May 27th is “Stamp Day” at Mammoth Cave National Park. The U.S. Postal Service will issue a sheet of 40 stamps that day called “Wonders of America – Land of Superlatives.” One of them features Mammoth Cave as the world’s longest known cave system.
“We can’t have the first day of issue here, that will be in Washington, D.C.,” said Nick Tunks, Mammoth Cave postmaster. “But we are planning a first day of sale event, the main attraction being that the Mammoth Cave stamp will be canceled in the cave. In cooperation with park staff, we will set up a station in Rafinesque Hall, 140 feet underground.”
A ceremony is planned from 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Visitors will travel down into the cave, where brief presentations will lead to the unveiling of the stamp. The public is invited to attend and entrance to the cave for the ceremony is free. The underground station will continue to operate through the day, providing cancellations and a letter drop for visitors on cave tours.
Tunks is producing a unique postmark and cachet (envelope with an affixed Mammoth Cave stamp, cancelled in the cave with the day’s postmark) in honor of the day. The cachet will be on sale at the Mammoth Cave post office and the visitor center. Mail sent from the Mammoth Cave post office will be cancelled with the special post mark only on May 27th; the cancellation will be retired after its one-day use.
