Collect a group of friends or family and arrange a tour through the Shenandoah Valley this summer. There are perks to traveling as a group, like reduced admission prices or special access. These are our top five destinations for family reunion outings, church groups, retirement buddy trips, school groups, girlfriend groups, or whatever other kind of group you may be a part of.
Who doesn’t love a train ride? What a cool bit of nostalgia to sightsee through the Shenandoah Valley aboard a vintage passenger train – and now you can even look UP thanks to the dome car. Climb aboard the Virginia Scenic Railway from the train station in downtown Staunton. Choose a morning departure at 10:30 a.m. to head through National Forest to Goshen, or an afternoon departure on the Blue Ridge Flyer to head east beneath the Blue Ridge Mountains. A minimum of 20 people are required.
Virginia Scenic Railway is Virginia’s only regularly scheduled tourist train excursion.
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One of Virginia’s most popular attractions is Luray Caverns, the largest cave system on the East Coast. It’s the perfect place to spend a summer day, as it’s a cool 50-something degrees all the time. A pre-arranged group experience includes a self-guided tour of the caverns, and visits to the Car & Carriage Museum, the Shenandoah Heritage Village, and Toy Town Junction. Rates are reduced from $34 to $24 per person when you have at least 20 people. Children are reduced from $17 to $12 for ages 12 and under.
School Groups of 15 or More: $10/ticket
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There are so many exotic animals roaming the 180 acres of the Virginia Safari Park, including wildebeest, giraffes, water buffalo, llamas, camels, and more. Your party of 15 or more have three options for experiencing the Virginia Safari Park: a caravan of vehicles, a small passenger bus or van (no larger than a 24-passenger), or a private tractor-pulled wagon, which is our recommendation! If everyone in your party is able to climb aboard the wagon, that’s definitely the way to go. Covered to ward off the sun, it includes a bucket of feed for each of you and a narration of the animals you will see along the way. The private wagon experience is $31.95 per person and guarantees you have the wagon to yourself, plus the animal feed. A reservation is required.
The caravan of vehicles option secures $1 off regular admission per person but does not include animal feed.
Plan a private guided tour through the permanent collection of the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley when you book an experience for 10 people or more at a reduced rate of $10 per person. Plan to peruse the beautifully manicured gardens and keep an eye out for resident water fowl. The current garden exhibition is Scraposaurs – 14 giant dinosaur and prehistoric creature sculptures created from scrap metal and found objects.
Book your visit at least four weeks in advance to secure a tour guide.
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If there are at least 15 people in your party, you qualify for group admission rates at the Frontier Culture Museum. For $9 per adult and $5 per child, you can tour the largest open-air living history museum in the Shenandoah Valley, complete with costumed interpreters, gardens, and animals. Learn about western settlement as well as where those immigrants came from. It’s like reliving history but in the comfort of today.
An Accessibility and Sensory Guide is available here.
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Header Image: Virginia Safari Park. Photo by Sam Dean (@sdeanphotos).
