The Entrance: a sinkhole, a cemetery gate and the old jail doors

The cave begins in the side of a hill, where a shallow sinkhole opens in the slope. You pass two gates on the way in, and both have a history. The first, at the top of the sinkhole, came from an old Springfield cemetery.

A flight of steps leads down to the entrance proper, where you walk through the old jail doors. They came from the old Springfield jail, where they hung as doors. Once you are through, the air settles at about 60 degrees, the same in July as in January.

What to know

• The entrance is a shallow hillside sinkhole with steps down to the cave.
• The gate at the top of the sinkhole came from an old Springfield cemetery.
• The doors at the entrance came from the old Springfield jail, where they were used as doors, not window bars.
• The cave stays about 60 degrees all year.

See it on the map Book a Tour

Position from the 1970 to 1971 survey, approximate.