Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States New York State New York City Howes Cave Secret Caverns

Secret Caverns

Discovered by cows, these upstate New York show caves are presented with a healthy dose of psychedelic folk art.

Howes Cave, New York

Added By
Eric Grundhauser
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Secret Caverns   Christopher Paulin on Flickr
The spot where the cows first fell into the caves.   Hsin-Cheng Lin on Flickr
The spot where the cows first fell into the caves.   Hsin-Cheng Lin on Flickr
The waterfall.   Hsin-Cheng Lin on Flickr
  annaliesethegnome / Atlas Obscura User
August 5, 2017   sharondee98 / Atlas Obscura User
Aug 5, 2017   sharondee98 / Atlas Obscura User
  Traveler Tim / Atlas Obscura User
Waterfall inside Secret Cave   Spatial Mind / Atlas Obscura User
Deep inside the caverns.   Babs81 / Atlas Obscura User
Secret Caverns Rules   annaliesethegnome / Atlas Obscura User
  annaliesethegnome / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Mixing the free love fun of acid trip illustrations with the subterreanean spectacle of massive show caves, Cobleskill, New York's Secret Caverns present a unique series of show caves through the lens of a tie die head shop. 

Located just near upstate New York's OTHER show caves, the Howe Caverns, Secret Caverns were originally discovered in 1928 by a pair of curious cows. Named Lucky and Floyd respectively, the bovine duo took an assumedly fatal trip to the bottom of an 85-foot deep hole, alerting their owners of the caves' existence. Once the local land owner got to the bottom of the hole, he discovered that it was in fact the first in a series of connected underground chambers which culminated in a chamber that featured a tall subterranean waterfall. Even though the descent into the caves initially required shimmying down almost 90-feet of rope before squeezing through the tight dirt tunnels to reach the waterfall, the caves were opened to the public in 1929 (much to the chagrin of the nearby Howe Caverns people).

As the caves gained notoriety down the decades, the site began to accrue colorful advertisements, murals, and pieces of art that gave the site the feel of a zany, Woodstock atmosphere. Ads for the caves began popping up for miles prior to the caves, displaying rainbow-colored characters enticing drivers to the caves. The origins of this particular aesthetic are unknown, but it was likely meant to definitively separate themselves from the Howe Caverns.

The caves are much improved now, with cement walkways and 103 rock stairs making the journey into and through the caves much easier. The highlights of this rustic cave include a 100-foot underground waterfall and the unique invitation to touch any and all rocks and formations. (Most caves cringe at the thought of such interactions.)

Related Tags

Caves Outsider Art Subterranean Subterranean Sites Ecosystems

Community Contributors

Added By

EricGrundhauser

Edited By

volyfgar, annaliesethegnome, Traveler Tim, sharondee98...

  • volyfgar
  • annaliesethegnome
  • Traveler Tim
  • sharondee98
  • Babs81
  • Spatial Mind

Published

November 17, 2014

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://traveltips.usatoday.com/two-famous-caverns-new-york-105301.html
  • http://www.showcaves.com/english/usa/showcaves/Secret.html
  • http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2729
  • http://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/15/nyregion/our-towns-our-cave-s-better-than-their-cave-our-cows-actually-fell-in.html
Secret Caverns
671 Caverns Road
Howes Cave, New York, 12092
United States
42.709563, -74.391977
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Howe Caverns

Howes Cave, New York

miles away

Site of the First Known Free Open-Air Motion Picture Presentation

Schoharie, New York

miles away

Peter Shulman's War

Warnerville, New York

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Howes Cave

Howes Cave

New York

Places 2

Nearby Places

Howe Caverns

Howes Cave, New York

miles away

Site of the First Known Free Open-Air Motion Picture Presentation

Schoharie, New York

miles away

Peter Shulman's War

Warnerville, New York

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Howes Cave

Howes Cave

New York

Places 2

Related Places

  • Castillo Cave, entrance

    Puente Viesgo, Spain

    Caves of Monte Castillo

    The walls of these four caverns are filled with art that dates back to the earliest human presence in Europe.

  • Cricova, Moldova

    Wine Cellars of Cricova

    Seventy-five miles of limestone caves host more than a million bottles of wine beneath a sleepy Moldovan town.

  • Peach Springs, Arizona

    Caverns Grotto

    In a 345-million-year-old cave that's 200 feet underground, dinner awaits.

  • Avshalom Cave.

    Israel

    Avshalom Cave

    This amazing ancient cave was kept secret for seven years to protect it from the public.

  • Pertosa Caves.

    Muraglione, Italy

    Pertosa Caves

    Ride a boat through this magnificent underground world, which now doubles as a theater.

  • Cave of Zeus.

    Kuşadası, Turkey

    Cave of Zeus

    This Turkish cave boasts some rather bizarre associations with the King of Mount Olympus.

  • Chamber with Screaming Monster formation in  Sudwala Caves.

    Dollaaskraal, South Africa

    Sudwala Caves

    These otherworldly caverns form Earth's oldest known cave system.

  • Tunnel with steps cut into a cliff face.

    Nottingham, England

    The Caves of Nottingham

    A labyrinthine underworld of tunnels and caverns hides beneath the city.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.