Luray Caverns is definitely a place you should visit at least once in your life. Located just west of Luray, Virginia, the caverns is a large cave filled with stalagmites and stalactites. Luray Caverns was discovered in 1878 by five men. Their attention had been attracted by a protruding limestone outcrop and by a nearby sinkhole that had cool air coming out from it. They bought the land and kept their secret till after the sale of all the land. This caused a major uproar and in April 1881, the Supreme Court of Virginia deprived the purchase of the cave’s discoverers. Later the property was sold to The Luray Cave and Hotel Company. Now the Caverns are property of the Luray Caverns Company.

While walking through the Caverns you get to see many big stalactites and stalagmites. At the very bottom of the caverns is The Great Stalacpipe Organ. The organ is a lithophone made from solenoid fired strikers that tap stalactites of various sizes to produce sounds similar to those of xylophones, tuning forks, or bells. There are other cool things that the caverns offer. Dream Lake is a spring of water that reflects the stalactites above making them look like stalagmites. The deepest point in the water is 20 inches but because of the illusion it looks deeper. The spring continues deeper into the cave where you will find the Wishing Well. The wishing well is a bright blue pond that people can throw coins into. The Wishing Well also gives off an illusion. The pond looks 3-4 inches deep but it is actually 6-7 feet deep. There are also unique, food related formations in the Luray Caverns. The biggest food formation is the ice cream cone and the smallest food formation is the two fried eggs toward the end of the journey. Both are made from rocks that somehow formed into shapes that resemble foods.

Luray Caverns also offers other cool things besides its wonderful cave. They have a car museum  called the Car and Carriage Caravan Museum that is filled with old cars from back in the day. Next to that is a maze where kids and adults can run through and try to find the exit. Before you enter they give you a paper and in the maze is a code that reveals a secret message. The Luray Valley Museum, located across from the Caverns, allows visitors to look back in time and see a collection of historic buildings and artifacts from the 19th century.

Luray Caverns is a beautiful place to visit. It’s definitely a trip the whole family will love and enjoy. Not many places offer us the ability to go underground and explore caves and see cool rock formations. Visit Luray Caverns and take a tour down into the cave, the views will amaze you.