Underground of Enchantment

CARLSBAD CAVERN’S LECHUGUILLA CAVE 3-D PHOTO EXHIBIT

OPENS AT THE HUBBARD MUSEUM

A one-of-a-kind exhibit, “Underground of Enchantment” opens on Saturday, February 11, 2012. Organized and circulated by the Carlsbad Museum & Art Center, the exhibit features a 3-D photo tour of the world famous Lechuguilla Cave. The “Underground of Enchantment” exhibit opens at the Hubbard Museum on February 11^th and will run through May 20, 2012.

Lechuguilla Cave is, as of June 2011, the sixth longest cave (130.24 miles) known to exist in the world, and the deepest at 1,604 feet in the continental United States. It is most famous for its unusual geology, extremely rare formations and pristine condition. Discovered in 1986, the Lechuguilla Cave is only accessible for permitted scientific exploration, and this exhibit will be the only means for the general public to see, in spectacular 3-D images, the wondrous beauty of a true New Mexico treasure.

The Lechuguilla Cave has been the subject of several film documentaries, including the BBC’s Planet Earth Series (2007), the Denver Museum of Natural History; “The Lechuguilla Cave: The Hidden Giant” (1987) and the National Geographic Society, Mysteries Underground. The cave is named for Agave lechuguilla, a plant found near its entrance. It is located in the Carlsbad Caverns National Park in southeastern New Mexico.  The exhibit will travel to the Park’s main entrance and visitor’s center at the conclusion of its run at the Hubbard Museum.