Jewel Cave National Monument contains Jewel Cave, the third longest cave in the world (that we know of), with 209.32 miles of mapped passageways. The cave is located 13 miles west of the town of Custer in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Jewel Cave became a national monument in 1908, and the earliest written account of the cave came from a mining claim filed by Frank and Albert Michaud in 1900. The brothers described the entrance as a hole too small for human entry, with a blast of cold air coming out. After subsequent enlargement with dynamite, they entered the cave with Charles Bush, a family friend, discovering crawl-ways and low-ceilinged rooms coated with beautiful calcite crystals that sparkled like “jewels” in their lantern light. Today, cave exploration continues through the efforts of volunteers and park staff. Cavers can spend up to four days and three nights in the cave, exploring and mapping uncharted areas in one of the final frontiers on Earth. To celebrate the cave, Anderson Design group hand-rendered an original illustration of one of the caverns for which the cave system is known. Available as a poster, print, canvas, metal sign, mini-canvas, notecard, or postcard, this original illustrated design makes an excellent gift or souvenir and is reminiscent of the vintage poster art in vogue during the decade the cave was discovered. To learn more about the history behind Jewel Cave National Monument, be sure to visit the website for the National Park Service.