After the brewery closed an ice company took over and used the spring for decades. The Joseph Schnaider Brewery, for example, of which Vin de Set on Chouteau is the last surviving building, had a major spring that provided water for its operations. The Lemp brewery used the springs that still flow down there for their water source, as did most of the other breweries. The breweries needed vast amounts of water for their operations and so pretty much whenever you have a brewery cave, you get a substantial water source as well. I was very pleasantly surprised to see that the water quality was good enough to support aquatic life down there. Well, they are pretty shy little guys I would expect, and not used to people clunking around. Ventilation would have to be a primary consideration if the caves were to ever be used again. I remember huffing and puffing like I was at high altitude down some side passages and our guide advised us that some tunnels were inaccessible because there was basically no oxygen at all. One major consideration for re-opening the cave to large numbers of visitors is that because the natural entrances have been sealed, there is very little air exchange between the surface and the tunnels, and areas where oxygen levels are dangerously low.
My point about the critters is that the primary danger that humans pose to cave ecosystems is to bat populations (many species are endangered), so re-opening the Lemp-Cherokee system to tourists would probably not disturb the cave too much. I expect that is because there is no place where they can get out to feed at night. Also, when we were down there, we saw blind cave fish and crawdads in the streams, so there is an important ecological community surviving down there, but we didn't see any bats. It wouldn't look like a theater space to you if you saw it today. The chamber is not very large either (I have also been in the caves). The theater was not a movie theater, it was for live performances. Other than that, it was very muddy in spots and like any cave you could imagine. Contrary to some rumors, the caves are not flooded, but there are spots with maybe 6-12 inches of water, not even 1/5 of the cave.
The water was cold and clear in the old pool area, defined by rectangular concrete barriers. The pool was well defined, but not without someone pointing it out to me. (not sure) to the theatre, where performers would enter. There is a rusted spiral staircase (as pictured below) from the mansion or Cherokee St. The theatre had a plaster ceiling of some sort which arched over the theatre ceiling. They are in ruins, but still somewhat visible. I saw the remnants of the Lemp family theatre and swimming pool. I assume they continue to other parts of the City. The only word I can use to descibe the experience is 'AMAZING'! The caves go from the brewery, past the mansion and cut off at Interstate 55. I had a rare opportunity to explore the caves beneath the old Lemp Brewery. Climb into the caves and discover the world beneath the city!. In this updated collector's edition, many new photos have been added along with a new introduction by the ever-insightful Ron "Johnny Rabbit" Elz. Louis provides a fascinating missing chapter in the city's history. Louis lie forgotten caves that once harbored Native Americans, mushroom growers, beer makers and even a group of turn-of-the-century "tramps." In the early 1960's, brewery worker Hubert Rother and his wife, Charlotte, explored many of the city's caves before they were sealed.Ĭombining personal recollections and historical research, Lost Caves of St. Louis lie forgotten caves that once harbored Native Americans, mushroom growers, beer makers and even a group of turn-of-the-century "tramps." In the early 1960's, brewery worker Hubert Rother and his wife, Charlotte, explored many of the city's caves before they were sealed.Ĭombining personal recollections and historical research, Beneath the streets and buildings of St.
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