Penn's Cave - Centre Hall, PA
Posted by: 
94RedRover
N 40° 52.886 W 077° 36.389
18T E 280387 N 4528865
The Seneca Indians discovered Penn's Cave centuries ago. This limestone cavern has immense springs flowing through it, making it an all water cavern, rich in local history and boundless natural beauty.
Waymark Code: WM5BPR
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 12/14/2008
Views: 33
Just off Route 192 in Centre Hall, Pennsylvania, Penn's Cave and Wildlife Park is a great family attraction. The limestone cavern is an all water cavern, and guided tours are conducted on flat bottom boats for an underground view of the cavern, and a tour through their 1,500 acre wildlife preserve.
The Seneca Indians found this cavern in the Valley of Karoondinha (Penn's Valley). There is a famous legend of an Indian maiden, named Nitanee, who fell in love with a French trapper, named Malachi Boyer. Their marriage was forbidden, so the lovers ran away. Unfortunately, they were captured, and were brought back to Chief O-Ko-Cho, Nitanee's father. Malachi was thrown into Penn's Cave to die. Swimming the springs that flood this cavern, searching for an entrance not guarded by Indians, Malachi died. Lengend speaks of the name "Nitanee" being echoed through the caverns on still summer nights. The Indian maiden of local history is honored today, offering her name to the famed Penn State Nittany Lion.
Penn's Cave was opened as a show cavern in 1885, when the 30 room Penn's Cave House also opened to the public. The hotel was used for overnight guests until 1919, and meals were served to cavern patrons until 1929. It was then used for visitors center and gift shop, until alterations in the 1960's, when a seperate Visitor Center was built.
Now, the historic Penn's Cave Hotel is used for administrative offices and special events. Penn's Cave and Hotel were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The third story of the building never underwent alteration and is maintained in it's original beauty.
Guests can takea 1 hour boat tour of the cavern and a 90 minute motor vehicle tour of the wildlife park. Saturdays and Sundays in November, December and February, they offer unique Bat Tours. This tour is a bout 1 hour of facts and folklore on this important, yet misunderstood animal.
Type of Land: Private Land
Managed By: Penn's Cave
Contact Info: William S. Schleiden, Vice President 814-883-4580
Website: [Web Link]
Type of Cave: Karst Cave
Contains Stalactites: yes
Contains Stalagmites: yes
Contains Bats: yes
Price of Admission: 14.00 (listed in local currency)
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Visit Instructions:
Please include a digital photograph of the cave which documents your visit and any information that may be helpful for future visitors.