Quarry Hill Cave - Rochester, MN
N 44° 01.687 W 092° 26.091
15T E 545289 N 4875151
This cave entrance is located at Quarry Hill Nature Center in northeast Rochester, Minnesota. It was the former location of the Rochester State Hospital and was once an active quarry.
Waymark Code: WMBMP2
Location: Minnesota, United States
Date Posted: 06/03/2011
Views: 7
Text from marker:
At the end of this trail you will find the entrance to the Quarry Hill Cave, a man-made structure dug into the soft Saint Peter Sandstone in the late 1800's. It was originally constructed to store food, the cave served as a refrigerator for the produce raised, stored and eaten by the patients residing at the State Hospital.
The first section of the cave was a horseshoe shaped tunnel approximately 250 feet around with a series of cubicles dug off the main tunnel. Each cubicle, 8 feet wide by 8 feet deep, was used to store produce raised on the nearby State Hospital farm. Two larger rooms, the Apple Room and the Butter Room were used to store these items.
After the original horseshoe shaped cave was completed, an additional arm approximately 100 feet long was added, leaving three entrances to the cave secured by heavy wooden doors. When the cave was abandoned in favor of modern refrigeration, the doors were removed and the cave was left open until 1992. At that time it was decided , in order to preserve the cave for future use, that two of the doors should be closed off with lime stone walls an the third secured with a locked steel gate. Holes in the limestone walls were left to allow access for cave creatures such as bats.
Since that time the cave has been used extensively by Quarry Hill classes throughout the year, as well as the critters that live in the cave, including hibernating bats, crickets, spiders,months, centipedes and mosquitoes. Cave tours for the general public are offered starting from the Nature Center. Check the office for dates and times.
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Visit Instructions:
• Include a photo of the Artificial Cave if possible.