Page Updated: February 05, 2024
Luray Caverns
Dream Lake - Luray Caverns VA
Located in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, Luray Caverns is one of the most popular caverns in the United States.
The National Natural Landmark contains ornately decorated cathedral-sized rooms with towering stone formations and crystal clear pools.
Discovered in 1878 and permanently electrified in 1881, Luray Caverns features a well lighted all-paved walkway throughout with zero stairs and the world’s largest natural musical instrument.
The Great Stalacpipe Organ, located in the Cathedral Room, is one-of-a-kind and is composed of 3.5 acres of stalactites. The unique instrument plays automatically with the use of rubber tipped mallets.
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 a concert pitch.
Lee doesn’t know it yet, but we still have approximately 45,000 caves across the country to explore. And it’s safe to say Luray Caverns will be one of my all-time favorites. The caves of Luray are mesmerizing, and tours are self-guided allowing for as much time as you want to explore.
Guided audio tours are available but regrettably, neither of us brought our headphones. Pamphlet in hand, we learned about 19 of the cave’s distinct standouts. The estimated one-hour tour covers 1.25 miles through caverns estimated to be 450 million years old.
The natural formations within the caverns are nothing short of awe-inspiring. It’s impossible to pick a favorite, but Giant’s Hall and Skeleton Gorge are popular formations in the caves. And on rainy days, water filters through rock at a trickle creating ripples in any of the caverns the mirrored pools.
The Wishing Well is the deepest body of water in Luray Caverns. Six feet at its deepest depth, the pool is drained annually to remove the two to three feet of coins covering the bottom.
Money collected from the wishing is donated to national and regional health, environmental, and educational organizations.
Tickets to Luray Caverns include admission to Toy Town Village and its 30+ trains, the restored 19th century farming community of Shenandoah Heritage Village, and the Car & Carriage Caravan Museum with over 140 items reaching back in the 1760’s.
scenes from Luray Caverns
-b&b
Fort Washington Lighthouse
