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VIRGINIA'S LURAY CAVERNS:

COOL & COLORFUL

If you want to escape the summer heat and humidity, just head underground to some cool caverns. If you want to see some of the coolest and most colorful caverns in the world, head straight to Virginia's Luray Caverns, conveniently located near I-81 in the state's stunning Shenandoah Valley.

On August, 13, 1878, town tinsmith Andrew Campbell cupped his hand over a hole in the ground and felt a draft of cool air. A candle held to the hole for illumination blew out immediately.

Along with photographer Benton Stebbins and several other companions, Campbell dug away loose rock and, candle in hand, slide down a rope to find Luray Caverns, the largest caverns in the east. The explorers immediately began preparing for the first illumination of this eerie world of stalactites and stalagmites. Held in sparkling candlelight on November 6, 1878, Luray Caverns has been open for public tours each day since that first illumination.

Alexander Brand, Jr., a correspondent for the New York Herald, was the first travel writer to visit Luray Caverns. He said, "It's a magnificent cave, the most beautiful I've ever seen." Along with Campbell and Dr. Horace Hovey, a noted author and authority on caves, Brand toured the cave and named formations (many of the christenings are used in the tours today).

Professor Jerome J. Collins, the famed explorer, postponed his departure on a North Pole expedition to visit the caverns. The Smithsonian Institution sent a delegation of nine scientists to examine the caverns and they all raved about the stalactite and stalagmite ornamentation. The Encycolpedia Britannica devoted an unprecedented 1 1/2 pages to the cave's wonders. Many considered it to be the find of the century.

Over the 121 years since its discovery, more than 30 million visitors have toured Luray Caverns. Designated a U.S. Natural Landmark in 1974, it is one of the most popular and pretty caves in the world.

Tallow candles were used to light the caverns until 1881, when 13 arc lights were installed. This was the first instance on record when a cave had been lighted by electricity in the U.S.

In 1901, Colonel T.C. Northcott leased Luray Caverns and built a sanitarium that was the first air-conditioned home in America. He cooled it by installing a shaft into a cavern chamber and connecting it to the house above. The cool and naturally purified air filled every room and was ideal for those with respiratory illnesses. On the hottest day in summer, the house was always cool and comfortable at 70 degrees.

Today's Luray Cavern visitors (and visits) are just as cool. The many highlights, explored by guided tour, include: the Cathedral; the Great Stalacpipe Organ; and the Wishing Well.

The Cathedral has the largest floor space of any room in the caverns (it was often used for town parties because it was once the largest indoor space in the region). More than 300 weddings have taken place in Luray Caverns and most of them have been in this room. The first ceremony took place back in 1879.

The Great Stalacpipe Organ is located in the Cathedral. Invented in 1954 by Leland W. Sprinkle, it is the world's largest musical instrument. Stalactites covering more than 3 1/2 acres produce tones of symphonic quality when they are electronically tapped by rubber-tipped mallets. Though the organ is fully capable of being played manually from a console, today's visitors enjoy an automated concert. The Great Stalacpipe Organ has been featured on National Public Radio, ABC's Good Morning America, and Mister Roger's Neighborhood.

Since 1954, millions of visitors have tossed coins in the Luray Caverns Wishing Well. This large subterranean pool of water is approximately six feet deep. Once a year, the sparkling pool is drained and the money is deposited into a special bank account for future distribution to charitable organizations. Through the Wishing Well, generous visitors have provided more than $400,000 to notable organizations, like the American Heart Association, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and the American Cancer Society.

Other Luray Caverns attractions include the Historic Car and Carriage Caravan Museum, the Luray Singing Tower, and Caverns Country Club Resort. Luray, the center of Virginia's northern Shenandoah Valley, is just ten minutes from Shenandoah National Park and 105-mile Skyline Drive. Shenandoah Valley highlights in the area also include New Market Battlefield Historical Park, Staunton's Frontier Culture Museum and Woodrow Wilson's Birthplace, and George Washington National Forest and the Shenandoah River. Further general information is available by calling (877) VISITSV or visiting the Shenandoah Valley's website at www.shenandoah.org.

Daily tours of Luray Caverns begin each morning at 9:00 a.m. and depart about every 20 minutes. They are open until 7:00 p.m. through Labor Day, with slightly earlier closing times after that. The price for adults is $14.00, while it's just $6.00 for those seven to 13 and six and under are free. For further information, call (540) 743-6551 or visit their colorful website at www.luraycaverns.com.