- Squire Boone Caverns
Squire Boone Caverns and Village is a cavern exploration attraction in
Mauckport, Indiana (near Corydon inSouthern Indiana ). The park consists of a one-hour walking tour into the caverns, as well as a working pioneer village andgrist mill .Park's History
The cave was first discovered by
Daniel Boone and his brother,Squire Boone , as they were hiding from Indians in the late 1700s. Squire would come back later to purchase the land and live near the caves in 1808 and start a mill at the site. The mill is on theIndiana Register of Historic Sites and Structures and still operates today. [http://www.in.gov/dnr/historic/bin/srlistnew.pdf] Squire Boone died in 1815 and, having so loved the caverns, requested to be buried in them, and was buried near the entrance to the cave. His remains were moved in the 20th century because of construction near his burial site and it's continual disturbance by relic hunters. The coffin, which contained only bones, was moved deeper into the caverns.The Park
The Village
The caverns are open year round, while the village and
grist mill are open only during thesummer months. The pioneer village includes an old fashion candy shop, a building wheresoap is made fromlard , a chandlers house werecandle s are made by hand dipping, and a country store. The products made in the village are marketed nationally and can be purchased in many part of the country includingDisney World . Everything made in the village is done the "old fashioned way", by hand.The company which owns the caverns also run the Squire Boone Caverns' factory in New Albany, just off
I-265 , where hand dipped candles are mass produced.Cave Tour
The tour of the cave is conducted by experienced guides on lighted walkways with minimal stairs. The tour starts with a short walk through the woods to a man-made entrance of the cavern. The cave's tour includes such sights as a major underground river who's outlet and source is unknown, massive stalactite and stalagmite formations (which are not to be touched), a large open central cavern, several narrow areas, a large underground waterfall, several interesting rock formations, and at the end the coffin of Squire Boone and elevator leading out of the cave and into the general store where the tour began.
Gallery
References
External links
* [http://www.squireboonecaverns.com Official Site]
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