Luray Caverns

Last Monday, my sister and I decided to take our kiddos to Luray Caverns near the Shanandoah National Park. If you have never been, I would highly recommend it! It’s breathtaking!

The caverns were formed millions of years ago by an underground river and acidic water seeping through limestone and clay. Today, the river is far below the cavern floor.

The caverns were discovered in 1878 and were made a U.S. Natural Landmark in 1978. The formations at Luray Caverns are still growing! (1 cubic inch every 120 years).

The caverns comprise of a group of chambers or “rooms”  30-140ft in height. I was happy to find out there are no snakes or bats there! Spiders are the most common residents.

We were all mesmerized by the striking beauty of the formations. I think I took a thousand photos of all the stalactites, stalagmites, columns and mirrored pools.

This is the oldest formation in the cavern.  Some see a tree, a shaggy dog or a whoolly mammoth. Which one do you see?

This is the “Wishing Well.” Every year, the coins are removed from the 6-ft deep pool and donated to charities. Millions of dollars have been raised since 1954. I loved seeing the kids make wishes and drop their coins into the well 🙂

“Bride and Groom” column.

My sister with the boys.

The inside temperature is a constant 54° F.  If you’re gong to visit in the summer, I would recommend a light sweater (especially for kids).  Don’t forget to use the bathroom before you enter the cave.  The guided tour lasts about an hour.

Thanks for reading!

xoxo, Ania