Howe Caverns Brochure

I think this summer I'll go underground, and by underground I mean as in posting numerous cave brochures (are you out there reading this Todd?).

I've mentioned previously I've collected a lot of cave brochures, and although they don't make for very popular posts I thought I might as well use them up.

So anyway for those that are still reading let's look at Howe Caverns brochure...


If you watched the video above (thanks NetGeo) you saw what the Howe Caverns tour guides wear today (which is basically a nylon windbreaker). But did you notice what the uniform looked like in this retro brochure? Here I'll help you out...

It reminds me of a doorman at some fancy apartment. This was a classic look, and I'm sorry to see it's gone.

I love those "cave models." They make it look like they are the only people in the cave, and they are free to roam as they please (and possibly get married too).

Penn's Cave Brochure

The brochure's front and back, or vice versa

The authors of the book Roadside America (they also have a swell website too) described Penn's Cave as one of this country's "lazy-man's cave tours" since you ride in a boat throughout the tour.

So if Penn's Cave is "America's only all water cavern" that you "See it by boat" who are those people seen in some of the brochure pictures standing by the cave formations? Are they part of an exclusive unadvertised VIP tour? Or maybe that chick and dude are professional cave formation models who you actually see on the tour.

Penn's Cave has a spooky legend too (see above). If I was the owner I'd add a few special effects enhancements to capitalize on this. It's called showmanship people.



I wasn't going to bother to post this map portion of the brochure, but then I thought what the heck. Here you go all you smartphone users, if you find yourself in the vicinity of Penn's Cave maybe you'll find this map helpful.

Mammoth Cave Brochure

I love caves, and have a large collection of cave brochures from across the country. I'd gladly use them in posts more often, but the previous times I've posted something cave related it's always one of my least popular pages.

Since there doesn't seem to be much interest in caves, I'm not going to bother posting every page from this Mammoth Cave National Park brochure...

That cover looks dated, like something from the 1950's, but it's not. Well I'm sure the brochure was originally designed in the late 50's, but this cover was still used into the 1980's.

Actually it's kinda cool I think, also they probably used this cover because of the classic thriller that was filmed at Mammoth Cave...

The movie Mammoth! (1956) was made by the same team that created Niagara (1953) three years earlier. It's a movie that's not very well known even by movie buffs. It's not too bad, and anything with Peter Lorre is always worth a look. Add it to your Netflix queue, and be sure to let me know how you liked it.

Guntown Mountain brochure

I know I visited Guntown Mountain in Cave City, Kentucky as a kid, but I don't remember much about it. It's hard to believe with all the action packed entertainment they crammed into this place that I don't remember something. All I know I was there, but the details of the western town, scenic train, petting zoo, onyx cave and even a haunted house are gone. (Actually I do remember looking at the haunted house, but we didn't go in.)

Anyways, the cover of this vintage brochure is certainly very memorable. Although I have doubts they still use this particular cover photo.

Ruby Falls Brochure

You're probably familiar the famous billboard ads for Rock City that shout "See Rock City!" There's hundreds of them all over the interstate in the South. Rock City sits on top of Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Ruby Falls is another Chattanooga attraction whose billboards could read, "See What's Under Rock City!" You see, Ruby Falls is in a cave inside Lookout Mountain.


The folks at Ruby Falls know how to put on a show. First it's nice to see a cave lit with colored lights. I'm sure some cave purists frown on this, but I like my caves to be lit like a carnival funhouse.

But most importantly the revel of the the Falls is done with great showmanship to create maximum impact. As your tour group nears the Falls it's almost totally dark except for small theater-like lights at the floor. Dramatic orchestral music is played to set the mood. When you enter the chamber the Falls are in, you can hear the rushing water and feel the wind it creates but can't see the Falls. The music swells, and a pre-recorded announcer says, "Ladies and gentlemen, Ruby Falls!" (or something like this. I was a kid when I last visited). They turn on all the lights, and you stand there in awe at the majesty of Ruby Falls.

One other memorable thing from my visit to Ruby Falls was something our tour guide said. There are small pools of water along side the path as you walk towards the Falls. The pools are created by water dripping through the rocks above. At one of these pools our guide said, "This water may look safe to drink, but due to all the minerals it's collected as it seeped through the rocks above it now has a powerful laxative effect. If you were to drink it we probably couldn't you get you back to the surface in time."

Wow I don't know why the owners of Ruby Falls don't start bottling up their magical colon cleaning water. Come on, give those folks at Ex-Lax a run for their money!

My First Hole

That first time.

These are experiences in every boys life that become a touchstone of going maturity. Sometimes it's scary or awkward, as first times usually are, but they become adventures that he'll remember for the rest of his life.

On a family vacation when I was about 10 years old I experienced my first time with one of the wonders of Mother Nature. I took my first trip into a cave.

We were driving from Michigan to Florida down I-75, and once you cross into Tennessee you're hit with a seemingly never ending barrage of billboards for 3 big tourist attractions: Rock City, Ruby Falls and the Lost Sea. I had picked up a brochure for the Lost Sea, and became quite curious about the "world's largest underground lake."

Front and back of old Lost Sea brochure

Look at that tiny little boat floating in that vast underground chamber. To our super advanced futuristic 2008 eyes that picture of the boat looks pretty suspicious. But to the eyes of a kid back in the day before the internets it looked totally real, and a amazing adventure. Who knows what kind of strange cave creatures could be swimming in that water?

I suggested to my parents we should see the Lost Sea, and surprisingly with no resistance they agreed.

Here's a funny note for future travelers to the Lost Sea. I don't know if this is still true, but once you exit the interstate there are Lost Sea signs directing you that read, "15 minutes to the Lost Sea" and "5 minutes to the Lost Sea." None of the signs gave you the actual distance. Maybe they thought listing the actual distance would be off putting to motorists. All I know is that these signs frustrated my father because it took a lot longer to reach the Lost Sea than the signs had told us.

Inside of old Lost Sea brochure

Once we arrived at the Lost Sea me and my father bought tickets (my mother decided to wait for us spelunkers above ground). Once inside the entrance building there are glass doors to the ominous entrance tunnel.

The mildly hypnotic entrance tunnel to the Lost Sea

Seeing that entrance tunnel for the first time was a little intimidating as kid. The thought quickly went through my head that maybe I didn't want to see the Lost Sea after all. But before I had time to give it a second thought we were quickly ushered down the tunnel to our waiting tour group.

Front and back of a newer Lost Sea brochure

Well I won't go into great detail, but my experience at the Lost Sea was awesome and it started a lifelong fascination with caves.

Inside of newer Lost Sea brochure
(If you didn't notice they dropped the misleading tiny boat pics)

During my adventure in the Lost Sea it never occurred to me that the picture of the boat on brochure was grossly exaggerated. It was just cool to take a boat ride in a cave - even if I didn't discover any strange new cave creatures.