A new roof is going to be installed on the main building of the Mammoth Cave Hotel/NPS file

The main building of the Mammoth Cave Hotel in Kentucky will be closed for a year while a new roof is installed on the structure.

While the main building will be closed, commercial visitor services, such as dining, retail, and the hotel check in desk will continued to be offered near the Mammoth Cave National Park visitor center. The project is funded through the Great American Outdoors Act and will help address the park’s backlogged maintenance needs and correct other exterior and interior deficiencies of the park’s main hotel building.   

“The improvements to the building will really make a difference in the experience for our visitors who use the hotel for dining, shopping and for their overnight stays,” said Deputy Superintendent Jay Grass. “Visitors and concessioner employees deal with multiple roof leaks every time a heavy rain comes through the area.” 

The main hotel building sits directly across from the park visitor center where 80 percent of the park’s more than 600,000 visitors arrive annually to embark on ranger-led cave tours. The over 55-year-old building has a virtually flat roof, which does not allow for the proper drainage of water.  

During the project, the building will receive a slightly pitched roof, energy efficient windows, and increased insulation in the roof and walls. The interior lobby will be reconfigured to enhance the functionality of the building and improve the overall visitor experience. The reconfiguration will create a more open and inviting gathering space for visitors accessing the lodge and adjacent park visitor center. 

Some areas around the main hotel building, such as the pedestrian bridge that runs from the visitor center to the hotel, will be closed to public access during construction. Access to the Heritage Trail will be limited to the overflow parking side of hotel building near the Sunset Lodge. A temporary trail that runs from the Sunset Lodge parking lot to the Old Guides/Heritage Trails will continue to provide visitor access to area trails. 

For more information about the roof project please visit Mammoth Cave’s Hotel Roof Replacement Project page.