{"id":322,"date":"2012-06-30T18:16:22","date_gmt":"2012-06-30T18:16:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.websitefix.net\/clients\/Generic\/?page_id=322"},"modified":"2018-11-16T17:52:09","modified_gmt":"2018-11-16T17:52:09","slug":"natural-history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.sunraydirect.com\/Roanoke3\/?page_id=322","title":{"rendered":"Natural History"},"content":{"rendered":"

HISTORIC ATTRACTIONS \/ NATURAL HISTORY<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Caverns at Natural Bridge<\/strong>
\n15 Appledore Lane
\nNatural Bridge 800-533-1410
\nwww.naturalbridgeva.com<\/a>
\nKids will love the entertaining 45-minute tour through the wonderland of the East Coast’s deepest commercial cavern, a full 34 stories below the surface.<\/p>\n

Coal Mining Heritage Park Science Center<\/strong>
\nHightop at Merrimac Road
\nMerrimac 540-382-6975
\nwww.montva.com\/departments\/parks<\/a>
\nTake your time exploring the many facets of this outdoor science laboratory and nature center that also serves as an outdoor historic and archaeological museum.<\/p>\n

Dixie Caverns<\/strong>
\n5753 West Main Street
\nSalem 540-380-2085
\nwww.dixiecaverns.com<\/a>
\nWest Main Street marks the entrance to the only caverns in southwestern Virginia. Underground tours showcase the famous wedding bell and other unique formations. Attractions include a campground and pottery shop.<\/p>\n

Hopkins Planetarium<\/strong>
\nScience Museum of Western Virginia
\nOne Market Square
\nRoanoke 540-342-5710
\nwww.smwv.org<\/a>
\nLearn more about astronomy and enjoy planetarium star shows in this Center on the Square venue.<\/p>\n

The Huckleberry Trail Heritage Park & Trail System<\/strong>
\nClay & Draper Roads
\nBlacksburg 540-382-6975
\nwww.montva.com\/departments\/parks<\/a>
\nThis six-mile trail extends from Blacksburg through Montgomery County to the New River Valley Mall in Christiansburg.<\/p>\n

Luray Caverns<\/strong>
\n970 US Highway 211 West
\nLuray 540-743-6551
\nwww.luraycaverns.com<\/a>
\nThe East’s largest and most popular caverns offer paved walkways through cathedral-sized rooms filled with natural wonders.<\/p>\n

Mill Mountain Zoo<\/strong>
\nBlue Ridge Parkway
\nRoanoke 540-343-3241
\nwww.mmzoo.org<\/a>
\nMammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians are featured at this mountain top haven with its kaleidoscope of educational programs, special events, and scenic views.<\/p>\n

Natural Bridge of Virginia<\/strong>
\n15 Appledore Lane
\nNatural Bridge 800-533-1410
\nwww.naturalbridgeva.com<\/a>
\nOne of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, the ancient “tree-trunk” bridge towers 215 feet in height.<\/p>\n

Ruskin Freer Nature Preserve<\/strong>
\nBlackwater Creek Natural Area
\n515 Monticello Avenue
\nLynchburg 434-455-5878
\nwww.ci.lynchburg.va.us<\/a>
\nThis 115-acre preserve is showcased along the Ruskin Freer Loop Trail, named for an outstanding biology teacher.<\/p>\n

Thomas Jefferson\u2019s Poplar Forest<\/strong>
\nBateman Bridge Road
\nForest 434-525-1806
\nwww.poplarforest.org<\/a>
\nThe octagonal house of Thomas Jefferson design is only part of the attraction; some trees on this former plantation date back to Jefferson’s day.<\/p>\n

Virginia’s Explore Park<\/strong>
\nMilepost 115, Blue Ridge Parkway
\nRoanoke 540-427-1800
\nToll free 800-842-9163
\nwww.explorepark.org<\/a>
\nThis multi-faceted park features historic areas that depict Virginian life from 1670 to 1850 and an environmental section with hiking trails and recreational activities from biking to fishing.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

HISTORIC ATTRACTIONS \/ NATURAL HISTORY The Caverns at Natural Bridge 15 Appledore Lane Natural Bridge 800-533-1410 www.naturalbridgeva.com Kids will love the entertaining 45-minute tour through the wonderland of the East Coast’s deepest commercial cavern, a full 34 stories below the surface. Coal Mining Heritage Park Science Center Hightop at Merrimac Road Merrimac 540-382-6975 www.montva.com\/departments\/parks Take […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sunraydirect.com\/Roanoke3\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/322"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sunraydirect.com\/Roanoke3\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sunraydirect.com\/Roanoke3\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sunraydirect.com\/Roanoke3\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sunraydirect.com\/Roanoke3\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=322"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.sunraydirect.com\/Roanoke3\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/322\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":613,"href":"https:\/\/www.sunraydirect.com\/Roanoke3\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/322\/revisions\/613"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sunraydirect.com\/Roanoke3\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=322"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}