Mammoth Cave's miles of hollow halls were already thousands of years old when the first human beings came on the scene, and the Cave stands as a natural wonder in its own right.  But grandeur and fascination, awe and wonder, fear and courage, trepidation and daring – those feelings that have given the Cave its power to inspire millions – are a human contribution.

The people who have come to Mammoth Cave over the years represent a crazy-quilt of backgrounds, native and foreign, young and old, rich and poor, sacred and mercenary.  Let these pages introduce you to some of the characters, communities, and cultures that have made Mammoth Cave a part of themselves, and left their mark in return.