I just realized I put "Tennessee" in the above image.. it's technically Georgia, but it crosses over 2 borders, so whatev, right? ; )
So here's Fairyland Caverns! I'm actually really surprised at how decent these photos came out now that I've pulled them up on my computer. It was really, really tough even capturing a decent exposure in the darkness of the caverns. I shot at my highest ISO (for me 1600) and with my 50mm lens at 1.4. I actually had to use manual focus a few times (gasp!), so it's a miracle some of these came out as sharp as they did. I only have this one lens to my name, my other wide angle lens died. I really could've used a wide angle lens to capture more in my frame, but my 50mm really came through for me in extremely low light.
When you enter, you see the original scenes that were created in the 40's. These gnomes greet you at the beginning (I'm wondering if they were the ones that Frieda Carter imported from Germany?)
This sign on the left is the entrance to the Caverns...
This is where you see more of the original fairy tale scenes that were created in the 40's. These are pretty small compared to the larger sculptures that were created for Mother Goose Village that was completed in the 60's.
Here you see the children reading the stories. Can match a Fairy Tale with the images below?
The scenes above were tucked into tiny nooks as you walk through the cavern. Then you walk into a large room where a huge installation is set up in the middle - Mother Goose Village. Then you walk all the way around to see everything. My photos fail in capturing how huge the installation is, again, I could've used that wide angle lens, but hopefully you get a good feel for it. It's so completely whimsical, beautiful, awe-inspiring, and maybe even a little bit creepy, but it's quite a unique and unforgettable experience to be sure.
The black light experience is so weird and definitely adds to the strangeness of it all. I remembered that the Peter Pan ride at Disneyworld is black lit, too and it made me miss Disney so much. We're going again in November this year with Ethan's Grandmother like we did two years ago. Can't wait.
If you ever have the chance to visit Rock City, you must. It's super fun for the whole family and Chattanooga is only 10-15 minutes away. There's an INCREDIBLE Children's museum (post to come), Aquarium and many other fun things we have yet to do.
Here are some other fantastic photos I found of Fairyland Caverns taken by another photographer.
See more travel posts here.




