Laurel Caverns — Attraction in Georges Township

What a great place to visit! Free parking, inexpensive tours, and plenty of options of difficulty levels. If you're on the fence about going, I'll say, it's a great time, and I learned so much about how these caverns are and the science behind how it became to be what it is today. It's truly an incredible world we live in! The self guided tour was very fun. It really is pretty impossible to get turned around too much in there. Children would be fine here, and there were a bunch on the tour I took. The least expensive ticket included a guided tour and a self guided portion where you can walk down 17 stories (about a half mile), but if you're in it for the full cave dive, you're looking at 4 miles of caves! I must say, the walk back up walk quite the hike (even on the half mile trip). There are a few areas that are a tight fit. You're not gonna get a walker or stroller through the easiest guided part of the tour, and definitely not gonna get it through the self guided part. A walking stick or a cane would be fine, but you'll likely be scraping or leaning on rock surfaces to get through. There are some moderately aggressive angles on the ascent back to the finish, but there is a resting area near the top of the longest part of the trek, so you can reward yourself with a break when you get there. I had a little bit of asthma trouble coming back up, so bring your inhalers people!

I was delighted to speak with author, and President of the Laurel Caverns Conservancy, David Cale, about the history of the caverns. In our conversation David explained how this cavern is unique; not for simply being the largest calcareous sandstone cave in the northeastern United States, but is it also unique for being a site that allows visitors to freely explore, self-supervised in areas. We are lucky to have access to such a natural wonder, seeing as how between 2 and 3M of years ago this may likely have been part of the ocean floor of the Mississippian sea; likely a beach with a ≈360M year old stone structure. It is simply astonishing to see.

By the way, the gift shop is great! They have the typical stuff you can plan on seeing, like shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and commemorative refrigerator magnets... They also have some similar things that seem to be contrived from other popular landmarks and historical places, like the random stones that aren't actually found there, stuffed animals, postcards, little trinkets that keep the kids busy, but for the awesome part... they sell head lamps and other lighting solutions, large geode pieces like huge chunks of amethyst, strong magnets, and a ton of other really cool things, like artifacts, and fossils (some not for sale). The kicker is how reasonable the costs are! I bought more here than I did at Serpent Mound a day earlier and...

"Best Non-Batcave this Batman has ever visited!"

Every operative needs auxiliary bases. While Wayne Manor has its Batcave, my travels led me to Laurel Caverns, Pennsylvania's largest show cave. A natural fortress of sandstone, it presents a compelling alternative. The mission begins with a descent into the chilly air of the upper caverns. Initial passages feature sculpted sandstone and garish colored lights, culminating in an underwhelming "light and sound show." It was an assault on the senses—primarily patience. This flurry of lights to a generic soundtrack lacked the tactical precision of a true psychological operation; the Riddler’s feeblest puzzles are more stimulating. On the self-guided tour, after navigating a section of the cavern, its most perplexing feature is revealed: a grand, steep staircase plunging deeper, bizarrely illuminated by a series of chandeliers. Yes, chandeliers. A design choice so audaciously out of place, I suspect the Joker was their interior decorator. The logistics of battling humidity to keep them shining is a villainous task itself; Alfred would never approve of the dusting. The effect is a jarring plunge from natural wonder to a subterranean ballroom. My field intel confirmed this is not hyperbole: the staff hosted two weddings here the week prior. "'Til death do us part" takes on geological permanence in such a venue. The guest list must have been limited to those with sound footing and an appreciation for the dramatic. The cave maintains a chilly 52, a refreshing change from a humid night but chilling for the unprepared.

Detective Tips: • Mission Attire: A jacket is standard operating procedure. • Tactical Footwear: Sturdy, closed-toe shoes with reliable grip are essential on the wet, uneven paths. • Choose Your Difficulty: Spelunking tours offer a greater challenge than the standard guided tour. • Strategic Infiltration: Visit on a weekday to avoid crowds.

BEWARE OF... • The Underwhelming Spectacle: The light show is a low point. Use this time to meditate on your mission. • Treacherous Terrain: The wet sandstone is extremely slippery; a fall on the steep staircase would be a significant tactical disadvantage. One shudders to think of navigating it in formal wear. • Confined Spaces: Some passages are narrow and not for the claustrophobic. • Conservation Directives: Do not touch the formations; the oils on your hands cause...

I've only been to one other cavern which was in 9hio and I have to say that although this place was cool I did like the other cavern better. We paid for the guided tour which was not super expensive, however, it wasn't very long and definitely has changed since the last time my boyfriend was here. This wasy first time but my boyfriend had done the tour here in the past and said that they cut it quite short from where they took him the last time. It was slightly underwhelming but we still did both enjoy our time here. It was a cool cavern and had some cool aspects and it wasn't terribly difficult for us to do. They do have a longer, more difficult, 2.5 mile tour you can choose to do but we did not do that. You can also choose to do a self guided tour as well but my boyfriend felt I would enjoy the information, which he was right, I did like learning about the caverns and felt the guide told us some pretty interesting stuff. I think this would be a nice stop for most couples, families with children or even those with minor health issues that can't do the more difficult caverns. The easier tour was only 17 stories back up to the top after going down which wasn't too hard even for myself with asthma and other health issues. I would make sure, as most should know, to take a jacket or sweatshirt because the temperature in the cavern was only 52 degrees so you might be chilly if you get cold in cooler temps. Also, I'd advise wearing boots or shoes that allow you to get good traction as it is wet and...