Concerts in Caves?!

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Symphony at Ash Cave event represents a creative intersection of music, nature, and conservation. By bringing live orchestral performance into one of Ohio’s most iconic natural settings, the program highlights how cultural experiences can deepen appreciation for public lands while also generating support for their preservation.

Each year, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) partners with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra to bring live classical music to one of the most breathtaking natural settings in Ohio: Ash Cave in Hocking Hills State Park.

Now in its third year, this event transforms the natural amphitheater of Ash Cave into a concert hall, where light classics and symphonic pops echo beautifully off cave walls. The cave’s unique acoustics—paired with its surrounding cliffs, greenery, and waterfall—create an unforgettable outdoor listening experience.

In addition to the music, ODNR Naturalists and special wildlife guests line the cave trail to offer attendees close encounters with native Ohio birds, highlighting the deep connections between art, nature, and conservation.

We hope this special annual event inspires visitors to see that the arts belong in our parks and natural spaces. This event promises a celebration of creativity, community, and conservation, wrapped in the beauty of the outdoors.

Transforming Ash Cave into a concert venue allows ODNR to merge artistic and ecological appreciation, creating a memorable sensory experience that enhances the public’s emotional connection to Ohio’s state parks. The integration of music, wildlife education, and immersive landscapes encourages participants to value nature as both a cultural and ecological resource. Moreover, proceeds directly supporting Ohio’s state parks creates a connection, and therefore responsibility, for the parks. Events like this open the door for educational tourism, build community participation, and partner cultural and ecological heritage in one space. It does make me curious about the effects of sound pollution on the environment though. Are the animals afraid of the sound? Do they enjoy it?

References.

The Columbus Symphony at Ash Cave. (2021). Ohiodnr.gov. https://ohiodnr.gov/home/news-and-events/all-events/parks-wc-events/arts-in-the-parks/programs/symphony-ash-cave

‌This text reflects contributions from the original Ohio Department of Natural Resources article Symphony at Ash Cave (~45%), the author’s direction in requesting structure and conservation-focused interpretation (~35%), and AI assistance in selecting, excerpting, synthesizing, and composing the introduction, quotation integration, and analysis (~20%). All interpretations remain the responsibility of the author.