The Cave



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  • The Cave Explorer tour offers the very best of caving, the ease, the light and the dark! Tour Duration: 1.5 Hrs. Difficulty: 1/5; Includes: Helmet and headlight. Excludes: Personal clothing and gear. Things to keep in mind before you book or join our tours. – Temperature inside the cave is low. We recommend all guests bring warm clothes.
  • The Cave (1,841) IMDb 5.1 1 h 37 min 2005 X-Ray PG-13 Featuring Cole Hauser (Pitch Black, 2 Fast 2 Furious), Piper Perabo (Coyote Ugly) and Morris Chestnut (The Brothers), this thrilling horror film follows a team of cave explorers who uncover a terrifying new species of creatures in caves deep underneath ancient ruins in Romania.

The Cave, is dedicated to creating a space of well being where you can relax, invigorate and cleanse your body, mind and soul. Let your stress melt away by enjoying treatments in our Finnish Sauna, Infrared Sauna, Eucalyptus Steam Room, Salt Inhalation Room, Herbal Inhalation Room, Kneipp Water Path, Tepidarium and relaxation areas. A hard-hitting documentary with imagery as powerful as its message, The Cave poses heartbreakingly urgent questions - and leaves them for the viewer to answer.

Article
  • Cave types
  • Evolution and demise of solution caves
  • Solution cave features
  • Karst topography
  • Volcanic and tectonic caves
    • Volcanic caves
      • Lava tubes
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Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
William B. White
Professor of Geochemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park. Author of Hydrology and Geomorphology of Karst Terrains.
Alternative Title: cavern
Cave

Cave, also called cavern, natural opening in the earth large enough for human exploration. Such a cavity is formed in many types of rock and by many processes. The largest and most common caves are those formed by chemical reaction between circulating groundwater and bedrock composed of limestone or dolomite. These caves, called solution caves, typically constitute a component of what is known as karst terrain. Named after the Karst region of the western Balkan Peninsula extending from Slovenia to Montenegro, karst terrain in general is characterized by a rough and jumbled landscape of bare bedrock ledges, deranged surface drainage, and sinkholes, as well as caves. It should be noted, however, that there is considerable variation among karst areas. Some may have dramatic surface landforms but few caves. By contrast, others may have extensive cave development with little surface expression; for example, the Guadalupe Mountains of New Mexico, the site of Carlsbad Caverns and various other caves, have very few surface karst features.

The cave sign

Karst landscapes are formed by the removal of bedrock (composed in most cases of limestone, dolomite, gypsum, or salt, but in some cases of such normally insoluble rocks as quartzite and granite) in solution through underground routes rather than through surface weathering and surface streams. As a result, much karst drainage is internal. Rainfall flows into closed depressions and down their drains. Further dissolution in the subsurface forms continuous conduits that serve as integrated drains for the rapid movement of underground water. The outlets for the water-carrying conduits often are springs of majestic size. Caves are fragments of such conduit systems, and some of them provide access to active streams. These caves may be completely water-filled; others are dry passages left behind by streams that cut to lower levels. Surface streams flowing from areas underlain by insoluble rock often sink when they reach the border of a karst region. These sinking streams form tributaries of the underground drainage system.

Cave types

Not all caves are part of karst landscapes. A substantial number of relatively small caves, called volcanic caves, are formed in lava and by the mechanical movement of bedrock. Other caves are formed in glaciers by the melting of ice. Still others are created by the erosive action of water and wind or from the debris of erosive processes; these are sea caves, eolian caves, rock shelters, and talus caves.

Glacier caves

These are long tunnels formed near the snouts of glaciers between the glacial ice and the underlying bedrock. Meltwater from the surface of a glacier drains downward through crevasses, which are enlarged to form shafts leading to the base of the glacier. Because the inlet water is slightly above the melting point of ice, it gradually melts the ice as it seeps along the base of the glacier.

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Glacier caves may reach lengths of several kilometres. Mature caves of this sort are tubular conduits, often with intricately sculptured walls. Some of them have a branching pattern. The floors of glacier caves usually consist of rock. Most glacier caves can be explored only when the surface is frozen; at other times they are filled with water.

Sea caves, eolian caves, rock shelters, and talus caves

Sea caves are formed by wave action on fractures or other weaknesses in the bedrock of sea cliffs along coastlines. They may be mere crevices in the cliff or roomy chambers. Some can be entered only by boat at low tide, while others, occurring along beaches, can be walked into. A sea cave may have an opening to the surface at its rear that provides access from the top of the cliff. In some cases, the ceiling entrance serves as a blowhole from which water spouts during times of high tide or rough seas. Sea caves rarely are more than a few hundred metres long.

