Cathedral Caverns State Park
Encyclopedia
Cathedral Caverns State Park is located in northern Marshall County, Alabama
, southeast of the town of Woodville
. The cave is located in Kennamer Cove. The cave is also just 5 miles (8 km) from Grant. The cave was originally named Bats Cave. The cave was first developed as an attraction by Jay Gurley in the late 1950s. It was declared a National Natural Landmark
in June 1972.
Cathedral Cavern is a Karst cave and has a large stalagmite forest. The cave system holds four world records.
The cavern claims numerous notable features:
The cave extends another 2700 feet (823 m) past the current limit of the show caves. There is a crystal room that is now open to the public on a limited basis as part of the "Wild Cave Tour".
The Mystery River flows through the cavern. Due to limited outflow, the cave is subject to flooding after heavy rain.
In 1995, Cathedral Caverns provided the cave settings for the Disney
Studios film Tom and Huck
starring Jonathan Taylor Thomas
as Tom Sawyer
and Brad Renfro
as Huckleberry Finn
.
Archaeological excavations at the mouth of Cathedral Caverns have indicated occupation by Native Americans
2,000 years ago, and perhaps as early as 8000 BC.
Marshall County, Alabama
Marshall County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. Its name is in honor of John Marshall, famous Chief Justice of the United States. As of 2010 the population was 93,019...
, southeast of the town of Woodville
Woodville, Alabama
Woodville is a town in Jackson County, Alabama, United States, and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the population of the town is 761.-History:...
. The cave is located in Kennamer Cove. The cave is also just 5 miles (8 km) from Grant. The cave was originally named Bats Cave. The cave was first developed as an attraction by Jay Gurley in the late 1950s. It was declared a National Natural Landmark
National Natural Landmark
The National Natural Landmark program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only natural areas program of national scope that identifies and recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in...
in June 1972.
Description
The Cathedral Caverns entrance opening measures 128 feet (39.0 m) wide and 25 feet (7.6 m) high. The Caverns is approximately 11,000+ feet (3,350 m+) surveyed and explored cave with 8 feet (2.4 m) concrete walkways that are wheelchair accessible.Cathedral Cavern is a Karst cave and has a large stalagmite forest. The cave system holds four world records.
The cavern claims numerous notable features:
- the widest entrance of any commercial cave in the world - 25 feet (7.6 m) tall and 128 feet (39 m) wide.
- the largest column in the world. Goliath measures 45 feet (13.7 m) tall and 243 feet (74.1 m) in circumference.
- the largest flow stone wall which is 32 feet (9.8 m) tall and 135 feet (41.1 m) long.
- the most improbable formation in the world. A 3 inches (76.2 mm) stalagmite rises at a 45-degree angle from a rock formation to the cave ceiling 25 feet (7.6 m) above.
- a Big Room, which is 792 feet (241.4 m) long and 200 feet (61 m) wide.
The cave extends another 2700 feet (823 m) past the current limit of the show caves. There is a crystal room that is now open to the public on a limited basis as part of the "Wild Cave Tour".
The Mystery River flows through the cavern. Due to limited outflow, the cave is subject to flooding after heavy rain.
History
Mr. Gurley maintained the cave as a tourist attraction from 1959 to 1974. The cave was sold in 1975 at an auction. The State of Alabama bought the cave in 1987 with the intent to reopen the site as a state park. After funding delays, restoration work actually began in 1995. In May 2000, the Cavern re-opened to the public.In 1995, Cathedral Caverns provided the cave settings for the Disney
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
Studios film Tom and Huck
Tom and Huck
Tom and Huck is a 1995 Disney film starring Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Brad Renfro, Joey Stinson, and Rachael Leigh Cook; it is based on Mark Twain's novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. In the film, mischievous young Tom Sawyer witnesses a murder by the vicious Native American known as "Injun Joe"...
starring Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Jonathan Taylor Thomas is an American actor, voice actor, former child star, and teen idol...
as Tom Sawyer
Tom Sawyer
Thomas "Tom" Sawyer is the title character of the Mark Twain novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer . He appears in three other novels by Twain: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , Tom Sawyer Abroad , and Tom Sawyer, Detective .Sawyer also appears in at least three unfinished Twain works, Huck and Tom...
and Brad Renfro
Brad Renfro
Brad Barron Renfro was an American actor. He made his film debut in 1994 at age 12 in the lead role of Joel Schumacher's The Client, going on to star in 21 feature films, several short films, and two television episodes during his career. Much of his later career was marred by a pattern of...
as Huckleberry Finn
Huckleberry Finn
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a classic Mark Twain novel.Huckleberry Finn may also refer to:*Huckleberry Finn , a fictional character in the Adventures of Tom Sawyer...
.
Archaeological excavations at the mouth of Cathedral Caverns have indicated occupation by Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
2,000 years ago, and perhaps as early as 8000 BC.