Crystal Cave was discovered on November 12, 1871, while John Gehret and William Merkel were in the process of extracting limestone from a steep hill near Kutztown, Pennsylvania for use by neighboring farmers to improve the quality of their fields. After setting off a dynamite charge to free the limestone, they noticed that they had created a hole large enough to walk through. Almost immediately after word broke about their find, locals began entering the cave to explore it, frequently removing the calcite and aragonite crystals and rock specimens they found there as prized souvenirs.
Crystal Cave was discovered on November 12, 1871, while John Gehret and William Merkel were in the process of extracting limestone from a steep hill near Kutztown, Pennsylvania for use by neighboring farmers to improve the quality of their fields. After setting off a dynamite charge to free the limestone, they noticed that they had created a hole large enough to walk through. Almost immediately after word broke about their find, locals began entering the cave to explore it, frequently removing the calcite and aragonite crystals and rock specimens they found there as prized souvenirs.