Mammoth Cave National Park will sponsor a cemetery workshop again this fall on October 29.  Please note the venues are outside the park; these events are open to the public and free of charge.  Free Discovery/Mammoth Passage cave tours will also be offered October 29 to residents of Edmonson, Hart, Barren and Warren counties.

“In October and November, we set our sights on local history and our local residents,” said Superintendent Patrick Reed.  “The workshops on genealogy and cemeteries have become a tradition with local folks.  As thanks for their support to the park, we will offer free Discovery or Mammoth Passage tours on October 29 to residents of our local counties.”

On October 29, 2011, the park will hold a Cemetery Workshop at the Brownsville Public Library, beginning at 9:00 a.m.  Morning sessions will include discussion of the park cemeteries and how to learn more about them, and care and repair of headstones.  Following a short lunch break, the field portion of the workshop will be conducted in the afternoon in Brownsville and should conclude no later than 3:00 p.m. For more information, contact Ranger Johnny Merideth at 270/758-2439, or by email at johnny_merideth@nps.gov.  Participants should wear long pants, sturdy boots, and insect repellant, as the cemetery may be overgrown with thick vegetation and this is a working field exercise.

On October 29, free guided Mammoth Passage tours will depart from the visitor center at 10:45, 11:30, 12:30, 1:30, 3:00, and 4:30; the tour is limited to 40 people.

Visitors must bring proof of residency (driver’s license or utility bill) and pick up their free tickets at visitor center ticket office prior to tour times.

Visitors taking the Discovery cave tour should allow at least 30 minutes for the tour, a ¾-mile round trip from the visitor center.  Mammoth Passage is a ¾-mile, 1¼ hour cave tour.  Both tours require a walk down and up the hill below the visitor center, as well as 68 steps at the Historic Entrance.

Note:  tour requirements regarding white-nose syndrome (WNS) in bats:

While there are no known harmful effects to humans, WNS is responsible for the deaths of more than a million hibernating bats across the eastern United States since its discovery in 2006. WNS has not been found in Mammoth Cave to date, however, park staff are taking precautions to minimize the spread of WNS fungus to or from Mammoth Cave.  When going on a Mammoth Cave tour, do not wear clothing or shoes that have been worn in other caves or mines.  All participants on cave tours must walk on bio-security mats immediately following the conclusion of their tour.