With Halloween right around the corner, people are traveling to haunted attractions for the screams and terrors that come with a price. Crystal Cave in Kutztown, Pennsylvania is known for their underground ghost tours during the month of October. Tour guides dress according to the Victorian age and lead people through the darkness by a single lantern.
About 100 feet under the Earth’s surface, I scurried along behind the tour guide at Crystal Cave here in Kutztown. The rocky, jagged ceiling trickled runoff water that seeped through the cracked ground. Droplets splashed against the calcium build up called stalagmites. Each rock formation holds a story in Crystal Cave whether it’s positive or negative. Every aspect of the cave brings it to life and gives it some character.
William Merkel founded Crystal Cave with his partner, John Gehret, in 1871 on accident. The two were looking for limestone and instead discovered a small hole in the side of the mountain. A few days later, 12 men banded together and began exploring in the cave. To their astonishment, these guys found stalagmites, stalactites, speleothems, flowstone, and crystals. Hands felt around the different formations in the dark and abyss that is Crystal Cave.
After several years, geologists and professional scientists planning to study each feature in the cave visited Kutztown’s newfound attraction. On May 23, 1872, Samuel Kohler advertised for the grand opening of Crystal Cave to the public. Locals were able to enter the cave and were given matches, candles, and sometimes lamps so they could see their surroundings. At times, individuals got lost in the cave and had to wait for rescue teams. There haven't been any cases reported involving death in the cave, but many people have gotten injured. Over the years, safety rails and a solid floor were included in the cave’s remodeling to make it more accessible for visitors.
Throughout its discovery, the cave housed harvested crops, hosted weddings and parties, and now is a family attraction. Farmers needed a place to store their crops, however the cold, dark, and wet environment caused the crops to go bad and grow mold. On October 15, 1919, Marion Kurtz and Francis Finley had the first matrimonial ceremony in Crystal Cave and invited only close relatives and friends. People even managed to get a grand piano inside the cave’s “ballroom” with a built-in bar.
Today, the cave offers educational tours and activities, hotels and dining areas, and a souvenir shop for guests. The ghost tours, on the other hand, tell stories of the unusual incidents that occurred in the cave. Precautions are taken during both tours to preserve the cave; visitors are asked to keep their hands off the calcium carbonate formations.
Some formations include stalactites, which are spikes hanging from the ceiling of the cave where water drips down and forms the stalagmites beneath. It took millions of years to create these spooky structures. In the dark, you're forced to feel your way around, never knowing what will creep up from the off-limits section in the depths of this cave.
Earthquakes even played a part in the destruction of the cave’s ceiling. Stress fractures line the area where jagged rocky slabs fell from above and created obstacles for the early explorers. Walking through the cave gives off an eerie feeling as if the ceiling is about to come crashing down at any given moment.
By the end of the tour, most people decide to visit the souvenir shop and buy amethyst accented jewelry or decorative pieces. Crystal Cave is an interesting place for a daytime family trip where kids find little knick-knacks appealing and learn valuable information about caves and nature. In the cool, crisp October nights, Crystal Cave transforms into a bleak and mysterious illusion lit by one lantern.
