PENN’S CAVE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL POLICY

Penn's Cave cares very deeply about all of its guests including those guests that are accompanied by Emotional Support Animals.

These policies represent careful consideration of federal and state law  in the context of our inherently limited natural attraction, and were developed in part based upon consultation with staff at the Institute on Disability Awareness at Niagara University in New York.  In 2026, Penn's Cave senior staff successfully attended training with two of the amazing leaders at the Institute on Disability Awareness at Niagara University.

While the below policies detail our current capabilities, Penn's Cave continues to plan for ongoing improvements in its offerings to guests that are accompanied by Emotional Support Animals.  To provide feedback on these policies, please email us at info@pennscave.com.

EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS:

Pursuant to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission's current provisions, Emotional Support Animals are recognized primarily in the context of housing accommodations, ensuring that individuals with disabilities receive equal housing opportunities.  However, in Pennsylvania, these provisions do not extend to other public spaces or accommodations, such as Penn's Cave.

See, e.g.,: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/phrc; and https://www.pa.gov/agencies/phrc/phrc-news---information/newsroom/phrc-seeks-public-input-on-use-of-emotional-support-animals- (last visited March 2, 2026).

Though Emotional Support Animals are not afforded the same access as Service Animals in Pennsylvania, Penn's Cave does permit Emotional Support Animals that are dogs in its Visitors Center, Cafe and on the immediate grounds of the Penn's Cave Hotel and Visitors Center under certain conditions.

Because Emotional Support Animal protections in Pennsylvania do not extend to public establishments like Penn's Cave, Penn's Cave will not permit other types of Emotional Support Animals other than dogs on its grounds.

Penn’s Cave Grounds:

With the foregoing in mind, Emotional Support dogs are welcome on our grounds around the historic Penn’s Cave Hotel if they are kept on a leash or harness, and to the extent their owners are cleaning up after  them and have them under proper control around other tourists. While Emotional Support dogs are welcome on the grounds around the historic Penn’s Cave Hotel so long as they are kept on a leash or harness, for the safety and enjoyment of all of our visitors, and for the safety of our staff and the protection of our wildlife park animals as well as the Emotional Support dogs themselves, Emotional Support dogs are strictly prohibited from being taken to the Penn’s Cave barn and/or near any of the wildlife enclosures (e.g., bison, long horn cattle, deer and elk and/or wild horses and burros) that are located near the Penn’s Cave Hotel.

Penn’s Cave Café:

Emotional Support dogs are permitted in the Penn’s Cave Café so long as they are kept on a leash or harness, however such animals are not permitted to sit directly at or on the tables (e.g., on the chairs, table surface, etc.), and may not be fed at the tables. Emotional Support dogs are permitted to lay down, sit or stand near their owners at the table where the owner eats. Penn’s Cave will ask the individual to remove the Emotional Support dog if such animal defecates, urinates, or is otherwise uncontrollable inside the Café; in such cases, the individual will have the option to remain in the Café without having the Emotional Support dog on the premises.

Penn’s Cave Gift Shop, Miner's Maze and Gemstone Panning Sluices:

Emotional Support dogs are permitted in the Penn’s Cave gift shop, the Miner's Maze and at the gemstone panning sluices so long as they are kept on a leash or harness.  Penn’s Cave will ask the individual to remove the Emotional Support dog if such animal defecates, urinates, or is otherwise uncontrollable in these spaces; in such cases, the individual will have the option to remain in these spaces without having the Emotional Support dog on the premises.

Cavern Tours:

Emotional Support dogs are not permitted on the Penn’s Cave cavern tours. Penn's Cave is a natural attraction. Penn's Cave takes great care to protect the cave's natural terrain and ecosystem.  Unlike other walk-through caverns, Penn's Cave is an all-water cavern. Because of the natural barriers within the cave itself, Penn's Cave boats are custom made boats - limited by both width and length in order to safely navigate the cavern. Penn's Cave's air temperature is 52 degrees year-round, and the water within Penn's Cave is, on average, 38 degrees year-round.  Given the air and water temperatures, a person submerged into the water within the cave will likely experience life-threatening hypothermia in under 10 minutes.  Penn’s Cave cavern tours are given entirely by boat, and, for the safety of everyone on board, all visitors to the cave are required to stay seated on the boat, with their hands within the boat and boat aisleway remaining clear, for the entire tour and, also for the safety of everyone on board, the center isle of the boat must remain fully clear for the entire tour. Penn's Cave is unable to safely protect the cave's natural terrain and ecosystem and/or is unable to safely provide tours by any other means without fundamental structural alterations to the natural cavern.  At any time within the cavern, visitors may see wild otters, owls, beavers, bats and other animals. The presence of Emotional Support Animals could evoke territorial and/or predatory aggressive behaviors in some of these wild animals that may be present within the cave at various times.  These various wild animals that visit and sometimes live in our cave are inherently unpredictable and it is impossible to predict how they may react to outside animals being present on a tour boat. Accordingly, given the all-water cave's natural terrain and ecosystem and the only means by which cavern tours are safely available, the cave is not a safe accessible attraction for Emotional Support dogs and therefore Emotional Support dogs are not permitted on the cavern tours.

Farm-Nature-Wildlife Tours:

For the safety and protection of the Penn’s Cave Wildlife Park animals, the Penn’s Cave Animal Care Team, and for the safety and protection of all of our visitors and our visitors'  Emotional Support dogs themselves, Emotional Support dogs are not permitted on the Farm-Nature-Wildlife Tour. The Penn’s Cave Wildlife Park houses wild animals and natural predators that are extremely sensitive to other animals, and, therefore, any outside animals could evoke territorial and/or predatory aggressive behaviors in the Wildlife Park animals. In addition to the safety risks, some of the Penn’s Cave Wildlife Park animals will not come into view for the tour buses when they sense an outside animal on such tour bus.