A neighborhood in Missouri is coming to the realization that there aren’t just sewers under their streets.
A cave with an interesting history was recently rediscovered in an area of St. Louis that was once regarded as a major brewing center in the state. According to findings from the area, this cave was likely used to store beer at one point.
The cave was discovered in the Benton Park neighborhood, Fox 59 reports. Workers for McHose and English Cave Recovery have been studying the site, despite being unable to actually reach it.
So far, the cave is reportedly only accessible by cameras from two small holes to the surface, where the land above is used as a community garden. According to researchers, however, the cave dates back to the early 1800s, and they believe it was used to store ale.
The area was also likely used as a mushroom farm, a wine grotto and even a community gathering spot. It’s believed that the cave has been sealed off for over 100 years, however.
“This was the brewery epicenter of the city of St. Louis because of all the caves. It really gives us an opportunity to reconnect with that past and hopefully step foot in a garden that hasn’t been opened in over 100 years,” explained Alderman Dan Guenther.
“We lowered a lidar unit down here to map out the cave … it’s like 30-feet wide with a ceiling of 7 by 15 feet tall,” added Bill Kranz, a project facilitator for the group studying the cave. “We were all out here in the alley jumping around like crazy.”