If he could light a match and recite the Greek alphabet backwards before the match went out, the brothers would happily escort him to the surface. Otherwise, the pledge had to use the matches to find his way out from this deepest room in the cave. During Prohibition, bootleggers made and stored alcohol in this large, cool room, safe from the prying eyes of the police. Tour guides give visitors a brief introduction to fluorescent minerals in the Breakdown Room. Fluorescent minerals naturally glow brilliant colors when exposed to ultraviolet light.
Bridges lead over the rushing current of the Lost River into a wonderland of formations.
A stalactite dubbed the Giant Ear of Corn dominates the upside-down landscape of the Inverted Forest. Fragile soda straws dangle from the ceiling. Needle-thin aragonite crystals fill cavities. Pure calcite forms white knobs on the cavern walls. The cavern roof appears fuzzy in spots thanks to the sheer volume of delicate formations.