The Yellow Barn @ Shenandoah Caverns

Few meters away from the caverns is the valley's newest entertainment location, - the Yellow Barn! It offers small town shopping, historic displays of model trains and various collections of restored carriages and other farm vehicles, wine tasting, home decors, small accessories, and many more.

There is also an indoor beehive in the store where you can see the bees making their honey. But take note that the beehive is not available for viewing in the cooler months.

Kids can also enjoy playing at the playhouse, just in front of the building, and the giant frog statue for a photo session! :)

Their souvenir shop carries a wide variety of items from local wines to arts, crafts, trinkets and mementos.

The Trip Down Main Street of Yesteryear

This elaborate, full of colorful unique, animated and antique store window displays opened in 1996. It shows more than 100 animated figurines of window displays most of which of them were originally displayed in city department stores a half century ago.

The idea of opening this window displays came from the fact that there were those times in the past, many years back when children get so excited during the holiday season wherein they couldn't wait to visit department stores just to look at those animated displays through the store windows.

Today, children can now experience enjoyment and fun the same way as before when they visit Main Street of Yesteryear.

When you are visiting Shenandoah caverns, you can either choose to visit these displays before or after your cavern tour as the place is just adjacent to the caverns.

The cavern tour or a visit to the Main Street of Yesteryear starts at the shop where both entrances are. Those coming from the cavern tour will still have the choice to be dropped off from another entrance to the Main Street through the elevator.

Big brown bears displayed along the side of the stairs came from the Rose Parade in California.

As you start your visit to Main Street of Yesteryear, you will be greeted with glass cased windows filled with fully restored antique displays such as the three-ring circus of clowns, twirling elephants, jugglers and ferocious tigers.

You will also see the thrilling sight of the miniature version of the presidential inaugural parade, completed with miniature military units, bands and floats.

Don't miss Cinderella going to the ball ;).

This is one ideal place for children to visit. The displays have buttons to press making the characters move.

My Shenandoah Caverns Tour Experience!

For more than 90 years, the Shenandoah Caverns has been receiving many visitors. It is here that you will discover what they call an underground world of wonder, - Virginia's only caverns with elevator service! They also added more convenient walkways without using stairs, much more for the benefit of the elderlies and those who have difficulty walking up and down the stairs. It also means that 80% of the cavern is accessible by wheelchair :).

The cavern maintains a 56F degree temperature yearly round, so always bring a jacket if you are going for a tour. The tour lasts for one hour with a walking distance of one mile exploring all the 17 rooms with each of its unique extraordinary crystalline formations and incredible geological features. You will be amazed as you will see the famous "bacon" limestone formations, the rainbow lake, cardcross castle, and the capital dome formations.

You will also see the breathtaking, sparkling calcite crystals of the Diamond Cascade!

Diamond Cascade

Capital Dome

You will also get to learn how the caverns were formed. Interesting tour!

Bring your camera and take tons of photos!

American Celebration on Parade @ Shenandoah Caverns

This interesting museum is just one of the most visited place when you are at Shenandoah Caverns. It houses unique collections of stunning parade floats, props and stage settings from famous presidential inaugurals and floats, - from Rose & Thanksgiving Day parades to other national celebrations.

You can also get the chance to see massive full-size parade floats and props up close as you walk pass through them.

Do you see me?? ;)

Earl Harlgrove Jr., the owner of Shenandoah Caverns also owned Hargrove, Inc., -a large decorating company which happened to be the company that began making presidential inaugural floats that started in 1949 for Pres. Traumann, and since then, had been making all the inaugural floats.

This is one place for many visitors to experience seeing and stand for photo keepsakes where famous personalities once stood...a once in a lifetime experience!