Dixie Caverns

On a recent road trip through southern West Virginia, my boyfriend and I ended up in western Virginia in search of «a cool cave», and luckily we were able to fulfill our mission with Dixie Caverns. What makes Dixie Caverns one of those cool caves?
(01) Dixie Caverns are inside of a mountain, which is not typical of your average cavern.
(02) The group tour lasts one hour, so it’s great if you’re looking for an activity that won’t occupy your whole afternoon.
(03) It has all you’d expect from a cave: stalactites, stalagmites, a cathedral room, a giant bell-​shaped formation, hibernating bats, and pools of water.
(04) More importantly, a comical tour guide who makes corny jokes makes geology more fun.
What more do you need in a quick cavernous adventure?

Just visiting the area and wanted to see some historical landmarks and stumbled upon this place. Looks very sketchy at first but they have a big gift shop to look at. As you go into the caverns be aware that it is extremely cold. I’m pretty tiny and had to wear two sweatshirts. The only problem that I noticed some people had were the stairs. Our tour guide said that we would be climbing a total of around 340 stairs. But other than that it was very interesting and our tour guide, jake, was extremely funny and entertaining

I came in here today and I was fortunate enough to make it in time for the last tour. I had Heather as a guide and she was amazing. I cannot recommend the tour and her enough. If you go see if she’s working, she’s knowledgeable and patient with questions. I loved spending the hour learning from her.

While in Salem on vacation, we decided to tour the Dixie Caverns. As it was a hot day, the cool relief of the Caverns was welcomed. The Caverns themselves, and the story behind them were interesting to hear; our only qualm was the arrogance of our tour guide, especially on our way out of the caverns. Other than that, very nice

Love this place. It has been 7 years since my last visit. Many of the stories and information I don’t remember so it still seemed fresh. Heather was an excellent guide with info and warnings to watch our heads and slippery steps. May be difficult for some as there are very steep steps up and down through the caverns. Fun gift shop and huge antique store attached.

Stopped here for an overnight on our way out west. Tent camping for us. Part of a caverns operation that we did not visit. Quite a few RVs but I think we were the only tent people. Advertised as somewhat primitive which I can agree with. Biggest problem is the road noise-​very close to I-​81 although you can’t see it. The grassy tent area, where we stayed, seems to be the dog walk. Also, while there are fire rings all over there doesn’t seem to be any dry logs available and as you can guess we caught some nice downpours. A fairly average place. Bathroom facility ok. Camp fee reasonable.

Had a wonderful tour at Dixie Caverns with Heather! She was so enthusiastic and knowledgeable that it made the visit fantastic! Loved the bats and all the named «figures»!

The Caverns were very interesting, and the campground onsite was very pleasant!
We stayed here while passing through the area and stayed at the campground. It’s small, but the sites are good, lots of trees, and full-​hookups including cable!
We toured the cavern while here, and found it very interesting. The guide was very knowledgeable and was very patient and pleasant to all of us, from old folks to several children who LOVED it! Even when they turned out all the lights!
This cavern was discovered in 1920 by a couple of boys with a dog who were chasing a small animal. The dog actually fell into the original opening of the cave, luckily landing on a ledge just a couple feet inside. They rescued the dog and told the farmer about the cave. After exploring it for 3 years, he opened it to the public.
Until the 1950s tours consisted of climbing down a rope from the original opening and crawling around in the different caves. Argh! They then had to climb back UP the rope! Now, it’s lighted, with brick walkways and handrails.
The tour guide said there were 344 steps… which intimidated me a bit… but they are a few at a time and the longest stairs were only about 44 steps. Definitely do-​able!
As other reviewers have said, it’s not as large as some of the others, but the smaller caves can actually be better tours!
We are full-​time RVers — see more about our travels at
.

Don’t waste your time. The gift shop and bathrooms were nasty. The website said last tour at 5 but when we got there at 4:15, the employee said that was summer only. The last tour was actually at 4.
Grand Cavern, up route 81, was stunning. Save your money and go there.

We had a fantastic experience at Dixie Caverns. I cannot for the life of me remember the name of our tour guide, but he was lovely! He was enthusiastic, fun, engaging, and well-​educated about the caverns and their history.
The caverns are so well taken care of which was really nice to see. The tour provides many hand-​railings along the way for extra assistance, and there are plenty of stairs, but you don’t have to worry about slipping. It is also lit very well, and you’re able to see all sorts of beautiful patterns and shapes along the way. It really is something!
The tour itself takes maybe, oh, say, an hour? Not too long for the little kiddos, and just long enough for the adults to learn a thing or two. It is a fun experience that I would recommend to anybody visiting the area! Anytime you can learn something, go for it!

Great way to spend a couple hours if you are cruising through this part of virginia. Wasn’t too busy when we went which added to the experience. Gift shop full of tons of treasures depending on your view of pop culture from the last half century. Points for Preston our «mad chill cave guy»

Probably not the best well-​known cavern in the country — or even in the state, for that matter. In fact, it looks a little run-​down from just about every angle. Even the gift shop isn’t all that impressive. Then you walk around the side to get to the entrance and it actually gets a bit worse.
But once you’re inside, the place isn’t bad. It may not be the grandest of caverns, but it is a decent experience, all-​in-​all. The price may be on the high side for what you get, so if you have to wait, or if you have a large group other than your own, it might not be worth it. But if it’s a smallish group and you get something of a «private» tour, then it works out okay.

Nasty day in the rain on I-​81 and there’s this old sign for DIxie Caverns standing way out in a farmer’s field… Hey, why not? So we stopped and I’m totally glad we did. Our guide was very enthusiastic and endearing, which made this little attraction so much more enjoyable.
The caverns are smaller than some other, more well-​known, sites, but the things you see there are top-​notch and the admission price is reasonable. There are a lot of stairs and you go up in the mountain, as well as down, which is kinda cool.
Check it out.

This was reasonably-​priced ($ 12 for a 45 minute tour) and well-​run. It seems like a family business, and our guide knew his cave! He was able to answer every question (even those from curious 8 year old boys) and paced the tour according to the abilities of the group.
The antique store is excellent if you like a «treasure hunt» approach like me.

Visited here with my family — myself, wife, and 4 kids.
The tour of the caves cost us $ 42 for the 6 of us, and took about 50 minutes. The guide was good, allowing just enough time in each of the primary viewing areas of the caverns.
It may not be the largest or «best» cave you could visit, but if you are in Salem/​Roanoke, it’s a great way to spend 2 hours.
The gift shop is a total tourist trap, but prices are reasonable so you will not mind the experience.

From the road, looked great!

Been here a couple of times. It’s an interesting cavern, and you get some local color because the antique store is right there. The whole place is old enough to be a little creepy, which should add to the adventure. Luray is bigger and shinier, true. But this was good enough for my Seattle guest who didn’t want to travel five hours to Luray when she just wanted to see any old cavern.

It’s a bit of a tourist trap. We ended up here because we needed a rest stop from our 14 hour drive. Located on the way to Richmond from Memphis, this is not the best example of caverns but most convenient. The 45 minute tour was rushed by a fast talking guide. My friend and I struggled to keep up as he ran through the sections leaving picture takers in the dust. That said it provided a break from the heat as I wore my fleece for the first time all month. If you’re really a lover of caverns, Luray is suppose to be more impressive.