Did You Know About The Large Cave Lurking Under Minneapolis?

Minnesota is a unique state. It has lakes, rivers, ancient mountains, cliffs, and caves. There always seems to be someplace 'new' to explore if you like being outside or inside if you are into caves. I just learned today that there is a pretty big cave lurking under part of Minneapolis, and when it was discovered it was kept a secret for years!

The cave, named Schieks Cave, of which there are many in the Twin Cities area, especially in areas in and around the Mississippi River, was found by a Minneapolis Sewer engineer in 1904. At the time of its discovery, it was kept a secret, reportedly, because the city didn't want people worried that the city was built on unstable ground.

The cave is described by a 1931 reporter as being "shaped like an inverted bowl and filled with water."  The water inside the cave has "a depth of 20 feet deep at one point and tapered down to inches at the shoreline."

The cave even features a waterfall! They call it “Little Minnehaha Falls” and it is mapped on Minnesota's Springs Inventory website.

Schieks Cave, which up until 2019, had a sealed-up access point on S. 4th Ave where engineers could access the cave. It is incredible what we drive over every day and don't know or notice!

Since 2021 that access point no longer exists, as the City of Minneapolis updated and changed its tunnel system that runs under the city, cutting off access to the cave.

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With the cave now inaccessible, we might never see Little Minnehaha Falls, but that's alright, I'll stick with the above-ground version.

H/T Dr. Greg Brick