Coconino Caverns was discovered in 1927 by Walter Peck near Yampai railroad siding into the area that is called "Grand Canyon West." Grand Canyon West is managed by the Hualapai Indian Nation, Peach Springs, Arizona. Soon after being discovered the Caverns became a tourist destination. Visitors were charged $.25 to be lowered 150 feet into the cave. In 1936 the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built a wooden stairway into the caverns. Then in 1962 an elevator was installed by drilling a 210 foot shaft into the cavern. The caverns draw about 70,000 visitors per year. The materials in this collections are from 1938 when the caverns were managed by Stanley Wakefield.
From the guide to the Coconino Caverns Collection, 1936-1939, (Arizona Historical Society/Flagstaff Archives)
