Cave City, Kentucky: Wondering Woods and Tranquil Valley Village (Gone)

The tower that was torn down was the "Harmony Tower" near the front entrance. Although the theater portion of Chapel Gardens was torn down, the rotunda and about half of the courtyards outer structure still exist. It is at the very back of the old park, but at the highest point, visible under the right conditions. I took a hike back to the old tower. It appears that there may be plans for it having a future of some kind. Electrical junctions along the way are sealed with shiny new bolts, the doors are locked with new locks, and the very 21st century security cameras and strobes in their impact resistant housings make it obvious that someone is looking after the old structure for some purpose.

It now all belongs to the US Park Service as part of Mammoth Cave National Park, and access to the old tower is restricted. In the decades it stood empty, an endangered species of bat took up residence. It is now a protected bat sanctuary. Access to the entire Wondering Woods area is restricted until the trail system is developed, which may be several years.

The old theme park was called "Wondering Woods." It was centered around a little 1880-themed village called "Tranquil Valley Village." The National Park Service obtained the property and annexed it into Mammoth Cave National Park. The old theater building, the last one standing, was demolished in early 2008, and the entire area is part of a "Grasslands restoration" project by the Park Service to restore the barrens to resemble their original flora and fauna.

When I was a kid (I'm 63 now), there was an amusement park on Hwy 70 going to Mammoth Cave on the right at the intersection of Hwy 70 and 255. I went there last year and the streets are still there and all the building are gone except one. It has a silo on one side which you could go in from inside the building. Looked like it had a theater, a restaurant with a open area in the center of the building which looked like it could have been a garden.

Does anyone remember this? What was the name? I would like to have some pictures.