Clarksville in Montgomery County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Dunbar Cave Through the Years

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, June 4, 2023

1. Dunbar Cave Through the Years Marker

Inscription.

Dunbar Cave was once a "show cave, used for entertainment such as music and dancing, and the subject of many local postcards. natural air conditioning was provided by cool air flowing out of the cave.

Captions
A wooden "dancing pavilion was first mentioned in a newspaper article in 1883. Photo taken before 1916.

Wooden dance floor, postmark 1911.

The first concrete dance floor was built in 1916. Photo taken 1922.

The dance floor was extended and the concession stand built in 1933. The stand had a peaked roof, later changed to the flat roof seen today. Postmark 1934.

Dance floor and concession stand as they look today. The trees and benches were later removed. Postmark 1947.

Erected by Tennessee State Parks.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Entertainment • Parks & Recreational Areas.

Location. 36° 33.167′ N, 87° 18.374′ W. Marker is in Clarksville, Tennessee, in Montgomery County. It can be reached from the intersection of Old Dunbar Cave Road and Dunbar Cave Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 322 Old Dunbar Cave Rd, Clarksville TN 37043, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Middle Tennessee

and in the Highland Rim.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance

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of this marker: Native American use of the cave entrance (a few steps from this marker); Dunbar Cave: The Resort Years (a few steps from this marker); Dunbar Cave: a place of abundant life (a few steps from this marker); Dunbar Cave's Swan Lake (a few steps from this marker); The Dance Floor (a few steps from this marker); Wetland (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Roy Acuff (about 700 feet away); 1933 Swimming Pool & Bathhouse (about 800 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Clarksville.

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, June 4, 2023

2. Dunbar Cave Through the Years Marker

The marker is mounted on the railing of the descending ramp on the left side of the photo.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 10, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 6, 2023, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 235 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 7, 2023, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.