When Indiana Caverns opened June 15th, 2013 it was the culmination of a very long year of backbreaking work underground. Although the original plan called for a development phase that required less than a year, the grueling project lasted 380 days.
Now, less than one year after opening American’s newest show cave in Indiana’s longest cave system, developer Gary Roberson has published a book detailing the process.
Roberson was no stranger to the show cave industry when he initiated the project. He developed Squire Boone Caverns while working a full-time job in investments from 1971 to 1973, then co-owned and operated Marengo Cave for 28 years.
For years Roberson had dreamed of developing a section of the Binkley Cave system near Corydon In. In 2012, after visiting a section of a cave discovered in 2010, Roberson knew he had found the section of the cave he dreamed of sharing with visitors.
The 279-page book follows the story of one man’s dream to the reality of the first new show cave in Indiana in 40 years.
Reviewer Danny Brass said, “It is a tale of obsession, frustration, anger, financial insecurity, physical adversity, hopelessness and emotional despair as seemingly insurmountable obstacles rose to challenge those with the audacity to believe that such a task….could be accomplished by a handful of workers operating on a shoestring budget in a limited window of time.”
The new book is available on Amazon as well as from Indiana Caverns Giftshop.
Indiana Caverns is open daily at 9 am and located just 4 miles from Exit 105 off I 64.