Black-Coffey Caverns

Baker Caverns

Useful Information

Location:	6242 Warm Spring Rd, Greencastle, PA 17225. Franklin County. Williamson, halfway between Greencastle and Mercersburg, PA. (39.841033, -77.803620)
Open:	One weekend per month. See online reservation. [2023]
Fee:	donations accepted. [2023]
Classification:	Karst cave
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:	L=1,000 m.
Guided tours:	D=45 min, L=1,000 m.
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Black-Coffey Caverns, 6242 Warm Spring Rd, Greencastle, PA 17225, Tel: +1-717-496-6260. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1830	cave discovered.
1932	opened to the public.
1954	closed to the public.
2021	cave reopened with limited open hours.

Description

Black-Coffey Caverns is the new name of a historic show cave. It was open to the public from 1932 to 1954 under the name Baker Caverns. After it was closed the small ticket office was replaced by a normal house. The current owner opens the cave under the title open house, to enter the cave visitors have to walk through her home. As a result this cave is open only on "open houses" scheduled typically one weekend a month. They offer snacks and drinks, and accept donations. The number of visitors is restricted, so they have online reservation, and it's a good idea to book early, as they are often booked out.

According to legend the cave was discovered in 1830 when a horse fell into a sinkhole, which created an opening to the cave. Others say that it was found during quarrying operations. The land was owned by John Coffey and he allowed people to visit the cave. Many left their names on the walls.

M.L. Burgan came to Franklin County around 1930 in search of a cave he could open as a tourist attraction. He heard about this cave, leased the land from the J. Baker Limestone Company. As a result he named his new venture Baker Caverns. He developed the cave and opened it to the public in 1932. Later Bethlehem Steel purchased thousands of acres in the area for limestone mining, which included the cave. They closed the cave on Labor Day in 1954. Fortunately they never mined the limestone here, otherwise the cave would have been destroyed.

Later the old entrance building was replaced by a modern house. In 2021 the current owner and inhabitant of the house had the idea to reopen the cave. The light system is gone, if there ever was one, but the trails are still there and in surprisingly good shape. The cave was renamed Black-Coffey Caverns after John Coffey who owned the land when it was discovered.