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Show cave

{{Short description|Cave made accessible to the general public for guided visits}}

{{more citations needed|date=December 2017}}

File:Mammoth Cave National Park FROZENNI.jpg, United States]]

A show cave—also called tourist cave, public cave, and, in the United States, commercial cave—is a cave which has been made accessible to the public for guided visits.

Definition

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File:Brightly painted statues and paintings of Indian poets and characters from Hindu mythology - Batu Caves (Cave Village) (18790990808).jpg, Malaysia]]

A show cave is a cave that has been made accessible to the public for guided visits,Jennings Joe N, [http://home.mira.net/~gnb/caving/papers/jj-cakt.html Cave and Karst Terminology], in Matthews P. G. (ed), Australian Karst Index 1985, ASF Broadway, pp 14.1-13

where a cave is defined as a natural occurring void beneath the surface of the earth, per the International Show Caves Association.[http://www.i-s-c-a.com/about-us Definition of show cave] n.d. The International Show Caves Association (I.S.C.A.), accessed 24 July 2017

A show cave may be managed by a government or commercial organization and made accessible to the general public, usually for an entrance fee. Unlike wild caves, they may possess regular opening hours, guided group tours, constructed trails and stairs, color artificial illumination and other lighting,{{cite web | title=Letter of Recommendation: Show Caves | website=The New York Times | date=29 October 2019 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/29/magazine/letter-of-recommendation-show-caves.html | access-date=1 September 2020}} musical/video/laser shows and concerts, elevators, small trains, and boats if they contain underground water features. Some caves (mainly in Asia) open to the public have temples, monasteries and religious statues or monuments. Some caves are visited by millions of tourists annually. {{citation needed|date=October 2011}}

The term is used inconsistently between nations: many countries{{which|date=July 2017}} tend to call all caves which are open to the public show caves or public caves in contrary to all other caves which are not allowed to enter. However, there are many such caves which are not developed with trails, light and tours, which are visited by very many people. This kind of cave is often called a semi-wild cave.{{citation needed|date=October 2011}}

Access may involve anything between an easy stroll and dangerous climbing{{citation needed|date=October 2011}}.

Most cave accidents happen in this kind of cave, as visitors underestimate the difficulties and dangers.{{citation needed|date=October 2011}}

History

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The oldest known show cave in the world is probably Reed Flute Cave in China with inscriptions from 792 in the time of the Tang dynasty. Other old show caves are Postojna Cave in Slovenia, with the presumed first record of a cave tour in 1213. Other early show caves are Jasov Cave in Slovakia with inscriptions from 1452, the Sontheimer Höhle in Germany which was reportedly visited by Herzog Ulrich von Württemberg on 20 May 1516{{cite web | title=Sontheimer Höhle | website=showcaves.com | date=5 March 2022 | url=https://www.showcaves.com/english/de/showcaves/Sontheim.html | access-date=5 March 2022}} and Vilenica Cave in Slovenia where entrance fees were taken from 1633 on. In 1649, the first "authorized" cave guide started guiding Baumannshöhle in the Harz in Germany though this cave was intensively visited much earlier.{{cite web | title=Baumannshöhle | website=showcaves.com | date=5 March 2022 | url=https://www.showcaves.com/english/de/showcaves/Baumanns.html | access-date=5 March 2022}}

The development of electric lighting enabled the illumination of show caves. Early experiments with electric light in caves were carried out by Lieutenant Edward Cracknel in 1880 at Chifley Cave, Jenolan Caves, Australia. In 1881, Sloupsko-Šošůvské Jeskyně, Czech Republic, became the first cave in the world with electric arc light. This light did not use light bulbs, but electric arc lamps with carbon electrodes, which burned down and had to be replaced after some time.{{cite web | title=First Caves with Electric Light | website=showcaves.com | date=5 March 2022 | url=https://www.showcaves.com/english/explain/Statistics/ElectricLight.html | access-date=5 March 2022}}

The first cave in the world with electric light bulbs as we know them today was the Kraushöhle in Austria in 1883. But the light was abandoned after only seven years and then visited with carbide lamps for decades. Today the cave is guided with handheld LED lamps. In 1884, two more caves were equipped with electric light, Postojna Cave, Slovenia, and Olgahöhle, Germany.{{cite web | title=First Caves with Electric Light | website=showcaves.com | date=5 March 2022 | url=https://www.showcaves.com/english/explain/Statistics/ElectricLight.html | access-date=5 March 2022}}

Because of the unwanted development of lampenflora (algae attracted to heat and light) around incandescent electric lights in show caves, many of these attractions, such as Ingleborough Cave in England, have switched to cooler-temperature LED lighting.{{cite web|title=Limestone cave can now be seen in a new light|url=http://www.meteorelectrical.com/news/led-lighting/limestone-cave-can-now-been-seen-in-a-new-light/801527033|website=MeteorElectrical.co.uk|access-date=30 December 2017}}

Notable show caves (in alphabetical order)

See also

References

{{Reflist|refs=

{{cite web | title=Subterranean World Heritage List | website=showcaves.com | date=5 March 2022 | url=https://www.showcaves.com/english/explain/Topic/SWHL.html | access-date=5 March 2022}}

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External links

  • [https://www.i-s-c-a.org/ International Show Caves Association (I.S.C.A.)]
  • [https://www.showcaves.com/ Show Caves of the World] showcaves.com
  • [http://www.goodearthgraphics.com/showcave/menu.html United States show caves directory by state] goodearthgraphics.com
  • [http://www.cavern.com US National Caves Association] cavern.com
  • [http://jeskyne-podzemi.unas.cz/showcaves/ Show Caves of the World - list] List of Show Caves in the World
  • [http://uis-speleo.org/index.php/karst-and-cave-protection-commission/ Karst and Cave Protection Commission]

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