This story originally appeared in The Centre County Gazette.
WOODWARD — Tucked into the rolling landscape of Penns Valley, Woodward Cave has spent the last century quietly doing what it has always done best: inviting people to slow down, step inside and rediscover a sense of wonder.
This year, the cave marks its 100th anniversary. It’s a milestone that feels less like a finish line and more like a continuation of a story that began long before 1926.
“Before the cave was open for commercial operations, locals would actually go to that farmer’s house and knock on the door and he would get a kerosene lamp and they would like go through with like a lantern,” said Dave Wigfield, director of marketing and business development.
What is now a structured, guided experience started as little more than curiosity and courage. By the late 1800s, the cave had already become a local point of intrigue. But it wasn’t until 1924 that Ollie Hosterman, owner of the Woodward Inn, saw its potential as a destination.
With automobiles opening up travel in the 1920s, Hosterman purchased the land and began transforming the cave into something the public could experience. The work was as ambitious as it was grueling.
Until then, Pine Creek ran directly through the cave, making much of it inaccessible. Hosterman and his crew, working with “nothing but shovels and mules and wagons,” diverted the creek through a nearly mile-long canal they dug by hand. They then spent two years clearing clay and debris from the cavern before installing lighting.
In the spring of 1926, Woodward Cave officially opened to the public.
Nearly a century later, that same sense of discovery remains intact. Only now, it’s paired with scale that continues to surprise first-time visitors.
“A lot of people are really surprised at just how big the cave is,” Wigfield said. “We are one of the very largest caves in Pennsylvania.”
From the moment guests step inside, the cave challenges expectations. The ceilings near the entrance reach 25 feet, but deeper inside, the space expands into massive chambers.
“We’re talking about vaulted ceilings that are over 50 feet high,” Wigfield said.
The tour itself spans nearly a half-mile and takes about an hour, winding through excavated passages that reveal both the cave’s size and its intricate formations. Among them is the Tower of Babel, the largest stalagmite in Pennsylvania, standing more than 14 feet tall and still growing.
Beyond its visual impact, the cave also plays a quiet but significant role in Pennsylvania’s ecosystem.
Woodward Cave serves as the largest bat hibernacula in the state, hosting roughly 1,500 bats this past year. That number, while impressive, reflects a population still recovering from white-nose syndrome, a disease that has devastated bat populations across North America.
“We had about 5,500 bats estimated at our highest,” Wigfield said. “And then when white-nose syndrome came through, they only counted 34 bats that winter.”
Today, the cave is actively monitored by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, which conducts surveys and tracks bat health. Its colder-than-average temperature — about 48 degrees — and unique geography make it especially important as a refuge.
“This is a very ecologically special place,” Wigfield said. “Both for what it has currently and also for what it promises in the future.”
Still, for many visitors, the science is only part of the experience. What stays with them is something harder to measure.
Every summer, Wigfield watches as people arrive, step out of their cars and pause.
“They get out of their car and the first thing they do … you can see them just exhale,” he said. “They’re like, ‘wow, I’m kind of, I’m in a natural place and I’m just here, I’m just present.’”
In a world driven by screens and constant noise, that moment of stillness has become part of the cave’s appeal.
“A lot of people walk away, they feel kind of almost rejuvenated,” Wigfield said.
For some families, the impact runs even deeper. Wigfield recalled moments when parents shared how the cave created unexpected connections.
“’We’ve never seen him like this,’” he said, recalling one family’s experience with their child who lit up from the experience. “You realize in that moment, this is bigger than what you thought.”
Those moments of awe, especially among young visitors, are what continue to define the cave’s purpose.
“You’re underground in this natural wonder that’s taken millions of years to form and it’s still growing,” Wigfield said. “You can see them being actively inspired and filled with awe.”
As Woodward Cave celebrates its centennial, it is also looking ahead.
The cave will be open daily from Memorial Day through Labor Day, with a campground operating from April 15 to Oct. 15. This summer will also introduce new community-focused events, including Friday night live music paired with local food trucks and extended evening cave tours.
“It’s a community focus,” Wigfield said.
Saturday mornings will bring a new farmers market to the property, adding to a growing local effort to connect residents with Penns Valley’s agricultural roots. And on Aug. 15, the cave will host its second annual Woodward Cave Day, featuring music, food, activities and discounted tours as part of the 100-year celebration.
Through it all, the mission remains simple.
“Every time we have a visitor out here, our biggest goal is that they walk away feeling enriched by their experience,” Wigfield said. “We want them to feel educated, inspired and connected.”
One hundred years after lantern-lit tours led by a farmer, Woodward Cave is still doing exactly that by offering not just a look underground, but a rare chance to step away, breathe and feel something real.
