Luray Cavern is a most Popular Caverns in the state of Virginia near to Shenandoah National Park. It is open to the public after discovered on August 13, 1848. The cavern is generously adorned with speleothems such as columns, stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, and mirrored pools. Along with Luray Caverns, there are Car and Carriage Museum, The Rope Adventure Park at Luray Caverns, The Garden Maze at Luray Cavern, Luray Valley Museum and the kids will love to go in Toy Town Junction. Heart Pine Cafe is very popular for locally brewed wine.
The Plan: When we decided to visit Luray cavern it is just a weekend gateway for the day and back. Afterward, we decided to stay there and the next day drives through The Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park and came back. I lived in Winston Salem, North Carolina and my location is only two hours from the Virginia state border, so it took five hours and some more including resting time.
To roam around the Luray Caverns its takes more than 2 hours if you are watching and taking snaps. Keep that in mind, after we reached Luray Caverns first we had our lunch in Stalactite Cafe and Restaurant. This restaurant offers salad, soups, and burgers, icecreams, drinks. Not many options though but we enjoyed our lunch and refreshed ourselves. Then we proceed to the ticket counter for entering the Luray Caverns. It was at the end of the summer so the queue for the ticket is long.
The pricing of the ticket is $30 for adults
$15 for kids age 6 - 12.
Underage of 12 is free
The general admission includes Luray Cavern, Car and carriage Museum, Luray Valley Museum and Toy town Junction.
Luray Cavern is open every day of the year.
From April to June 14
Daily 9 am. to 6 pm.
From June 15 to Labour Day
Daily 9 am. to 7 pm.
From Labour Day to October 31
Daily 9 am. to 6 pm.
From November 1st to March 31
Weekend 9 am. to 5 pm.
Weekdays 9 am. to 4 pm.
Cautions: The temperature inside of the cavern is a bit lower than outside. The floor inside the cavern is soggy and wet. Wear proper shoes and clothes, slipping or falling inside the cavern may cause serious accidents. People with claustrophobia must check out before going inside the cavern someplace are very narrow and of course, there is no window or outlet in there. Also, bring some water if you are with kids that also not available over there.
In the Cavern: First, you enter the cavern guides over there to tell you where to go and they are over there to assist or answer any information you need. After seeing the formation inside the cavern we are amazed. Nature and its beauty are well explained over there. I was astonished by the stalactites and Stalagmites formation.
Stalactites: A tapering structure hanging like an icicle from the roof of a cave, formed of calcium salt deposited by dripping water.
Stalagmites: A mound or tapering column rising from the floor of a cave, form of calcium salt deposited by dripping water and often uniting with a stalactite.
As you pass by each formation they are all different and more beautiful in their own kind. I try to capture most of it however seeing them in your own eyes doesn’t same seeing pictures.
Among them, my favorite is the Mirrored Pools. They are the reflection of forms in the water beneath. If no one told you about it I bet you will never believe that it is the reflection of those formations in the water.
As we pass through the mirrored pool it takes us to the next level higher than the base floor of the cavern. Over there watching below the formation of stalagmites is awesome. As we came to the middle portion of the cavern we found more formation and more beautiful ones in my view.
There is ‘The Wishing Well’, where people throw coins to wish. Every year they collect those coins and donate them.
Now as the guide pointed us to a flowstone, I am spellbound to see that is transparent. The light is passing through the stone. They fixed the light in the back of that stone and the light is coming through it. It is an unbelievable experience.
Next, there is some narrow path under the formation which is soggy and damped, and as we almost came to the end of our cave journey, a formation that caught my eyes is three stalagmites formation but it looks likes a teacher is teaching small children or mother and her children, it is a wonderful formation I must say.
We finished our tour with lots of astonishment. The formation and the beauty of nature are truly unbelievable. If you not have been there I will suggest you once be there.
Reference - Wikipedia
