Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
LEAVENWORTH, Ind. (AP) — State parks officials are set to reopen the Wyandotte Caves complex in southern Indiana that's been closed to visitors since 2009 because of a deadly bat disease.
The Department of Natural Resources plans a Saturday ceremony reopening the caves after a $1.7 million project that included demolition of a deteriorating visitor center and better underground lighting.
The department says free cave tours will be available Saturday and Sunday, with fees charged for tours on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from July 15 through Labor Day weekend.
Many of southern Indiana's caves were closed to curb the spread of white-nose syndrome, a fungus blamed for killing millions of bats around the country.
The Wyandotte caves near the Ohio River town of Leavenworth have been a tourist attraction since the mid-1800s.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
