Bethlehem Cave
Bethlehem Cave in South Dakota is the oldest tourist cave in the Black Hills. It received its first visitors in 1890. For many years, Bethlehem Cave was part of a monastery and closed to the public. Today it is part of a 180 acre retreat and includes rustic lodging facilities.
Bethlehem Cave – A Description
Bethlehem Cave has numerous speleothems, but once it had much more. Keith and Allabaugh, the owners of the cave, built an artificial cave on the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The "miniature cave", located under the floor of the Horticultural Building, filled a room of 18 to 25 meters. The original description includes: "300,000 lbs. ... of stalactites, stalagmites, onyx, geodic crystals, dogtooth spar, and sparkling botryoidally masses; of cave pearls, flos Ferri, aragonite and drip-stone stained by oxidation in as many colors as the rainbow..."
The owners are said to have made a small fortune from their five-cent admission charge and the sale of specimens during and after the Fair. It seems they sold crystal specimens in fairs and exhibitions until 1910.
Fortunately the cave is really big, and contains an enormous amount of speleothems, so it is still very impressive.
Bethlehem Cave was originally named Crystal Cave, and was so successful in the 1920s and 1930s that many commercial caves in the United States were renamed or at the very least added a "Crystal" to their name.
Bethlehem Cave – Quick Statistics
Time Needed: One to two hours
Highlights: Former Monastery, chapel in cave
Directions: East on US16A from Keystone then east on US16 to I-90. West on I 90 to Exit 40 West. Follow frontage road west to County Road 168 Bethlehem Road) then west about 4 miles.
Contact: Lodge, PO Box 592, Black Hawk, SD, 57711
Keystone, SD Weather
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