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Small Town Attractions - Penn's Caves
By Deb Bloom
There's a really nice place to visit in Central PA, approximately 20 minutes from Penn State University. It's a little secret us Pennsylvanians keep all to ourselves. (Not really!) This little 'secret' is America's only all water cavern and it's full of weird and wonderful things to see. The small town attraction is Penn's Caves & Wildlife Park. Penn's Caves is a guided one-hour tour by motorboat on an underground stream. You can tour year around because the cave temperature is 52° year round. It's a limestone cavern and you'll see how dripping water has sculpted magnificent flowstone curtains, cascades, and draperies against a background of pillars and gigantic columns. There are stalagmites and stalactites decorating the interior rooms and trout swim and jump for feed! History
According to info found at the local library, the Seneca Indians discovered Penn's Caves in the Valley of Karoondinha or Penn’s Valley. In the early eighteenth century, a young Frenchmen from Lancaster County, Malachi Boyer, set out to explore the wilderness. He roamed into the forests peopled by redskins, with whom he was friendly. One spring day, Malachi was camped at Mammoth Spring, on the shores of Spring Creek near Bellefonte. He made friends with the old chief and sent him small gifts as tokens of friendship. The Chief, O-Ko-Cho, had seven sons and one beautiful daughter, Nita-nee, whom the sons guarded carefully all the time. One day Malachi caught sight of Nita-nee washing a deerskin in the stream and immediately fell in love with her. Since the Indians would not permit their marriage, they decided to run away, and late one night, they departed for the eastern settlements. They were later captured by the seven brothers and were returned to Chief O-Ko-Cho. The Chief commanded his sons to take Malachi into a cavern filled with water and thrust him in. He attempted to free himself but eventually he crawled into one of the furthermost recesses of the cavern and breathed his last. Local history also tells of Indians and early explorers using the dry rooms in the cave for shelter. In 1885, Penn's Cave was opened as a commercial show cavern. That same year, the Penn's Cave Hotel was built. In 1976, Penn's Cave and the Penn's Cave House were placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Cavern Schedule March 1 to March 31 Daily - last tour at 4 10am to 5pm
April 1 to May 31 Daily - last tour at 5 9am to 5pm
June 1 to August 31 Daily - last tour at 7 9am to 7pm
Sept 1 to October 31 Daily - last tour at 5 9am to 5pm
Nov 1 to Nov 30 Daily - last tour at 4 10am to 5pm
Dec 1 to Dec 31 Weekends Only - last tour at 4 11am to 5pm
Rates Regular Rates
Adult $14.95
Child 2 to 12 years $7.95
Child 1 year and under FREE
Senior Citizen (65+) $13.95 There is a cute little gift shop and lots of special events, like the Bat Tour (no thanks, not for me!) or the Halloween Glow Tour. So if you're ever in the area of State College, PA, make sure you take a tour of this wonderful cavern.
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This intel was contributed by Morganna
Morganna
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May, 2012
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