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Cumberland Caverns are more than one cave. Higgenbotham Cave or Higgenbotham's Cave was discovered in 1810 by the early surveyer Aaron Higgenbotham, who was trapped light went out ad had to be rescued after 3 days by a search party. Nearby Henshaw Cave was used for saltpeter mining both during the War of 1812 and the Civil War.
The 1945 exploration by the NSS led to the mapping the cave. A new entrance was found, and it was discovered that the 2 Tennessee caves belonged to the same system, only separated by an extensive breakdown. An artificial tunnel now connects the 2 parts of the cave.
Cumberland Caverns was developed and opened to the public in 1955. The tour includes the Higgenbotham and Henshaw Caves, the old saltpeter mining and some gigantic rooms, including an Underground Ballroom that seats 500 people and is available to groups and parties of 40 or more by reservation. |
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