If you've toured the Grand Caverns walking tour and find yourself peering into the dark recesses of…read morethe cavern, the Fountain Cave adventure tour is a must on your next visit. Visiting on a day when temperatures were only forecast to reach a high of 42F, it was pleasantly warm inside Fountain Cave and did not require bundling up for most people. Long sleeves, long pants, and boots, are required due to the terrain you "may" cover in addition to keeping the [damaging] oils from your skin off the cave features. Helmets, mounted lighting, gloves and knee pads are provided and were all in good condition. The floor of the 1800s walkway is mostly dry but moist areas are present throughout the tour and can be very slippery; following the instructions provided by the tour guides (three points of contact) will ensure everyone stays upright in these areas. Dana and Ashelynn were our guides for a group of 7 and always took point and rear to ensure everyone was safe and accounted for. Dana took the prominent role in discussing the history, and geology, of Fountain Cave and was a very engaging guide. While Fountain Cave is not as large as Grand Caverns, getting to tour this cave by headlamp and put yourself INTO the exhibit is truly an awesome experience. The bonus comes in the form of the Adventure "opportunities" that run near or parallel to the original 1800s pathway; for those not able or interested in taking the Adventure routes, you simply stay on the 1800s walkway and meet up with the rest of the group a small distance down the path. There are a few instances on the tour where a break is taken in total darkness. The first is a short ways into the tour and is designed to show you the amount of light that can be picked up from the entrance way after your eyes are given time to adjust. The second sets the stage to show how the cave would have been illuminated by a small candle. Note: please be respectful of the other guests if taking photos in these black-out moments; lowering your camera to the lowest brightness setting and staying back from the group prevents ruining the experience for others. IMO, the only way to make the Fountain Cave tour better is to increase the length of time spent within. Just like the Grand Caverns tour, I still found myself peering into the areas off the guided tour path wondering...is there more to this cave that hasn't been discovered yet.

This is a hidden treat for those who have an adventurous side, are athletic, and want to stay away…read morefrom the crowds at Luray. As avid rock climbers and athletes, this was perfect for us - crawling around in hidden passages, scrambling over formations, and challenging our comfort zone. Our guides - Karen and Abby - were incredible! The amount of knowledge, stories, and personality is what made this tour not just great, but amazing! Highly recommended. Be wary, it is physically strenuous.

Saw this place on 'things to do' in the area and it seemed from the limited information from other…read morereviews, their website, and photos it was a historic center that would provide history and tours of Brethren and Mennonite and how the people of this faith lived during the 1700 & 1800s. Unfortunately, this was not it. This is more of a religious educational experience. Its all about the religion and what the Mennonite faith is about. The tour guide was very nice and knowledgeable. There are many old/historic buildings on site but our guide really didn't seem interested in talking about history. He was very interested in talking about the Mennonite religion. We wished it was more of a historical tour/experience.

Really enjoyed it. Had a great guide, Luke. Nice history of a 200-year-old oldest in the country…read more They hold events there still, we can concerts. Large rooms, easy to see all the formations in the walkways are easy to pass through. Quite a few steps for those who are challenged to do physical walking but otherwise it's pretty cool. Been to quite a few caverns and this was one of the better ones and a lot to see.

Such a fun experience! Make sure to wear good tennis shoes or hiking shoes. There are rocks along…read morethe path that can roll your ankle. I made the mistake of forgetting my tennis shoes at home.

Decent little cave tour. The place feels junky, and they charge more than the value of the tour…read more Our guide was kinda all over the place with the explanations. By the end we all felt like they dragged out the tour to try and give value. I think this place has a lot of potential to be great, but it is just average at this point.

