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Listen to The Great Stalacpipe Organ
The Great Stalacpipe Organ

Located deep in the Luray Caverns in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley is the Great Stalacpipe Organ, the worlds largest musical instrument.

Stalactites covering 3 1/2 acres of the surrounding caverns produce tones of symphonic quality when electronically tapped by rubber-tipped mallets.

This most unique, one-of-a-kind instrument was invented in 1954 by Mr. LeIand W. Sprinkle of Springfield, Virginia, a mathematician and electronic scientist at the Pentagon.

He began his monumental 3 year project by searching the vast chambers of the caverns selecting stalactites to precisely match a musical scale.

Electronic mallets were wired throughout the caverns and connected to a large four-manual console.

When a key is depressed, a tone occurs as the rubber-tipped plunger strikes the stalactite tuned to concert pitch.

For many years Leland played the Stalacpipe Organ for visitors, as seen in the bottom left photo.


Close-up of one of the mallets which strike a stalactite when an organ key is pressed.


 

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