Why visit Grottoes
Townapedia lists 5 museums and landmarks, 2 parks and trails, 5 places to eat and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Grand Caverns, Cave Hill, Harnsberger Octagonal Barn and Mt. Meridian Schoolhouse.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 23°F.
Weather in Grottoes
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Grottoes
Grottoes is a town in Rockingham and Augusta counties in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. The population was 2,899 at the 2020 census. The town lies right on the border with Augusta County, and several commercial, residential, and recreational lots have portions within Augusta County.
From the Wikipedia article Grottoes, Virginia (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Grand Caverns
Monument and historic site · 0.8 mi
Cave in Virginia, United States
Museums and landmarks5
Harnsberger Octagonal Barn
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Round barn in Virginia, United States of America
Mt. Meridian Schoolhouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Place in Virginia listed on National Register of Historic Places
Port Republic Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Archaeological site in Virginia, United States
Stephen Harnsberger House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Historic house in Virginia, United States
Grand Caverns Museum and Entrance
Museum · 0.8 mi
4 Grand Caverns Drive, Grottoes
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes5
Wood Fired Oven
Restaurant · Italian · 1.0 mi
75 Augusta Avenue
Tu-Th 11:00-21:30; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:30; Su 11:30-16:00
History
The town was previously known as Liola in the 1880s, then briefly called Grottoes (meaning "caves") in 1889. A group of land speculators formally founded Shendun, a combination of "Shenandoah" and the Gaelic word "dun" meaning 'castle' or 'fortified hill', in 1892. Through a series of financial missteps, the Shendun Corporation went bankrupt in 1893. On March 11, 1912 the name was officially changed back to Grottoes.
Situated between the South Fork of the Shenandoah River and Brown's Gap, the town benefited from easy access to surrounding towns and natural resources. In 1933 a Civilian Conservation Corps Camp No. 1369 was established 3 miles east of Grottoes, and they built trails and roads into Shenandoah National Park that still exist today. The former CCC camp also served as Civilian Public Service Camp No. 4, a place for conscientious objectors to serve during World War II, and around 100 young Mennonite men lived and worked within four main categories: Soil Conservation, Forestry Service, National Park Service, and Land Reclamation Service.
Grand Caverns was designated a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service in 1973. The Stephen Harnsberger House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
From the History section of Grottoes, Virginia on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship2
Shopping4
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries3
Healthcare2
Map of Grottoes
29 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44°F | 23°F | 3.2 in |
| Feb | 48°F | 25°F | 2.8 in |
| Mar | 55°F | 31°F | 4.1 in |
| Apr | 66°F | 40°F | 3.9 in |
| May | 74°F | 50°F | 3.6 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 59°F | 4.5 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 63°F | 3.7 in |
| Aug | 85°F | 61°F | 3.7 in |
| Sep | 78°F | 54°F | 5.5 in |
| Oct | 68°F | 43°F | 3.4 in |
| Nov | 56°F | 33°F | 4.0 in |
| Dec | 47°F | 27°F | 3.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Waynesboro Wtp (13 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Augusta County has had 11 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-01-23: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2020-04-02: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2018-09-11: Hurricane Florence (Hurricane)
- 2012-10-29: Hurricane Sandy (Hurricane)
- 2012-07-27: Severe Storms And Straight-Line Winds (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport (SHD) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Crimora 7 mi south, about 12 min by car
- Bridgewater 11 mi northwest, about 18 min by car
- Harrisonburg 12 mi north, about 19 min by car
- Dayton 12 mi northwest, about 19 min by car
- Dooms 12 mi south, about 19 min by car
- Belmont Estates 13 mi northwest, about 21 min by car
- Waynesboro 15 mi south, about 23 min by car
- Staunton 15 mi southwest, about 24 min by car
- Elkton 15 mi northeast, about 24 min by car
- Stuarts Draft 21 mi southwest, about 33 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Grottoes VA, P199, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Harnsberger Octagonal Barn VA HABS1v, Jack Boucher, Public domain
- Water Street brick house in Port Republic, Nyttend, Public domain
- Mt. Meridian Schoolhouse, Nyttend, Public domain
- HarnsbergerHouse, Calverpw, Public domain
- Grand Caverns, P199, CC BY-SA 3.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.