Carlsbad Caverns begins centennial celebration with exhibit unveiling

Carlsbad Caverns National Park began its centennial celebration on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, by unveiling 20 Story Walk exhibits along the Lake Carlsbad Recreation Area.

The exhibits, a partnership with the City of Carlsbad, showcase the park’s history, cave formations, and plant and animals that reside in the park, according to the National Park Service. Produced through the support of the Western National Parks Association, the park’s non-profit partner, the Story Exhibits were designed by the national park and placed by Carlsbad Library.

“You can start up by the train bridge and learn a little bit as you walk toward the beach area,” said Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway, who attended Tuesday’s celebration along with Library Director Sarah Jones.

Beginning June 3, a special exhibit will occur at the Carlsbad Museum for a large portion of the year, Mayor Janway added.

Carlsbad Caverns will mark the 100th anniversary of the establishment as a national park on Oct. 25, 1923. The anniversary will include events and activities throughout 2023 celebrating “a century of discovery, preservation, and protection.”

“It’s an important time to look back on the lessons of the past as we move forward to the next 100 years of stewardship and continued partnerships with the community,” Park Superintendent Carmen Chapin said.

Visit the park’s Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages for anouncements on centennial events and activities.

The park is home to 67 species of animals, including 17 species of bats, 357 species of birds, 55 different reptiles and amphibians and about 900 species and subspecies of plants. For thousands of years, the area has been an important place to Native Americans for hunting, gathering plants, and for religious and medicinal purposes.