Discovery Day Celebration at Luray Caverns in Virginia

What: This event marks the 132nd anniversary of the discovery of the Luray Caverns with a day of special events, including the official opening of the Luray Valley Museum. The highlight of the day is typically the Grand Illuminiation, a tradition dating back to the 1870s in which guides, dressed in costumes of a bygone era tell of the caverns' storied past as visitors wander through chambers brilliantly lit by thousands of candles. The celebration also includes music and fireworks.

Where: Luray Caverns, 101 Cave Hill Road, Luray, Va., about 130 miles from Baltimore.

When: Aug. 14. The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new museum starts at 11:45 a.m. Luray Caverns opens at 9 a.m. with tours departing through 7 p.m.

How much: General admission for the special event, which includes the caverns and the museum, is $25 for adults; $11 for children ages 6-11; free for children 5 and younger when accompanied by an adult. Seniors are $23.

What's nearby: The new Luray Valley Museum is set up as a small farming community with an assemblage of restored buildings that represent frontier life in the 1800s. Visitors begin at the refurbished Stonyman Building, a log structure that houses an extensive collection of decorative arts, tools, literature and artifacts that weave a vivid tapestry of the region's rich history.

Information: luraycaverns.com