Happy 100th anniversary to Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
This week, the Park will be officially celebrating its anniversary. The centennial celebration has included activities all year, but the 9:30 a.m. ceremony and 10:45 a.m. cake cutting will be held Wednesday morning at the park visitor’s center. There will also be special walks and demonstrations throughout the day.
Signed into law by President Calvin Coolidge in 1923, the park was set aside to preserve its incredible beauty. Originally named as a National Monument, it became a National Park in 1925 and a World Heritage Site in 1995. Since then, hundreds of thousands of visitors have marveled at the underground.
Carlsbad takes its responsibility as host community to the Caverns very seriously, all the way up to our high school mascot. Not only do we appreciate the tourism, but we also value the extensive scientific research that goes on at Carlsbad Caverns National Park, at nearby Guadalupe Mountains National Park, and at the nearby National Cave and Karst Research Institute. We also value the ongoing effort to protect the region, its plants and wildlife, and to preserve this beautiful area for the future.
Congratulations to Carmen Chapin, who is the superintendent at the park, and everyone affiliated with Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Thank you for working so hard to preserve this international treasure. We hope everyone enjoys this week’s celebration.
The City of Carlsbad has also been proud to help with several events celebrating the 100th anniversary here, including a scavenger hunt and a new mural. Mural artist Kesley Montague completed “Carlsbad’s Bat Wings” thanks to hard work by the Carlsbad Arts Council and generous funding by Chevron, as well as many other sponsors and donors.
This mural is located at 220 S. Canal Street (next to Domino’s Pizza) and is a fanciful interpretation of bat wings in honor of the famous inhabitants of Carlsbad Caverns. It’s a great place for residents and visitors to stop and pose for a photo.
Montague, is known for her large-scale wing murals, which draw visitors from around the globe. Montague might be best known as the muralist that Taylor Swift chose to create a butterfly mural to celebrate her song “ME!”, so Carlsbad now has its own Taylor Swift connection.
Special thanks to Dianne Joop for all of her hard work making this possible, as well as all of the Arts Council volunteers and donors. We are also adding some new entries to our scavenger hunt, so please visit there soon!
Sincerely,
Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway