Mammoth Cave National Park: a new year brings new additions

MAMMOTH CAVE, Ky.- Mammoth Cave National Park is going above and beyond to ensure that they have more in store for 2024.

The park is taking the time to prepare, during their slower season, by making several new improvements, from new railings inside of the caves to their brand new lodge for the new year and the new guests.

The public information officer at Mammoth Cave National Park, Molly Schroer, shares why they renovated the hotel.

She says, “Over 90% of our visitors to the park actually come to the visitor center area, so the interaction they have with that hotel building is always very high. So a huge amount of our visitors will get to use that building.”

Johnny Merideth, a Mammoth Cave Park ranger supervisor, shares why this is important to the people who come to the park.

He says, “For people who have been here before, hopefully it’s another experience where they perhaps see some new part of the cave, some new experience on the surface and and kind of like, yes, this is why I’ve come back, because this place is very special to me, and for those who have never been here before, hopefully by coming here in the spring, you get those experiences that they will have that will bring them back as well.”

While preparing for visitors to come, the staff had to consider every person who enters the national park. When it came to the new lodge, there was a lot of dedication. It took more than two years to complete the renovation.

The official grand opening for the lodge will be in the spring, but until then, you can still visit the café the shops and the lounge area within the lodge.

Stay tuned into News 40 for more updates on all things Mammoth Cave.