I’ve made no effort to hide the fact that I’m NOT a nature enthusiast. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want the world to burn and I really like the idea of protecting the planet and national parks. However, I, myself, do not enjoy spending time in nature. With that being said, I’ve found a nature experience that knocked my socks off…Luray Caverns in Virginia! I suppose it’s because the excursion was just as much an artistic one as it was a natural one. The artist? Water. The canvas? Stone. The result? Scroll down to see!
The History of Luray Caverns in Virginia.
Can you imagine just ‘happening’ upon a four hundred and fifty million year old cavern system? That’s more or less what happened to Andrew Campbell, William Campbell, and Benjamin Stebbins in 1878. The Campbells felt gusts of cool air coming out of a quarter size hole within a depression in the ground and decided to start digging. After forming an entrance, Andrew slid down with a candle in his hands to get a good look. (Can you freaking imagine? I won’t even walk down a dark hallway alone!)
Everyone is extremely eager to get to the actual caverns, but they’ve been around a few hundred years, they’re not going anywhere. Take your time exploring the discover room where you can learn about all of the history of Luray Caverns. I especially enjoyed seeing photos and drawings of the Victorian era women walking through the formations in their bulky gowns!
How Cool Can Cave Formations Be?
Honestly, extremely cool. Each section within the cavern system is completely different from the one before it. Sometimes, being in nature can feel repetitive, “oh look, another tree.” That’s not the case with Luray Caverns at all. Just when you pick your jaw up from off the ground, you wander into the next area of the cavern and it drops again.
You really feel as though you’re wandering around on an alien planet or inside of a surrealist painting. It’s actually hard to believe that the entire complex wasn’t attentively sculpted from Disney World employees, everywhere you look the formations are, well, mind blowing. There are many formations that look so intricately carved that you’ll find yourself suddenly seeing eye to eye with the Ancient Aliens host. How do natural formations just happen to look like a table or a ceiling beam!? It’s truly exquisite.
While there are SO many sections of the caverns and formations to talk about, here were a few of my favorites:
Dream Lake in Luray Caverns, Virginia.
This was my favorite part, and will probably be wildly trippy to most visitors. I know I stood staring at it, mouth agape, for a very long time. In this section, a large body of water (covering 2,500 square feet) appears to have an entire ‘civilization’ of stalagmites formed beneath the surface. There are so many that it looks like a miniature city built by tiny extraterrestrials. What you’re actually seeing, is a perfect, and I mean PERFECT reflection of the stalactites directly above the ‘lake’ on the ceiling. I’ve never seen water so clear in my LIFE. Talk about your eyes playing tricks on you…
Titania’s Veil.
Being a giant Shakespeare nerd, I couldn’t go without mentioning this beautiful stop. It’s featured in the oldest part of the caverns. What looks like a gigantic white veil, made from snow or water, hangs like a solid waterfall beyond the rail. It’s shimmery appearance is named after a character (Titania) who stars in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The veil is actually called ‘white flow-stone.’ It’s when water “seeps down a wall or over a cave floor depositing layers of mineral rich water.” Pretty gorgeous results!
Wishing Well.
There will most likely be a traffic jam when you get to this area, but it’s for a good reason, I promise! A beautifully blue body of water, the deepest in the caverns, is where guests will throw loose change (and even some dollar bills) as they make a wish. You might be saying, OK, big deal? Well, the money is collected once per year by staff and donated to a variety of educational, medical, and environmental organizations on a national and regional scale. At the time of collection, as much as three feet of coins cover the bottom of the basin!
It was really impressive to see how much money was collected each year and where the funds went. It encouraged nearly everyone around us to participate and brought a smile to each guest’s face. What a great example of ‘every little bit helps!”
Fried Eggs.
You’ll probably be hungry at the end of your journey through the Luray Caverns in Virginia, and while the ‘fried eggs’ section isn’t a breakfast cafe, it’s still really cool.
You don’t have to squint too hard to see the pairs of stalagmites that resemble a pair of fried eggs! This happened when they were accidentally ‘sheared’ in trying to expand the tunnel. While guests used to rub them for good luck, help ensure that they’re around for a long time and all guests by admiring them from a distance instead of touching them.
What Makes Luray Caverns in Virginia such a Great Place?
I was really impressed with the value and ease of the Luray Caverns.
- In the world of the ongoing COVID19 pandemic, this was the only place I’ve visited in the last year and a half where you could buy tickets on site, which makes life very easy.
- The pathways are paved and fairly wide which makes it accommodating to members of your family who might need a wheelchair or stroller.
- Most attractions in the world close at four or five in the afternoon, Luray Caverns is open until 7:00PM!
- It’s cool and dark, so for those who suffer from migraines like me, especially those triggered by the summer heat and sun, this was a welcome relief
- The cost is $32 for adults, $16 for children and FREE for those under six. That’s pretty great considering many places will only give free admission to those under two!
- Each ticket includes not only the caverns, but also the Shenandoah Heritage Village, Toy Town Junction ( a toy museum), and the Car and Carriage Caravan Museum.
- For more active family members or kids, you can pay extra to participate in the garden maze or rope adventure park
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