Luray, Virginia is one of the top places to visit in Virginia. It is located in the Shenandoah Mountains region in the western part of the state, and it is conveniently located not far from Interstate 81. It is also only about an hour and a half drive from Fairfax County, which makes it a great destination for a weekend getaway.
The most popular attraction in the town are the famous Luray Caverns, and that is definitely worth the visit! However, there are many other things to do in Luray, Virginia, including a heritage museum, a major national park, greenway walking trails, and a car museum.
Below are some of my top recommendations for attractions and hotels.
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Top photo by Robert Thiemann on Unsplash.
Table of Contents
- Luray Caverns
- Car & Carriage Caravan Museum
- Shenandoah Heritage Village
- Toy Town Junction
- The Garden Maze at Luray Caverns
- Rope Adventure Park
- Shenandoah National Park
- Luray Wineries
- Warehouse Art Gallery
- Luray Singing Tower
- Massanutten Storybook Trail
- Luray-Hawksbill Greenway
- Where to Stay in Luray, VA
| Where to Stay in Luray, Virginia |
| Best Budget Hotel Pick: Luray Cavern Motels * * * Best Mid-Range Hotel Pick: The Mimslyn Inn * * * Best Luxury Hotel Pick: Hotel Laurance |
Luray Caverns
Location:
101 Cave Hill Rd, Luray, VA 22835
Hours:
Open Daily: 9 am to 7 pm (Summer Hours) The caverns close earlier during other parts of the year.
Price:
Adults = $32
Kids (6-12 years old) = $16
Under 6 years old = free
Luray Caverns are definitely the most famous attraction in Luray, Virginia. In fact, they’re one of the top attractions in the state. The caverns hold the distinction of being the largest caverns in the Eastern United States, and they are one of the great natural wonders of the country.
The caverns are well worth the visit. They are an incredible sight to behold. Some of the spaces are 10 stories high, plus there’s an underground body of water that creates an awesome mirror effect within the caverns.
One of the most famous features is The Great Stalacpipe Organ, which is the largest musical instrument in the world and produces sound through 3 acres of caves.
Admission to Luray Caverns also includes admission to the Car & Carriage Caravan Museum, Shenandoah Heritage Village, and Toy Town Junction, which makes it a perfect place to visit for the whole family.
In addition, there is a Garden Maze, with $10 tickets, and a Rope Adventure Park, with $11 tickets.
You can find more information on all of these attractions below.
Car & Carriage Caravan Museum
Location:
970 US-211, Luray, VA 22835
Hours:
Open Daily = 9 am to 7 pm
Price:
Ticket is included with admission to Luray Caverns.
The Car & Carriage Caravan Museum is a must-see for any car enthusiast. The main attraction is an 1897 Mercedes-Benz, which is one of the oldest functioning cars in the United States. Another major automobile on display is a 1925 Rolls Royce associated with the movie star Rudolph Valentino.
Shenandoah Heritage Village
Location:
100 Cave Hill Rd, Luray, VA 22835
Hours:
Open Daily: 10 am to dusk, weather permitting.
Price:
Ticket is included with admission to Luray Caverns.
The Shenandoah Heritage Village is a 10-acre site that features reconstructed 19th-century Shenandoah buildings for you to explore. It includes historic buildings, gardens, and even a vineyard. It also includes the Luray Valley Museum, which has an excellent collection of pieces dating from Native American artifacts to items from the 1920s.
Another attraction at the Shenandoah Heritage Village is the Gem Mining Sluice, where you can learn about prospecting for gold and other valuable minerals and gems with a hands-on experience.
There is also a Museum Gift Shop on site, as well as the Heartpine Cafe, where you can try regional wines, beers, and hard ciders.
Toy Town Junction
Location:
Luray, VA 22835
Hours:
Open Daily: 9:00 am to 5:30 pm
Price:
Ticket is included with admission to Luray Caverns.
Toy Town Junction was created by Dr. Richard Worden, a retired Methodist Minister with a love of toys and trains. He accumulated a substantial collection of toys and trains over the years and reached out to Luray Caverns to exhibit and share the collection with visitors to the famous natural attractions.
The Garden Maze at Luray Caverns
Location:
101 Cave Hill Rd, Luray VA 22835
Hours:
Monday to Friday: 11 am to 4 pm
Saturday and Sunday: 11 am to 5 pm
Price:
Adults = $10
Children (6 to 12 years old): $7
The Garden Maze at Luray Caverns is another not-to-be-missed attraction at the famous caverns. It requires an additional cost to enter, but it is well worth the price of admission. The Garden Maze is the largest maze in the mid-Atlantic states! It features eight foot tall hedges on one acre of land.
The pathway is half a mile long and has 40 different paths to take. The gift shop includes puzzle and maze-related products!
Rope Adventure Park
Location:
970 US-211, Luray, VA 22835
Hours:
Monday to Friday: 10:30 am to 6 pm
Saturday and Sunday: 10:30 am to 7 pm
Price:
$11.00 for Children Above 48 Inches
$ 7.00 Children Under 48 Inches
The Rope Adventure Park is another activity that is part of Luray Caverns, though it requires a separate ticket. The ropes courses involve putting on a harness and navigating a course with swinging rope bridges, ladders, balance beams and more.
There is a low ropes course and a high ropes course, so that you can choose what level you feel most comfortable with.
The park is great for kids, families, and team-building events.
