Today we’re heading to Luray Caverns in Virginia, the largest cave system in Eastern America. I’m on my guys trip along with my son Matt, brother-in-law Kelly and Uncle Mike in the Shenandoah Valley area. See what makes Luray Caverns so unique!
Planning Luray Caverns
What do you do on a rainy day in the Shenandoah Valley? You go underground. There are at least 6 different caverns or cave systems in this area alone. But, the largest and most popular is Luray Caverns. And they are open daily even on a nasty day. It was a wintry day less than 2 years ago that Becky and I visited the caverns with our family. We were with our daughter and our parents, but none of the guys were with us then. So, I’m excited to revisit the caverns with them.
Luray Caverns, is Geology’s Hall of Fame, ornately decorated with draperies, stalactites, stalagmites and more. This National Natural Landmark was discovered way back in 1878, and is only 15 minutes from Shenandoah National Park. Admission to the caverns is currently $34 per adult, $32 for seniors, $17 for children 6-12, and 6 and under are free. You can pay online or when you get there. And the ticket price also includes admission to their Car & Carriage Caravan Museum, Shenandoah Heritage Village and Toy Town Junction. For more information, check out their website at: Luray Caverns – What will you discover?
Entering Luray Caverns
We get to Luray Caverns about 11:00AM and the parking lot is pretty empty. This place can get busy, so we’re glad to park so close to the entrance. We pass the National Landmark sign and information about the caverns discovery on the way in. Once inside, we walk right up to a window to buy our tickets. We decided to purchase at the window since there’s no price difference buying ahead online. Prior to Covid, you would get a guided tour with your admission. But now it’s a self-guided tour unless you want to pay $65 per adult. But with the self-guided tours we get brochures that explain the 19 stops in the caverns.
Once we get our tickets we have to walk through their gift shop to the exit. Here’s where they check our tickets, and it’s also the last chance for restrooms before we continue to the cave. Once we are ready, they validate our tickets. And we head outside to a covered walkway that bends down to the actual entrance to the caverns.
Inside the doors is a waiting area in front of a green screen where we take a quick group picture. And just past it is another door to a walkway with another door on the other end. The multiple doors are to keep the temperate in the caverns at a constant 54 degrees Fahrenheit. Though they say with the humidity it feels like 65 degrees. It feels nice since it has been mostly in the 30s and 40s this week.
The Discovery Room
The walkway opens up into the Discovery Room, which is the 1st stop on our brochure. Here is another employee who gives us a quick introduction and rules of our tour. Basically we have to stay on the pathway and don’t touch anything. They used to offer an audio tour which we found problematic last time. And he explains they no longer offer it for the same reasons we had issues with it. But the brochure gives us plenty of information about the room and how the cave was discovered in 1878.
When asked, the employee is more than happy to take multiple photos of us. One is next to some steps you used to have to take to get down here. And you used to have to take them back up to get out of the caverns. But in 2019, they finished the new entrance through the 164-foot corridor we walked through to get here. In addition, the caverns are completely paved with guard-rails where needed, and well-lit with plenty of light. After our pics, we are ready to start the 1.25 mile walk through the step-free caverns.
Luray Caverns History and Dream Lake
The next point on the tour provide some history of how the caves have been formed. Luray Caverns is estimated to be over 450 million years old. And it was formed by water mixing with carbon dioxide to hollow out the cavern rooms. But water still seeps in this living cave creating formations like stalagmites and stalactites. And these amazing formations grow one cubic inch every 120 years. So, basically this cave hasn’t changed a whole lot since it was discovered 146 years ago. But water is most prevalent at Dream Lake.
At Dream Lake, you can see stalactites hanging over water from the ceiling. The water here is so still, it provides a perfect mirrored reflection. This dreamy illusion appears as if stalagmites are rising from the ground. Though it’s just the reflection in the shallow water, which is no more than 18-20 inches deep.
This is one of my favorite spots. There are so many stalactites hanging from the ceiling mirrored in the water, it’s just amazing. We continue past Dream Lake down the paved pathway checking out many other cave formations.
Many different formations in Luray Caverns
There are many different formations in Luray Caverns. As previously mentioned, some hang from the ceiling or rise up from the floor. But the largest formation in the caverns is the Giant Redwood, and it goes from the floor to the ceiling.
This immense formation dominating the room is also the oldest in the caverns. Estimated to be over 7 million years old, this column is 40 feet high. At also 120 feet in circumference, it makes anyone look small. Another formation I find fascinating is Saracen’s Tent.
Saracen’s Tent is the best example of a drapery in the caverns. And the draperies here are among the best in the world. These long and thing formations sometimes become translucent resembling a delicate curtain. Another interesting formation is Pluto’s Ghost.
The pathway actual winds around Pluto’s Ghost allowing multiple views of this large white column. Not only is it white, but it’s in a chasm 90 feet deep. So when the cave was first explored, this white column stood out like a ghostly figure. Named after the Roman god of the Underworld, it continues to stand out in the caverns. These are just some of the highlights, but there are tons of formations to see. One of the most impressive highlights however, may be the one man-made.
The Great Stalacpipe Organ
The Cathedral Room is a large chamber that used to hold dances complete with a local band. But today it is home to the Great Stalacpipe Organ. In this room we find another employee, the 1st since we started this tour. And she turns the organ on which plays similar to a player-piano. It is rigged to play a specific tune which chimes throughout the chamber.
This organ is considered to be the largest instrument in the world by Guinness World Records. It was designed and built over three years and completed in 1956. Our guide here explains how the inventor wired rubber mallets to different stalactites tied to the keyboard. The organ uses the caverns’ features to produce its unique sound.
Continuing through Luray Caverns
After leaving the Cathedral Room and the Great Stalacpipe Organ, we pass the last view of Pluto’s Ghost. Walking down the path there are interesting formations all around us. Before long we make it to the deepest body of water in the caverns.
Another highlight is the Wishing Well, a pond which may contain a few feet of coins at the bottom. Though the pond is 6-7 feet deep, it looks half that with all the coins covering the bottom. A sign here shows over a million dollars has been collected and donated over the years.
After the Wishing Well, there are only 4 other points to see on the tour. However, around a bend in the pathway was a favorite not on the brochure. From one side of the pathway you can look through a window in the formations to the other side. And on the other side the pathway curves past it. It make for a great photo stop!
Leaving the Caverns
The last part of the tour winds through more interesting formations. And we have to walk carefully since the pathway is wet. It concludes back at the Discovery Room where we started. And from here we take the corridor back to the exit. We took our time exploring Luray Caverns and it took us right around an hour.
Once through the exit doors they show us the picture they took of us at the beginning. Half of us weren’t looking, though we didn’t want to spend $65 for the photo collection. A tip here is to get the employee in the Discovery Room to take your picture like we did. It was so much better there and free. Once outside, we head back to the gift shop buying a few things before exiting. Next door, Matt and I walk through the Toy Town Junction, which is included with our ticket. It’s a fairly interesting collection of old toys, but the caverns are what’ll bring you back.
Summary of Luray Caverns
It was rainy this morning, so we headed inside and underground to Luray Caverns. We spent about 1.5 hours total here including going through the caverns at our own pace. And we only saw a couple of other people in the caverns the whole time we walked through it. All the guys loved the caverns, and I really enjoyed going through them the 2nd time, too. Luray Caverns is truly worth a stop if exploring the Shenandoah area. And thinking about it makes me want to explore more of our nation’s great caves!
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