Last updated: February 9, 2022
Person
Jenny Lind
Library of Congress
Quick Facts
Significance:
Famous international singer who visited Mammoth Cave in the mid 1800’s and has a cave formation named after her
Place of Birth:
Stockholm, Sweden
Date of Birth:
October 6, 1820
Place of Death:
Wynd's Point in Herefordshire, England
Date of Death:
November 2, 1887
Place of Burial:
Worcestershire, England
Cemetery Name:
Great Malvern Cemetery
Jenny Lind, known as the "Swedish Nightingale," was a worldwide singing sensation who visited Mammoth Cave with her tour company on March 31, 1851. The famous opera singer was a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. She visited Mammoth Cave while on a 1850-1852 North American Tour that was promoted by famed showman Phineas Taylor (PT) Barnum. On her arrival to the United States more than 30,000 admirers greeted her in New York as she disembarked from the steamship Atlantic.
It is likely that Lind made an impression on the cave guides during her time in the cave. A well-known natural cave feature found in Gothic Avenue was originally known as the “Devil's Armchair,” but was renamed “Jenny Lind’s Armchair” after Lind sat in the stone seat while on her cave tour. It is unknown if Lind sang while inside Mammoth Cave, but the cave’s acoustics are well suited for musicians and singers alike. Only the cave walls know what happened on that day over 170 years ago.
Lind would go on to perform for thousands of cheering fans in Boston, Philadelphia, Memphis, St. Louis and Nashville as well as other venues while on her tour. She gave her final U.S. performance at the Castle Garden in New York City on May 24, 1852 before returning to Europe.