Organ Cave to appear on History Channel in April

By Christian Giggenbach
Register-Herald reporter

Tue, May 13 2008

— Greenbrier County’s Organ Cave, the second-longest commercial cave on the East Coast and the site many regard as the birthplace of American paleontology, will be featured next month on the History Channel’s “Cities of the Underworld.”
Owner Janie Morgan said History Channel film crews contacted her after visiting the Web site www.organcave.com and learning about the unique history of the cave. Thomas Jefferson presented the bones of the first pre-historic three-toed sloth that were found in Organ Cave, Morgan said, and evidence suggests Native Americans visited the cave as early as 8000 B.C.
“The film crews were inside the commercial section of the cave for about 12 hours,” Morgan said Wednesday. “This was one of the nicest camera crews we have had in here, and Don Wildman was a wonderful host.”
The television series follows Wildman as he travels from country to country and city to city uncovering archaeological and cultural history beneath the streets around the world. Wildman has also featured The Greenbrier Bunker on his show.
Organ Cave is a Natural National Landmark and a National Historic Landmark which features 300 feet of water, has a depth of 486 feet and is more than 45 miles long. The cave takes its name from a huge calcite formation found inside which resembles a church organ.
The surrounding community is also called Organ Cave.
The episode is scheduled to air at 9 p.m. April 7.
For more information, contact the Greenbrier County Convention and Visitors Bureau at 645-1000 or Morgan at 645-7600.