Eolian caves are chambers scoured by wind action. They are common in desert areas where they are formed in massive sandstone cliffs. Wind sweeping around such a cavity erodes the walls, floor, and ceiling, resulting in a bottle-shaped chamber usually of greater diameter than the entrance. Eolian caves are rarely longer than a few tens of metres.

Rock shelters are produced by bedrock erosion in insoluble rocks. A common setting is where a resistant rock such as a sandstone overlies shale or some other relatively weak rock. Surface weathering or stream action wears away the shale, cutting it back into the hillside. The sandstone is left behind as a roof to the rock shelter. Rock shelters are minor features as caves, but many are important archaeological or historical sites.

Talus caves are openings formed between boulders piled up on mountain slopes. Most of them are very small both in length and in cross section. Some boulder piles, however, do have explorable interconnected “passages” of considerable length. Some of the largest talus caves occur among granite blocks in New York and New England, where integrated systems of passages between boulders have been mapped to lengths of several kilometres.

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Music + Adventure

The Caverns is a world renowned destination for live music and adventure caves open to explore and experience daily.

OUTDOORS & SOCIALLY DISTANCED: THE CAVERNS ABOVE GROUND AMPHITHEATER

Live music returns to Grundy County, Tennessee with St. Paul and The Broken Bones (April 23-24), Grace Potter, (April 30 & May 1), Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors (May 2), Goose (May 8-9), Last Podcast On The Left (May 14-15), Dailey & Vincent (May 16), moe. (May 21-22) Margo Price (May 28), Punch Brothers (June 4), Mandolin Orange (June 5-6), The Wood Brothers (June 11-12), Crowder (June 19), Twiddle (June 20), Trampled by Turtles (June 25-26), Lettuce (July 16-17). These concerts will be outdoors and in socially distanced 2-person, 4-person and 6-person pods.

NOW OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK FOR CAVE TOURS

Experience a walking tour where only a few cavers have gone before! The Caverns has opened to the public a new otherworldly cave for daily guided tours. Explore an underground room 3 football fields long! Hear about geology, cave lore, and the unique history of Grundy County. Plus, our daily tours will take you behind-the-scenes of The Caverns world famous music venue and end with a photo op on the iconic stage. Want to go deeper? Challenge yourself with an Adventure Cave Tour.

The Greatest Show (Under) Earth

In Grundy County, Tennessee at the base of the Cumberland Plateau in the timeless Pelham valley, you’ll find a naturally-occurring subterranean amphitheater inside The Caverns. This singular place has become a must-see destination for music fans from all over the world. Dive into our calendar, you’re sure to find a concert to inspire your underground musical adventure. A concert in a cave—that’s an experience you never forget!

The Cavern Mc

HOME OF BLUEGRASS UNDERGROUND

Taped deep within the subterranean amphitheater of The Caverns, Bluegrass Underground is a musical adventure series on PBS featuring both long-established and emerging artists within a broad spectrum of genres including roots-rock, jam band, R&B, country, soul, folk, Americana and bluegrass.

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Featured Shows

Check out our lineup and packages and curate your trip to The Caverns. Click on the 'View All' button to see our full line-up. Remember any day below ground is a good day.

  • 3:00pm
  • US$55–US$75

Packages

Package descriptions below are general descriptions. For detailed information see the specific description for the show you'd like to purchase tickets/packages for here.

The Monteagle Mountain Stay & Cave Package

The Cave Ps3

Monteagle Mountain, just a fifteen-minute drive to The Caverns, is known for it’s serene beauty and peaceful mountain air.

The Manchester Valley Stay & Cave Package

Manchester, Tennessee is just a short country drive to The Caverns and is known for its local amenities with close proximity to great outdoor attractions.

The Deep Dive Package

For those taking a day trip to The Caverns who are looking to maximize their experience and value—this is the package for you.

The Underground Package

Take advantage of your day trip to The Caverns with guaranteed good seats and get an unforgettable value for your trek underground. Only offered on seated shows.

The caverns pelham tn

Caves Near Nashville Tn

Featured Videos

Common Questions

The Cave Movie

Dive into some common questions most of our guests have, come prepared, and get ready for an experience of the lifetime.

How Can I Purchase Tickets?

How Much Are Tickets?

Each show is priced differently; please see our ticketing page here for show pricing.

How Do I Get My Tickets?

All tickets are emailed to you. Please print your tickets prior to coming to the venue. If you’re unable to print your tickets please go to Will Call located at the Welcome Center.

I bought a package, now what?

Once you purchase your package sit back, relax and let us do the rest! Watch your email for your show specific package details.