Talk:Crystal Cavern

what cavers in 80s said

This cave was supposedly closed because of a mudslide that blocked and sealed the main shaft not far from the entrance ( what year this happened, I don't know ). The mudslide was caused by heavy rains in the area years ago. The rains saturated the valley floor behind the caverns to the point that the wall of the cave fractured allowing the mud to pour in. Cavers I have talked to that visited the site sometime in the 80's , said you could only go down about 50 feet or so until you ran into the dirt wall that was once the beginning of the mudslide. At that time, there wasn't really anything to see at this site other than what little exterior remains existed.

Tags

The whole article seems to be in a poor tone, and no sources are cited. Jmlk17 04:13, 19 April 2007 (UTC)

Personal material removed from article

This (properly) deleted material might be useful to a later editor:

"My mother and step father owned this place and I grew up there around 1950/60s then she sold it. and later moved back there. . Velma burlison/ed burlison. I helped with the building the steps inside and up the hill. the cave at one time had a musem and living togather in the early 50s. and was burned down. then a small house was built there. now just a part of a slab . and was used a B B Q place after the house was gone. I was a guide for many years there and there are lots of floors never opened. and was blocked off by a guy named marion jim Kelley who had it in the late 40s. the steps inside was burnt after my mom sold it.my sister had her picture on a post card there in 1955 on the shelf you walked under. we had lots of damage done by local people at that time. and the wiring was removed for scrap by a local there with out permission . The last I was there was about 1995. and was closed up . any one need more info E mail me garbiker@hotmail.com (al garner)now in minnesota. there was lots of stuff put in the cave in case of a air raid ."

No, I didn't write this material. Piano non troppo (talk) 23:15, 8 September 2009 (UTC)

Cave info updated 2010

The Cave is not caved in, nor is it owned by Alabama Power. The land owner lives near the cave now also. I talked with him today, and hes very nice. The local caving clubs go in the cave once a year. I'm going with the owner tomorrow to take pics and to look around the cave. The cave is also gated off, bob wire and game cameras hidden to catch trespassers. Seems like theres alot of bad info on the cave now. Maybe to keep people out. Any more info, contact me Flyinty@aol.com —Preceding unsigned comment added by 12.181.24.83 (talk) 06:32, 21 January 2010 (UTC)

This information is correct. The current owner is still having problems with locals vandalizing the property. He has went to great lengths to keep out trespassers, but they seem to still find other ways to enter the area. I went inside the cave around 2001 with the current owner. The stairs have been replaced and lights have been strung so you can see along the path. You can only go into the cave a couple of hundred yards or so standing up. I have never seen any paperwork to back up the history of the cave, just tales from the locals. Shriner1961 (talk) 20:18, 21 December 2011 (UTC). Zamora Park, Clay, Alabama.

Accuracy?

Is anything in this verifiable? Name, location, ownership, history? It all seems to be unconfirmed hearsay. Fences&Windows 20:39, 8 March 2011 (UTC)

I cannot speak for others but, I grew up in those parts in the 60's and we ventured into the cave once. It is in Clay, Alabama and I recall it had Civil Defense Fallout Shelter signs posted on the entrance and food stuffs and water inside.(vandalized and burned). We did not venture far into the cave for fear of carbon monoxide poisoning. Clark Hinds Cehinds (talk) 21:45, 19 April 2012 (UTC)

Comment The existence of the cave and some info about it is reported by town of Clay, Alabama at this webpage. It exists. I am adding this source and removing the "no sources" tag on the article. --doncram 02:25, 22 January 2016 (UTC)

Past thoughts on cave

I lived there one summer into September when a young teen (I am 76 now) and my Mom and stepfather ran the gift shop
I was a tourist guide. I haven't gone back into the cave since. A lot about the cave many don't realize. The archeologist from the government invited me to go not just into the cave itself but others . I also don't know if more of the cave were ever opened up or not in it.At this time the military had used it before. Near to the lake was where you could get to a beautiful location for the beautiful crystal in there
My ex husband said they were storing lots of military equipment and things in there who lived near it a few years back. It had two opening if you crawled. I moved to Michigan after I left Alabama. So I am curious about this mud slide. I have not been there in so many years I wonder about it. The back end of that opening often would be deep in mud. It is a very pretty cave. I am sad to hear, about the mud slide. I always hoped from the maps they would join it into a cave very close it. I know without any doubt the archeologist felt they should be able to do more by opening up certain spaces. I had wanted to stay longer but I moved to Michigan. . ~2025-35767-25 (talk) 00:03, 24 November 2025 (UTC)

Hello. Did you by any chance retain anything from that era that could be used to illustrate the article? (eg: personal photos of entrance / interior that you could release under a free licence, or a brochure cover or postcard or similar that could be used under a Wikipedia:Non-free_content exception) ^~Hydronium^~Hydroxide^~(Talk)~ 00:35, 24 November 2025 (UTC)