My Adventures to Upstate New York: A Trip to Howe Caverns

My trip to Howe Caverns was so cool that I never thought that I would walk below the surface. It’s 15 feet and it’s always 52 degrees and the water is 42 degrees. It is 15 Feet

Howe eventually developed the site as a tourist attraction, but the cavern's history became complicated after he sold the property. Quarrying operations later affected portions of the original cave. In the 1920s, efforts began to redevelop Howe Caverns as a major attraction, and it reopened to visitors in 1929 with improvements that made underground exploration much more accessible. Today, visitors descend roughly 156 feet underground and explore passages containing stalactites, stalagmites and other limestone formations. One of the signature experiences is a boat ride on the underground Lake of Venus, giving the tour a distinctive combination of walking and underground boating.

Howe Caverns has one of the most fascinating histories in Upstate New York, and the story begins millions of years before people ever knew the cave existed. Over time, water slowly moved through cracks in the limestone beneath the Schoharie Valley, creating the underground chambers, tunnels, rock formations, and waterways that visitors see today. The human story of Howe Caverns really began in 1842 with a farmer named Lester Howe. According to the famous story, Lester noticed that his cows often gathered in the same area during hot summer days, and when he went to investigate, he felt cold air coming up from an opening in the ground. Curious about what was underneath, Lester Howe and his neighbor Henry Wetsel entered the cave for the first time on May 22, 1842. What makes their story even more amazing is that they did not explore the cavern just once. They returned day after day, going farther and farther underground with very little equipment. There were no elevators, electric lights, railings, or safe walking paths like we have today. Lester and Henry used a small homemade lamp fueled with whale oil to guide them through the darkness, and eventually they explored around a mile and a half of underground passages. They even built a raft so they could travel across the underground water now known as the Lake of Venus. Lester quickly realized that other people would want to experience this incredible underground world, so in 1843 he purchased the land containing the cavern and began offering tours. Early cave tours were very different from the experience visitors have today. A trip through the cave could last eight to ten hours, and visitors had to walk through dark, wet, muddy passages using lanterns and torches. Lester was also known for making the tours entertaining. He sometimes played his violin underground, and he even used special lights and fireworks to show visitors the size of some of the larger chambers.

As more people began visiting, Lester built the Cave House Hotel near the entrance so travelers could stay overnight. The cave became an important tourist destination, especially after railroad service made it easier for people to travel to the area. However, the history of Howe Caverns was not always easy. Fires destroyed the Cave House Hotel, and eventually Lester lost control of the property. Limestone quarrying became more important to the area, and some sections of the original cavern were damaged or completely destroyed by blasting. Commercial tours eventually stopped, and for decades the cave was mostly closed to tourists. Then, during the late 1920s, a group of investors decided to bring Howe Caverns back to life. They wanted to make the cavern safer and easier for ordinary visitors to explore, so workers installed electric lighting, constructed walkways and bridges, and created a massive elevator shaft that travels about 156 feet below the surface. On May 27, 1929, Howe Caverns officially reopened to the public, beginning the modern era of the attraction. Today, visitors can descend 156 feet underground and explore the same incredible world that fascinated Lester Howe more than 180 years ago. The tour includes narrow passageways, huge rock formations, underground streams, the famous Bridal Altar, and the Lake of Venus, where visitors can still take a boat ride. During my own visit, I also heard some of the unusual stories and legends connected with the cavern, including an old story involving a Boy Scout member who was shy but didn't have enought friends so kept his mouse as his pet and thoguht it was a good idea to bring it along as it went through cold water and the mouse was also electrucated and passed away which it was based on a true story as it was wrapped up like a bat somewhere in the late 1940s to early 1950s, showing how Howe Caverns has collected not only geological history but also generations of local stories. What I find most interesting about Howe Caverns is thinking about Lester Howe returning to the cave day after day with only a small lamp, never knowing exactly what he would discover next. Today we can take an elevator underground and safely walk through the cavern, but Lester and Henry had to explore everything for the first time.

I also went for a walk through Howe Caverns and learned so many new things about its history. As we made our way through the caverns, I discovered areas where workers used to bring their lunch boxes, sit together, and talk during their lunch breaks. It was really interesting to imagine what it must have been like for the men who worked underground so many years ago. One of the best parts of the trip was the boat ride through the cavern. It was such a unique experience, and I learned even more about the cave and its history along the way. After the tour was over, I finally made it back above ground and stopped at the gift shop, where I got a brownie. It was absolutely delicious and was the perfect way to end such an interesting and memorable adventure at Howe Caverns.