Winding your way through the Shenandoah Valley you’re sure to pass through scenic Grottoes, Virginia. Just 15 miles from Harrisonburg, Grottoes is home to America’s oldest continuously operated show cave, Grand Caverns. Why so grand? Well why not?
From its first tour in 1806 the cave system we know today as Grand Caverns was an attraction. Ownership passed through hands several times and the name changed as it went. You’ll find references to it as Amon’s Cave, Amen’s Cave (those are interchangeable), Weyers Cave, and finally, Grand Caverns, which it’s held since 1926.
Take and appreciate the Grand Caverns cavern tour, but then maybe consider climbing along on an Adventure Spelunking Tour of Fountain Cave, which is truly grand.
“I am so intrigued that I would want to go through again and do a lot of other things and see things that I didn’t see the first time I went through.”
Choose your level of grandness and book accordingly. Realize, however, that the scale is relative to ability.
Each tour requires a headlamp (provided) as you’ll be navigating a “wild” cave that is free of lighting. Fun, huh!? Along The Gauntlet, you’ll crawl and climb through narrow spaces for the most authentic caving experience in the Shenandoah Valley.
You can count on nature to offer up the best acoustics when you know where to look. Caverns are such a place, and Grand Caverns makes use of that quality repeatedly through the year.
Caroling in the Caverns is an annual holiday tradition. Join Mosaic Handbell Ensemble December 7 at 6, 6:40, or 7:20 p.m. On December 13 Eastern Mennonite High School Chamber Choir will perform at 6, 6:40, and 7:20 p.m. Both evenings are fundraisers and cost $15 per person or a bag of school supplies. A tour of the decorated caverns is included with the performance. Seats are limited, so get your tickets ASAP.
Keep an eye out for the 2025 dates for the Subterranean Sound concert series, an intimate evening of acoustic music by some of the region’s most popular bands. Due to the limited space for the concerts, tickets move quickly.
“Grand Caverns is specifically unique because you can only fit so many people down there and it inherently creates an intimate venue. The sounds swell in the cavern and like, echo, and everybody was tuned in and listening.”
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Header Image by DV Entertainment.