Shenandoah National Park
Location:
US-211, Luray, VA 22835
Hours:
The park is always open, though some of the Visitor Centers have more limited hours.
Price:
- Shenandoah Entrance Pass – Single Vehicle – $30.00
- Shenandoah Entrance Pass – Single Motorcycle – $25.00
- Shenandoah Entrance Pass – Individual Person – $15.00
- Shenandoah Annual Pass – $55.00
- America the Beautiful – Annual Pass – $80.00 (Covers all National Parks)
- America the Beautiful – Annual Senior Pass – $20.00
- America the Beautiful – Military Pass – Free
- America the Beautiful – Volunteer Pass – Free
Shenandoah National Park is another major attraction in the state of Virginia, and definitely one that you don’t want to miss! It spans the length of the western part of the state, and there are four official visitor entrances to the park along Skyline Drive. There is one entrance right in Luray, VA.
The park has over 500 miles of hiking trails to explore, plus picnic tables, waterfalls, wildlife, stunning mountain views, and much more.
You can learn much more about Shenandoah National Park and the other major National Parks in Virginia.
Luray Wineries
Location:
Hours:
Varies by location
Price:
Varies by location
Luray, VA has a number of excellent wineries located within an easy drive of the town. Some of my favorites can be found here.
Some notable wineries to visit are:
- Castle Vineyards is located right in Luray, VA, which makes it very convenient to visit.
- Wolf Gap Vineyard is also located close to Luray, VA. It features a lovely setting that is also perfect for weddings and other special events.
- Ducard Vineyard is a little further afield, but it is worth the visit, and one of my personal favorites. Their wines are excellent, they have live music events, and the location is very beautiful and relaxing.
Warehouse Art Gallery
Location:
Hours:
Monday to Friday: 12 pm to 5 pm
Saturday and Sunday: 11 am to 5 pm
Price:
No fee.
The Warehouse Art Gallery is a great artistic space located in historic downtown Luray. It is designed as a creative space for local art, dancers, musicians, poets, writers, actors, and more.
The building itself is located in an old warehouse building (hence the name.) There are over 1000 works of art on display from over 90 local artists. Some of the works on display at the gallery include paintings, sculptures, stained glass, pottery, jewelry, photography, and baskets.
The venue is also available to host weddings and other special events.
Luray Singing Tower
Location:
Hours:
Open at all times. Recital times can be found on their website.
Price:
No fee.
The Luray Singing Tower (officially known as the Belle Brown Northcott Memorial) is another major attraction in Luray, VA. It was constructed in 1937 and is located in Carillon Park across from the entrance to Luray Caverns, which makes it a very convenient stop on your trip to Luray.
The tower is 117 feet tall and features a carillon of 47 bells. The largest bell is an astounding 7,640 pounds in weight!
Free recitals are held regularly each year from spring through fall. The recitals feature patriotic music, folk music, hymns, classical music, and much more. Saturday recitals are held at 7 pm and Sunday recitals are held at 3 pm.
Massanutten Storybook Trail
Location:
From I-81: Take exit 264 and continue east on Highway 211 into New Market. Turn left onto Highway 11 at second traffic light. Go north to the next traffic light and turn east (still Highway 211). Turn left at approximately 3 miles onto FR 274 (Crisman Hollow Road). Storybook Trail is approximately 1.5 miles from Highway 211.
Hours:
Open 24/7
Price:
No Fee.
The Massanutten Storybook Trail is a short, relatively easy 0.5 mile hiking trail. It features gorgeous views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the picturesque Shenandoah Valley. It is about 2,000 feet in elevation. There is an observation deck along the trail that provides visitors with the perfect spot for incredible views of Masanutten Mountain.
Luray-Hawksbill Greenway
Location:
Luray, VA 22835
Hours:
Open 24/7
Price:
No fee.
The Luray-Hawksbill Greenway is a lovely footpath that runs through Luray alongside the Hawksbill Creek. It is managed by the Hawksbill Greenway Foundation.
The greenway is a multi-use path used by walkers, joggers, and cyclists. The path is two miles long and includes two restrooms, eight picnic tables, more than 24 benches, and six parking areas along the way.
The greenway is a great place to enjoy the wildlife and beautiful scenery of the Shenandoah Valley region. There are more than 200 species of bird in the area, including Green Heron, Belted Kingfisher, Downy Woodpecker, Eastern Bluebird, and American Goldfinch.
Where to Stay in Luray, VA
Best Budget Pick: Luray Cavern Motels
Luray Cavern Motels is an excellent pick because of its great price, great reviews, plus great location within close proximity of many major attractions. It is just 1,800 feet from Luray Caverns! You can also enjoy local activities such as golfing, cycling, and horseback riding.
Best Mid-Range Pick: The Mimslyn Inn
The Mimslyn Inn is a great mid-range pick in Luray. It has lovely grounds, a pool and hot tub, garden, fitness center, and continental breakfast. Luray Caverns is just 0.9 miles away
Best Luxury Pick: Hotel Laurance
If you’re looking to splurge on a special vacation treat, the Hotel Laurance is the perfect choice. It is a gorgeous, sophisticated property. The large rooms feature private kitchens and seating areas. It is located 1 mile from Luray Caverns.
Learn more about my favorite Charlottesville Wineries, Luray Wineries, and Northern Virginia Wineries!
Learn more about the Best Virginia Wine Bus Tours!
Find out all about The Best Sunflower Fields in Virginia!
Learn all about the 24 Best National Parks in Virginia!
