Chinn’s Cave House
Traveling along Route 68 roughly halfway between Lexington and Harrodsburg you’ll pass what at first glance appears to be just another abandoned old mine shaft. In reality it’s a Kentucky curiosity like none other. It’s story involves a military genius, a restaurant with a very unique location, an illegal gambling din, and perhaps the most creative successful legal defense in history. This is the story of Chinn’s Cave House.
The area that would come to be known as Chinn’s Cave House began life as a simple calcite mine which was common for the area. After giving up all of the calcite it had to offer the abandoned mine was purchased by Colonel George M. Chinn. Mr. Chinn’s life story is something straight out of a movie. The inventor of the Mk 19 40mm grenade launcher (a weapon still used by the U.S. military to this day), he would later serve as Governor Happy Chandler’s personal bodyguard, and the Sergeant of Arms for the Kentucky State Legislature. In a life filled with such remarkable stories, it is his endeavor with our simple cave that offers the comic relief.
After purchasing the former calcite mine Colonel Chinn set about converting it into a combination gas station and restaurant. The novelty of having a meal in a cave proved very popular, and tourists flocked from all around to visit this unique establishment. Even given this surge in tourism, the restaurant seemed to be far more profitable than a simple eating establishment had any right to be. Eventually authorities would find that this unbelievable profit margin was indeed too good to be true, and that Colonel Chinn made the lion’s share of his income from an illegal gambling din hidden within the cave’s tunnels.
Seemingly dead to rights, Colonel Chinn would ultimately prove his innocence in court with a shockingly simple defense. No one had ever won a single game on his slot machines, because they were rigged. If a player had no chance of winning, then the act of playing the machines did not constitute gambling. Chinn was acquitted on all charges. Although Chinn had won his day in court, Chinn’s Cave House was not financially viable without the illegal gaming, and the establishment never reopened following the trial. Nature soon reclaimed the area, and the cave fell into a state of disrepair.
Today a visitor to the area will find the cave in a totally dilapidated state. The gas pumps are gone, and the awning over the entrance has collapsed. The doors and windows are long since lost to time, and even the chain-link fence meant to keep out intruders is falling down. About the most recognizably intact area is the restrooms of the former gas station which still contains shards of the former toilet. Even so, with a bit of imagination it’s easy to see cars pulling up to this establishment to fill up their tanks, and perhaps grab a quick bite to eat. This complete oddity of Kentucky history is well worth the trip to see. It’s also only a few miles down the road from the famous Shaker Village, and can be easily incorporated into a road trip.
Want to Experience This Adventure for Yourself?:
The site of the former Chinn’s Cave House can be found at the below coordinates. There is ample roadside parking to accommodate potential visitors. The cave is private property, and in its current state would be dangerous to enter. Please respect the fence, and enjoy this attraction from a distance.
https://goo.gl/maps/y4HAVvsHqs6WbcTX9
