Cherokee Caverns is opening for several events: Movies in the Cave and Marble City Opera concert titled Baritones, Boots, & Bats. Events will be inside Historic Cherokee Caverns, where the temperature is always 58° and the acoustics are excellent.
The caverns, 14 miles west of Knoxville on 8524 Oak Ridge Highway, were discovered in 1854 by Robert Crudgington, who noticed fog emerging between rocks on his farm. He dug the entrance open and explored the cave. His daughter Margaret Crudgington opened the cave to the public in 1929 under the name Gentrys Cave, changing the name to Grand Caverns the following year.
The caverns are preserved and maintained by a group of dedicated volunteers. The cave is only open for special events, including Marble City Opera’s concerts, classic family movies, Trick or Treat in the Cave, and Christmas in the Cave.
Opera in the Cave
Marble City Opera kicks off its thirteenth season on Sunday, September 14, 2025 at 3 p.m. with a concert titled Baritones, Boots, & Bats.
Maurice Hendricks, Daniel Spiotta, and Joel Brown will sing a program of opera and musical theater favorites. The baritones will be accompanied by pianist Dustin Lin. Spiotta recently performed as “Silvio” and in Marble City Opera’s production of Pagliacci. Hendricks sang the role of “Talpa” in Marble City Opera’s site-specific performances of Il Tabarro in 2024.
Tickets for the concert are $25 and are on sale now at Tickets.
Movies in the Cave
The Caverns are showing several movies over several weekends. Tickets are $15 each (there will be a small fee added for online purchases to help cover the credit card fees). Children 3 years and under are Free with the purchase of an Adult ticket
You can pre-purchase your movie tickets online in advance or purchase tickets on-site at the cave if tickets are not sold out. Purchasing advance tickets online is recommended as seating is limited and most movie showings will sell out.
Tickets, information, and movie titles: here.
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