Great tour guide ! Highly recommend . Much bigger than I was anticipating. The cavern is well lit…read more Very interesting to see soldiers of the Civil War write their names and their Regiment they were from on the walls of the cavern. You can imagine the Union soldiers hiding in the cavern. Highly recommend . John

Not what I expected. I had low expectations and they were exceeded. A bunch of maps and guides and…read morea nice video. Very small room. I guess it would be helpful if you are going to really go into finding Civil War locations. Parking lots are near

This place is a little hidden gem. They provide a good base of information about the civil war in…read morethis area and there is a video to watch as well as displays. The staff are uber helpful and the lady I talked to took me through areas of the house to help me visualize the local history. She told me several times that she was not a historian, but was a total wealth of information. I recommend stopping by this place, there is a parking lot right there at the building.

This was on our bucket list for a few years and made last minute reservations as we were passing…read morethrough. The staff was absolutely amazing - treated us like royalty! The 3-hour ride to Petersburg was a relaxing and peaceful slow and scenic trip that just gave you a chance to unwind. Additionally, the dining experience on a dining car was such a memorable experience and highly recommended! The staff offered historical information and facts to support the various scenes we passed through. The views were amazing and, as advertised, we were able to see many eagles along the route. The way back was raining but no less enjoyable. This should be on your to-do list for sure! It brings the kid out in you for sure!

For a unique experience just 2.5 hours away from Washington, D.C., Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad…read moreprovided my family of three with a day of fun. Boarding at Romney with a three-hour layover in Petersburg, here's our experience doing the all-day journey. 1) Tickets: Order online and pick up the tickets 30-60 minutes before boarding at the ticket counter at the train station. There's a large parking lot next door. Once you have your tickets, stand in the line marked with your letter. Or shop at the gift shop before they board. 2) Experience: Chugging along slowly, this vintage train is from the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s depending on which car you're in. We did the premier dining experience with a light breakfast, snacks, and a three-course dinner. The train itself has a little snack bar that accepts cash only, a gift shop that's also cash only, and a viewing car. Each car gets an opportunity to go onto the ceiling-less car through the canyon to see bald eagles. We saw around ten of them! As you ride, a woman announces points of interest. Outside of that, enjoy the views or bring a few card games to play or a book to read. There's no WiFi on the train and outlets are very sparse. The train is old and it shows. Some cars are nicer than others. There are a few clean restrooms throughout the train. On the three-hour layover in Petersburg, we opted for the Smoke Hole Caverns. A bus picked us up and drove 15 minutes to the caverns and resort. The caverns are small, but interesting and the resort has mini golf, gem mining, and the state's largest gift shop. 3) Food: The dinner is where they shined! The salad, alfredo with chicken, and chocolate cake were good! The breakfast was okay as was the pepperoni and cheese for an afternoon snack. If you love quality coffee, fuel up BEFORE the train. They offer bottomless coffee, but it's very weak and not good. The free-flowing sweet tea and lemonade were good!

We loved our dinner cruise on the Batteau. Will and Will were excellent hosts. We met them at a…read morelocal park and then followed them down to the river where we boarded the batteau. There were two batteaus tied together with six guests in each boat with Will and Will and the chef. It was a beautiful evening with a perfect temperature. We really enjoyed the stories told along our route. During the delicious dinner we enjoyed Will playing guitar and singing. It was a fun, unique and memorable experience that our group of six really enjoyed.

Wonderful evening spent with friends. Went from 6:30pm to8:30pm in 90 degree heat. The huge trees…read moreprotected us from the sun and it was perfectly pleasant. Enjoyable story telling and music. The charcuterie was delicious and plentiful. Every detail was perfect, from the ice buckets for the wine we brought to the stainless steel wine glasses they provided. This is a must do for everyone, especially out of town guests. These young men have definitely worked hard to get this right.

Unfortunately due to the rain our ride was cut short. BUT the characters still put on a show for us…read moreand made their way around interacting with the passengers and sharing a lot of historical information. If you're looking for a unique scenic experience in Virginia this is a great one to experience. There are limited themed rides so check in often and book upon interest. I look forward to getting a full experience on my next ride!