Exhibit Planning, Design, and Installation
at Mammoth Cave National Park

Mammoth Cave National Park boasts an incredible 390 miles of explored passageways—the longest known cave system in the world—and explorers aren’t done mapping yet. Having one of the world’s most diverse ecosystems and having been explored 4,000 years ago, new interpretive exhibits were developed to tell the park’s natural, cultural and historic stories. The newly reconstructed visitor center is LEED certified at the gold level.

Harpers Ferry Center contracted for the exhibit planning and design, and then creatively managed the project to utilize American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding to complete fabrication for these new exhibits. The exhibits utilize panoramic aerial photos to point out the many sinkholes that feed the cave. Iconic graphics as well as dioramas, animal models, and audiovisual programs reach people with different learning styles. Audio description enables visitors with varying abilities to come away with a sense of wonder and curiosity about Mammoth Cave.

A tactile model of a section of the cave enables sighted and blind visitors to see and feel the interconnected passageways. A railing demonstrates the length of the cave, with each inch of railing representing a linear mile. A limestone road-cut, limestone and sandstone formations, cave and Green River cross-sections, cave formations, and even a crawl space give visitors a sampling of the underground experiences. This is especially important for visitors with mobility impairments, claustrophobia, or time constraints.