The history of speleology, presented here over two periods spanning the twentieth century, exemplifies major issues related to the cultural history of science. At the time when the activity was emerging, disputes arose concerning the legitimacy of the actors with respect to their occupations, in particular whether or not they were scientific researchers. Later, despite the opportunity of being institutionalized through the CNRS (National Center for Scientific Research), the continuity of speleology could not be secured. Instead, research programs on its various components emerged at the universities, before being submitted to disciplinary organization.