It took Lester Howe and Henry Wetsel almost a year to explore the caverns' mile and a half of underground passageways by the light of a whale oil lantern. In February of 1843, Howe offered his neighbor $100 for the property, and he opened Howe's Cave--the third commercial cave in America--for torch-lit tours. The tours cost 50 cents... and lasted eight to 10 hours.
Today, tours cost quite a bit more than 50 cents, but visitors can see Howe Caverns in just about an hour and a half without donning hip waders. Regular tours are offered seven days a week year-round.
After a period of ownership changes, decline and closure, the Howe's Cave property was purchased by investors in 1927, and in 1929, it re-opened as Howe Caverns following construction of an elevator and installation of walkways and electric lighting. Since the cave was made accessible to visitors (although it is not handicapped-accessible), visitation has grown. Today, Howe Caverns is the second most-visited natural attraction in New York State after Niagara Falls. In April of 2007, Howe Caverns was purchased for $3.7 million by two former shareholders, who have announced intentions to invest $2 million in the attraction over the next several years. Plans include opening an additional 1,800 feet of undeveloped cave, including some areas that haven't been seen for more than a century.
