Great Escape

The famous Luray Caverns offer a time-travel back into the days of rock formation and water washing through the channels of the deep Earth.

One of the location’s highlights is the Great Stalacpipe Organ, the world’s largest musical instrument. Hear rocks “sing” as you experience the haunting sounds and unique tones created by this unusual instrument, which makes concert quality music from surrounding stalactite formations covering more than three acres.

While you’re there, check out the Luray Singing Tower, with its 47 bells, the largest of which weighs 7,640 pounds. If you take the kids, they might be interested in the Garden Maze, with more than 1,500 Dark American Arborvitae, eight feet tall and four feet wide, creating a half-mile pathway enhanced with a misting fog. The twisting pathways lead past fountains and into a cave. At 40 points, the path taker must choose a direction to solve a riddle and emerge from the maze.

“…There are also a lot of smaller caves that are equally interesting,” said Hyattsville mom Carol Ramsey-Lucas, who has visited several caves in Virginia. “There is one cave that usually has a geology teacher as a guide and is really cool. It isn’t as tourist friendly as Luray but whenever we’ve gone we were the only ones on the tour and you really feel like you are wandering through a cave, unlike Luray Caverns which feels like Walmart after dark what with the long lines and all. We’ve often gone over spring break for this trip that way it isn’t too far but you get away.”