‘Jim Morrison Cave’ to Be Closed for Cleaning
Before it was given an extensive cleaning, Jim Morrison's grave in Paris, France, was known as a place where fans had left tributes to the late Doors frontman in the form of graffiti. Apparently, a cave in California has received the same treatment, and the state has been forced to close the site.
The L.A. Times is reporting that Corral Canyon Cave, near the wealthy Los Angeles suburb of Malibu, Calif., has been beset by Doors fans since last year, when it spread on social that Morrison used to visit the cave and write. Even though the rumor has never been confirmed, Craig Sap of the California State Parks department estimates that 30-40 people are tagging the cave and posting pictures on social media. Some of the graffiti features Doors lyrics, and others don't have any apparent connection to the group. We've embedded some of the pictures below.
“It’s spreading. It’s really sad,” park ranger Lindsey Templeton told the newspaper. "We come in and we hear shaking cans. It’s like fish in a barrel.”
The cleaning process will involve blasting the paint with walnut shells, so as to preserve the rocks. It will cost approximately $40,000. There is no set date for when it will re-open, and the area has been closed off, with those who are caught entering the cave will receive a fine of close to $400. Anybody caught vandalizing the cave will be subject to an even greater fine and could face felony charges.
See the Doors and Other Rockers in the Top 100 Albums of the '60s