Historic Entrance

Historic Entrance. . Prehistoric people were the first to stand beneath this forest canopy and feel the chilly breath coming from a black, gaping hole in the ground. Local tradition has it that, in the late 1790s, a young pioneer chased a wounded bear into the same yawning chasm, rediscovering the cave and its secrets. The same cool air and mystical darkness has drawn people down into the earth here for twenty centuries. , Travelers from around the world began to visit Mammoth Cave after the War of 18 12. Guides led generations of visitors into the cave by torch, lantern, or electric light. Millions of people ventured into what was until 1921 the only entrance or exit to the vastness below. , This sunlit area where visitors have gathered for centuries has gradually changed over the years, yet one thing remains constant the cave's breath reaches out to draw you in, just as it chilled bare legs four thousand years ago. , Captions: , Visitors would traditionaly pause to have their group's photograph taken before entering the cave. Here, Guide Bob Lively prepares to lead a group underground by grease oil lantern light Circa 1910