Natural Bridge is home to two major Virginia tourist attractions: The Caverns at Natural Bridge and Natural Bridge State Park. This region is also the place to find wonderful things to do in Virginia. When you enjoy lodging at the Natural Bridge Historic Hotel, you can take advantage of everything that Rockbridge County, VA and the surrounding Virginia Shenandoah Valley have to offer. Learn more about fantastic Virginia Getaways to Natural Bridge, including vacation packages, Virginia craft beer festivals, and outdoor excursions.

​Virginia’s Rockbridge County is a hot spot to shop small, with options ranging from antiques to unique boutiques in downtown Lexington. Visitors also enjoy the experience of delectable dining throughout including The Colonial Dining Room and The Red Fox Tavern.  Tastings at local vineyards and craft breweries is a must. Our nearby favorites are Great Valley Farm Brewery, Devils Backbone Outpost Brewery and Tap Room, and Rockbridge Vineyards.  Visitors have access to the great outdoors to enjoy our mountains, waterways, and enticing arts and local historic interpretation.

Natural Bridge State Park

Distance from hotel: 0.0 miles
Natural Bridge is Virginia’s newest state park. The park is one of the oldest tourist destinations in the United States. This popular tourist attraction is located in the community of Rockbridge County. The Bridge has been included in several “Seven Natural Wonders of the World” lists, mostly in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It has also been designated a National Historic Landmark, a Virginia Historic Landmark and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Bridge Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for kids ages 6-12. Children 5 and under are free. Gates are open from 8: a.m. until dusk.

The Caverns at Natural Bridge

Distance from hotel: 0.0 miles
The Caverns at Natural Bridge were discovered just before the turn of the 20th century and became available to the public in 1977. Open seasonally March through November, visitors enjoying the Natural Bridge Caverns tour descend more than 34 stories deep within the Earth to get to the magnificent, natural display. While underground, tourists can explore the Natural Bridge Caverns and view their many special features, including structures such as the Colossal Dome room. This room is an enormous, dome-shaped element that was created over thousands of years. Visitors will also see Mirror Lake, the Well Room, and the stalactites and stalagmites that grow from the Canyon Room.

Drama of Creation 

Distance from hotel: 0.0 miles
Two Bridges: One by Day and One by Night! Enjoy spectacular new color and lighting effects combined with high fidelity sound to create a truly inspirational presentation called the Drama of Creation. During the night pageant, mountainsides form a vast stage. Scenes move and change with the mood of gripping music in a spectacle that takes the onlooker back into the eternal ages.

On May 22, 1927, then President of the United States Calvin Coolidge pressed the button that inaugurated the night illumination of Natural Bridge. Phineas Stevens, a celebrated lighting engineer at the time, designed and installed an impressive system of night lighting that transforms the Bridge and glen into a marvel of living stone. The current presentation stays true to its original form with a dramatic narration of the Seven Days of Creation, accompanied by classical music and moving lighting effects.

Drama Schedule: Subject to change.  
​Call hotel for details, 540-291-2121.
The Drama of Creation is available daily 30 minutes after Natural Bridge State Park closes. The show is free, however, donations are accepted. 

Natural Bridge Zoo

Distance from hotel: 1.3 Miles
Open mid-March through early December, the Natural Bridge Zoo is privately owned and offers a petting zoo and close encounters tours with some of their visitors’ favorite residents! Feed a lemur, visit with the new babies, get close with the big cats, and more.

Virginia Safari Park

Distance from hotel: 5.1 Miles
Virginia’s only drive-thru zoo is our neighbor! Drive your own vehicle through the 180-acre park or hop aboard the tractor-drawn wagon for an even more intriguing experience. As if getting up close and personal with free-roaming animals weren’t exciting enough, the aviary, giraffe-feeding station, petting area, and kangaroo walk-about are additional must-sees. 

Virginia Gold Orchard

Distance from hotel: 5.0 Miles
​Located eight minutes up the road, Virginia Gold Orchard is a family-run farm dedicated to growing the very best tasting Asian pears.


Established in 1990 by Paul and Youngsuk Estabrook, the orchard currently consists of about 2,000 Asian pear trees. Every fall they harvest up to 16 different varieties of Asian pears, each one ripening at a different time.

Halcyon Days Cider Company

Distance from hotel: 4.6 Miles
Halcyon Days Cider Co. is a hands-on, family owned and operated small farm and cidery.  Halcyon Days have blended their deep respect of traditional methods with newly refined techniques to create their small batch cider production. As their name suggests, their aim is to return to a simpler time infused with calm and happiness. Stop in for a flight, open 7 days a week.

Great Valley Farm Brewery

Distance from hotel: 5.2 Miles
Rockbridge County’s newest brewery is also a member of the Shenandoah Beerwerks Trail. Producing small-batch craft beer, Great Valley Farm Brewery sits on 27 picturesque acres with the Blue Ridge Mountains as a backdrop. Stop in for a flight Wednesday through Sunday.

Twin River Outfitters

Distance from hotel: 11.8 Miles
A day on the river will do you good, and Twin River Outfitters is nearby to help. Rent a canoe, kayak, or tube for a leisurely fishing, floating, or paddling trip. Guided trips and moonlight paddles are also available.

Virginia Military Institute 

Distance from hotel: 13.6 miles
Located just 20 minutes from the VMI campus, the hotel is an ideal choice for family, friends, alumni, and those attending on-campus events. When you visit, seek out Jackson Memorial Hall to tour the VMI Museum. Outside nearby stands Moses Ezekiel’s statue, “Virginia Mourning Her Dead.”

Washington & Lee University  

Distance from hotel: 14 miles
Located just 20 minutes from the Washington & Lee campus, the hotel is an ideal choice for family, friends, alumni, and those attending on-campus events. No visit to W&L is complete without a visit to Lee Chapel. Be sure to leave a penny at Traveller’s gravesite.

Virginia Horse Center

Distance from hotel: 24 miles
​The Virginia Horse Center stands at the forefront of Virginia’s $1.2B equine economy. The Natural Bridge Historic Hotel and Conference Center is delighted to work in partnership to encourage tourism and accomplish our shared missions in recreation, education and preservation.

VHCF boasts 600+ acres of picturesque grounds that hold a 4,000 seat coliseum, eight barns to accommodate 1,200 horses, 19 show rings, cross-country and combined carriage driving courses and campgrounds, and offers full catering and café services. The VHCF also hosts many non-equine events such as dog shows, BMX, agriculture programs, and the Rockbridge Regional Fair & Farm Show.

Every weekend offers a variety of opportunities for competitors and spectators alike! Check their calendar of events for a complete schedule.

For more Travel information, please consult these recommended sites:

Lexington and the Rockbridge Area Tourism
Virginia Tourism Corporation
Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge
Virginia State Parks