Stand Inside The World's Largest Geode At This Ethereal And Underrated Ohio Attraction

Rather than a single rock bursting with crystals, the Guinness Book of World Records names the entire Crystal Cave, which is 35 feet at its widest point and 10 feet high, as the largest single geode in the world. The cave was discovered in 1887 by Gustav Heineman while he was digging a well for his winery. The winery went on to become a family-owned business that's still in operation today, while the cave is open for exploration. Crystal Cave, located 40 feet below 978 Catawba Avenue on Put-in-Bay on South Bass Island off the Ohio coast of Lake Erie, proves that beaches, small towns, and little-known scuba diving destinations are not Ohio's only hidden gems.

Geodes, crystals bursting out of a rocky shell, are commonly formed by bubbles trapped within magma or by organic matter trapped in sedimentary rock. In time, mineral-rich water seeps through the shell of the rock, and tiny crystal layers form inside the rock-bubble. As layers upon layers of mineral-water-turned-crystals form over thousands or millions of years, the rock is filled with the brightly colored crystals. An entire cave is formed when salty water is trapped in a rock collapse and, after millions of years, evaporates and mineralizes. This is how scientists believe Crystal Cave was formed. And if you go to Put-in-Bay, you can tour the island's geode for yourself.

Inside the world's largest geode, which can contain at least six people at a time, you'll see crystals of 8 to 18 inches penetrating walls made of the bluish mineral, celestite. The cave has been open to visitors since the Prohibition Era, when the income from tours of it, along with unfermented grape juice sales, prevented the winery from shuttering. Today, visitors are warned not to touch the walls while descending the stairs below the winery and to bring a sweater or jacket, as underground temps quickly cool.

Tours of the cave are packaged for $13 (adults) or $8 (children aged 6 to 11) with a wine cellar tour and tasting. They are offered daily from May through September. From Monday to Saturday, tours begin at 11 a.m. and continue as requested until 5 p.m. On Sundays, tours begin at 12 p.m. Back at the surface, you'll end the tour at Heineman's wine garden, where your cave tour ticket includes a 5-ounce glass of wine or grape juice.

Put-in-Bay, a laidback island town called "the North's Key West," offers more than just incomparable geodes, though. It has an abundance of water sports, like fishing and paddle boarding, to keep you occupied, too. And if enchanting caves and natural phenomena are still on your wishlist, visit stalactite- and stalagmite-rich Perry's Cave, the limestone center of a family fun center in Put-in-Bay. The complex, located at 979 Catawba Avenue, includes a gemstone mining, a butterfly house, a rock climbing wall, and mini-golf.

You can reach Put-in-Bay via an 18-minute trip from Catawba Island aboard the Miller Ferry. You'll find it on the end of Route 53 N, which is accessible by road from the mainland. Ferries operate from March 21 through November 27, with the summer season (May 10 to September 8) offering daily trips every half hour. Additional trips are offered on weekends and during the peak of summer. The island is easily traversed by electric or gas-powered golf carts, which you can rent when you step off the ferry. While hotel and condo rentals offer their own golf carts to guests, day trippers can visit The Golf Cart Depot at 489 Catawba Avenue, a short walk from the ferry. If you're stopping by Crystal Cave and Heineman's Winery, don't forget to appoint a designated golf car driver for the evening!