The Cave House Museum of Mining & Geology has opened a new room that features wildlife and insect exhibits, including a special exhibit of local bats.
A section of the room also is designated in-house reading area – a precursor for the yet-to-be-completed Benson P. Guenther Library, named for the museum’s late education director and member of its board of directors.
“Eventually, the full library will be on the second floor of the facility,” said Howe Caverns general manager and museum board vice president Robert Holt.
“Until that time, we’re delighted to have been able to open this room and offer people the opportunity to enjoy a reading area that includes such topics as geology and paleontology.”
The books are from Mr. Guenther’s collection.
The new room is in a wing of the Cave House that was heavily damaged by the tornado in 1989. As a result of the tornado, this wing was just a small shell with no roof and completely open to the elements.
“Much work has been done by many people to get us to this point,” said the museum’s honorary curator, Richard Nethaway.
The room where the wildlife items were previously displayed is now devoted mining as well as rock, gem and mineral displays.
A new blacktop educational exhibit is coming soon.
The non-profit Cave House Museum is open through Labor Day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from noon-5pm. After Labor Day and through Columbus Day, the museum is open on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5pm.
Admission is free.
Donations are welcome.
For additional information about The Cave House Museum, call Mr. Holt at 296-8900 or visit www.howecaverns.com /cavehousemuseum.
The museum is housed in the former Cave House Hotel, built out of cut limestone about 1872, and is located next to the original entrance to Howe Caverns. The Museum is surrounded by a working stone quarry.
Land for the museum project was donated by Cobleskill Stone Products, which also has contributed labor and equipment for the project. The company’s efforts have been assisted by the New York Construction Materials Association.
The museum project is funded primarily through donations and fundraising efforts.