as we know them today was the Kraushöhle in Austria in 1883. But the light was abandoned after only seven years and then visited with carbide lamps for decades. Today the cave is guided with handheld LED lamps. In 1884, two more caves were equipped with electric light, Postojna Cave, Slovenia, and Olgahöhle, Germany.
Because of the unwanted development of lampenflora (algae attracted to heat and light) around incandescent electric lights in show caves, many of these attractions, such as Ingleborough Cave in England, have switched to cooler-temperature LED lighting.
Notable examples
NameCountry/CountriesNotesAggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst CavesOn the Subterranean World Heritage List. Several caves, including an ice cave and one festooned with aragonite crystalsAlabaster CavernsLocated in the Alabaster Caverns State Park, Oklahoma. Formed in gypsum alabasterAven d'OrgnacLocated near Orgnac-l'Aven. Highly decorated chambersBatu CavesLocated near Kuala Lumpur. A cave complex in a mogote, which contains a Hindu templeBears' CaveLocated in Chişcău village, Bihor County. Renowned for its cave bear skeletonsBlanchard Springs CavernsLocated in the Ozark–St. Francis National Forest, Arkansas. One guided route is longBlue GrottoLocated on Biševo island, Dalmatia region. A sea cave accessed by boat renowned for its blue lightCango CavesLocated near Oudtshoorn. South Africa's major show cave, with neolithic artefacts and paintingsCarlsbad CavernsLocated in the Guadalupe Mountains, New Mexico. On the Subterranean World Heritage ListCraighead CavernsLocated in Tennessee. Includes a lakeDeer CaveLocated near Miri, Sarawak. With a huge passage up to wide, and highDobšiná Ice CaveLocated near Dobšiná. An ice cave on the UNESCO World Heritage listEisriesenweltLocated near Salzburg. A major ice caveFrasassi CavesLocated near Ancona. A major, richly-decorated show caveGrotta GiganteLocated near Trieste. Includes a very large chamber accessed by suspended walkways Located in the Grutas de Cacahuamilpa National Park, Guerrero. Largest show cave in MexicoHuanglong CaveLocated in Zhangjiajie-Wulingyuan, Hunan. Major show cave having over a million visitors a year.La Verna CaveLocated in Sainte-Engrâce. With the largest chamber in a show caveMagura CaveLocated in the Balkan Mountains near Belogradchik. Includes access to Epipaleolithic paintingsMammoth CaveLocated in Kentucky. The world's longest cave system. On the Subterranean World Heritage ListManjanggulLocated on Jeju Island. A lava cave on the UNESCO World Heritage listPhong Nha CaveLocated near Quang Binh. UNESCO World Heritage SitePostojna CaveLocated near Postojna. The longest show cave in Europe and the birthplace of speleobiology; with small trains and concertsViento Cave ()Located on Tenerife, Canary Islands. The largest lava tube system in EuropeWaitomo Glowworm CaveLocated in the Waitomo District, North Island. Famous for its glow worms
See also List of caves List of show caves in Germany Show mine
References
External links
International Show Caves Association (I.S.C.A.) Show Caves of the World showcaves.com United States show caves directory by state goodearthgraphics.com US National Caves Association cavern.com Karst and Cave Protection Commission