Grave of William Floyd Collins.

Floyd Collins Grave

The grave of cave explorer Floyd Collins is nestled in the hills around Mammoth Cave National Park, in a cemetery next to an old church. Collins was trapped 150 feet underground in a cave very near here, in January of 1925. The rescue attempt and Floyd's ultimate demise was national news for weeks.

His tombstone mentions Sand Cave, the previously unexplored series of drops and crawls that did him in. Collins' body wasn't extricated and buried in hallowed ground until April 26, 1925. A brighter spot in his career, the discovery of nearby Crystal Cave, is also noted. And finally the epitaph: "Greatest Cave Explorer Ever Known."

Also see: Floyd Collins Museum

Floyd Collins Grave

Mammoth Cave Baptist Church

Address:: Flint Ridge Rd, Cave City, KY
Directions:: Just before the Mammoth Cave National Park Visitors Center turn right onto Flint Ridge Rd. Drive two miles. The Mammoth Cave Baptist Church cemetery will be on the left. Floyd is in front, close to the church.

Nearby Offbeat Places

Mammoth Cave, Mammoth Cave, KY - 2 mi.

Itty-Bitty River Ferry, Mammoth Cave, KY - 2 mi.

Trail to Sand Cave, Where Floyd Collins Died, Cave City, KY - 3 mi.

In the region:

Aviation Heritage Park, Bowling Green, KY - 28 mi.

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