HOURS: Monday - Sunday | 9:30am - 5:00pm
CAVERN TOUR PRICES: Adults - $10.95 | Children - $7.95
THIS IS SEASONAL, BUT KEEPING IT ACTIVE FOR THOSE PLANNING A VISIT.
EARTHCACHE REQUIREMENTS
Each cacher must send his/her own answers BEFORE logging a find. Enjoy the journey (learning adventure) as well as the destination (smiley earned). Remember to take only pictures and leave only footprints. To get credit for this Earthcache, complete the following tasks:
1. MESSAGE …. CRYSTAL ROOM ... a. In this room you will view the Beehive Stalagmite, the largest found in Ohio. Compare this with the one found in the museum case at the beginning/ending of your tour. ... b. Name and/or describe one fossil found in this room. ... c. Based on the reading and your observation, what type of fossil is this?
2. MESSAGE …. CATHEDRAL HALL ... a. Name and/or describe one speleothem found in this room. ... b. In this room you will see Crinoid Stem Fossils. Estimate (do not touch) the length of the longest crinoid stem fossil you see. ... c. Based on the reading and your observation, what type of fossil is this?
3. LOG .... Post a pictureof you or your signature item with something unusual you found within the cave. We discovered this critter on the wall near the bottom of the stairs. This picture is your log signature.
OPTIONAL - Please respect the time and effort involved in creating this earthcache by adding A and B to your log.
A. JOURNEY OF THE MIND ... Science explains what we observe. Relate (in your own words) something you found interesting in the reading. This adds to your learning adventure and your log.
B. JOURNEY OF THE HEART ... Art shares our personal experience of what we see. Share something special you found on site, and why it is special to you. This is a memorable addition to your log and will make other hearts smile.
Journeys of Heart and Mind ...
Stories to Touch the Heart and Puzzles to Challenge the Mind / Rainbow Tree Story
THANK YOU ASHLEY for permission to share this learning adventure.
GEOLOGY
This cave system was formed by the dissolution of limestone by water. At the entrance is Delaware Blue Limestone. At the bottom of the stairs and throughout the caverns is Columbus White Limestone. The main differences between the two is location (Delaware Limestone overlies Columbus Limestone) and color (bluish-gray due to greater silt content vs white-buff). The limestone within this cave system was formed during the Devonian Period, 419.2 million years ago - 358.9 million years ago
"Concrete stairways descend 55 feet to the maze of natural passages and rooms occupying three different levels. The second level contains Indian Lover's Bench, Battleship Rock and The Crystal Room. Fat Man's Misery is a passage leading to Cathedral Hall and Bell Tower room which is 105 feet below the earth's surface. Beyond are passages and rooms still unexplored. A fourth level where an underground river is flowing to the Olentangy River has been partially explored but not opened to the public. It is known that the river has formed a lake but its size has not been determined. Many miles of passages have never been explored. "
MAIN ROOMS
CRYSTAL ROOM - The most actively growing room in the caverns because of all the water that drips from the ceiling and down the walls. Here you will encounter the largest hanging beehive stalagmite in the country. When the mud was removed around and under, it now appears it was formed on the ceiling rather than the floor.
CATHEDRAL HALL - Here you will notice horizontal lines along the walls, These lines are where water carved out the caverns and remained for long periods. There is an abundance of fossils in this room.
COUNCIL CHAMBER - There is evidence that the Wyandotte Indians used these caverns as a haven from the weather and from their enemies. This room is believed to have been used for tribal ceremonies, as well as a workshop for creating arrowheads, spearheads, and other artifacts. In the center is a large rock table referred to as the Council Table.
SPELEOTHEMS
Speleothems are predominantly limestone formations found in caves. They take various forms, depending on whether the water drips, seeps, condenses, flows, or ponds. ... As you journey through this cave, you will see a variety of cave formations. The most common are stalactites found on the ceiling (hang tight to the ceiling) and stalagmites found on the floor (might trip over them).
FOSSILS
Fossils are the remains or impression of a prehistoric organism. There are FOUR main types of fossils. TRUE FORM (actual animal or animal part) / MOLD (mpression) / CAST (formed when a mold is filled in) / TRACE (evidence left by the organism like burrows, footprints, etc.) ... As you journey through this cave, you will encounter a myriad of fossils embedded in the limestone walls or protruding from them.
ROCK-WATER RELATIONSHIP
Water is necessary for speleothems to form. The nature of the cave formation depends on whether the water drips, seeps, condenses, flows, or ponds.
RESOURCES
http://www.olentangyindiancaverns.com/
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