Mammoth Cave to close portions for 18 months

MAMMOTH CAVE, Ky. – Officials at Mammoth Cave National Park said a section of the cave system will be closed for more than a year while it undergoes renovations.

According to officials, a 2-mile section of the cave stretching from the Snowball Room to Grand Central Station will close sometime this fall and isn’t expected to reopen for around 18 months.

Officials say the dirt and stone cave floor has become degraded, and the project will make the path smoother and more durable while making steps and handrails more user-friendly.

The Grand Avenue tour and the Wild Cave tour will not be available to guests during the renovations. Other tours including domes and drip-stones and frozen Niagara will be closed for part of the renovation as well.

Mammoth Cave public information officer, Molly Schroer, said the end result will be worth the wait.

“When the work is done, the cave trail is going to be so much better for our visitors to walk on. It will still feel like the cave, we’re not going to lose the character that’s down there. It’ll just be a much nicer walk for people to go through,” Schroer said.

Mammoth Cave is hoping to start the renovations this winter because of the lower number of visitors that come to the park at that time of year.