A few years ago I attempted to visit these caverns, but upon arrival I was told that there was a large COVID outbreak nearby and the caverns were not opened. However, on my June 2025 visit with my daughter we were successful. Some of these photos are credited to my daughter Jennifer.
These caverns were discovered in 1884 by two inquisitive boys who were exploring a limestone quarry where a railroad was excavating. They retrieved ropes and candles and scrambled down a 275-foot twisting and winding shaft. At the bottom, they discovered a huge, dark room filled with stalactites, stalagmites and flowstone.
In 1920, construction began on the caverns entry and passageways. Tons of gravel were brought in and used to build the floor up from between 3 and 15 feet to create the pathway. Ownership of the caverns passed through a number of people over the years.
The main floor of the entrance building contained the gift shop and caverns entrance, while the two top floors housed a full-service hotel. Shenandoah Caverns opened for tours in May 1922.
Upon arrival on a very sunny and hot day, the cavern experience gave us some cool relief. We were welcomed by Patty at the entrance counter who was very courteous and informative. Paper product history documents were slim, but a more informative booklet was available at a cost.
My military veteran discount was also applied to my daughter’s admission, so that was a nice touch.
All Shenandoah Caverns tours are fully guided. You may not tour on your own.
First formation on the tour is a Virginia Law sign that warns you will be fined for any damage you may cause in the caverns. Formation photos include the Diamond Cascade, with a few called “Bacon” as you can imagine, and the Capitol Dome formation. Other chamber formations had various names as well, but my memory fails me on the rest. At each location I noticed a phone that resembled the phone in my old home kitchen which was there for emergencies.
A few of the formations were colorfully lit, but they also would turn off the lights to get a natural view.
Next is some natural views of various chambers.
If you visit:
Address: 261 Caverns Road, Quicksburg, Virginia 22847. It is very close to an Interstate 81 exit. There are no real easy travel options besides driving to get here.
Admission: Adults $34, Children (6-12) $16, Children (5 and under) Free. Military and Veterans $30. If you want to visit the American Celebration on Parade Museum, it is an additional $10. With my veteran price of $30 and guide tip of $10, the total price was $40. Our guide was Vanessa who was extremely organized and talked in a louder voice which was good for me with my hearing problems.
Hours: The caverns are open every day (except Christmas) from 10AM to 5PM with the last tour at 4PM.
Parking: Plentiful and free directly in front of the entrance.
Tour: The guided tour is 1 hour long and the path is gravel and can be somewhat steep in a few places. Takes 79 steps to descend into the caverns, but an elevator option is available. The tour is approximately one mile in length.
Wheelchairs and Strollers are not permitted due to the pathway. The cavern temperature is 56 degrees and there are places where water dripping from the ceilings can be a problem, so maybe wear a head covering for these places. Also, there are many instances where you have to bend over to avoid hitting your head on low passageways. A few people in our group walked with canes and had a little trouble getting under low passageways and managing the inclines.
Nice photos, George!