Abstract Grand Caverns is the oldest show cave in continuous operation in the contiguous United States. Discovered in 1804, Grand Caverns has been offering at least one tour per year continuously from 1806 until now. For more than two centuries Grand Caverns – which is host to diverse and uncommon solution cave speleothems, such as cave shields – has served as the centre for multidisciplinary research related to limestones in Virginia and has accrued historical accounts relevant to the Shenandoah Valley (nestled between the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east and the Allegheny Mountains to the west) in the Commonwealth of Virginia. In this article, we explore the geological, historical, mapping and geotourism legacies of Grand Caverns, using its geoheritage as a narrative framework. In addition, we discuss the intersection of historical and diverse concurrent heritages at Grand Caverns and their relevance for understanding national show caves and cave development processes, and we share ongoing efforts towards the construction of a proposal to elevate Grand Caverns to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage list.

Abstract The Great Valley of Virginia (GVV) is a section of a much larger geological structure that spans from the northeastern USA through the mid-Atlantic and to the SE. While the structural formation of the region represents nearly 1.2 billion years of geological history, the rocks that remain record vast cycles of tectonic change. The legacy of that geology is a rich and aesthetically attractive region that has drawn many peoples over time to its agricultural fertility and geological resources. This contribution traces the geological development of the GVV, the relationship of the GVV to the peoples, both indigenous and European colonizers, who have inhabited the GVV over thousands of years and the geological resources that the inhabitants found. Although relatively under-expressed from a geoheritage perspective, the GVV possesses a rich legacy of how its resources supported each society's needs and interests and the role its geological environment has played at critical moments in the historical development of the USA over the last 400 years.

Abstract The best-exposed natural bedrock outcrops in Michigan's southern peninsula are Upper Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian) sandstone ledges underlain by silts, clays, and coals in classic midcontinent ‘cyclothem’ stratigraphy, exposed along the Grand River in the city of Grand Ledge. Native Americans used the underclay in pottery; later commercial mining was the basis for clay-products factories. In the 1800s, the ledges provided a picturesque setting for a resort economy. Among the beneficiaries of repurposed quarries (now parks) are generations of Michigan geoscience students. A trip to Grand Ledge is often the first geology field experience for many students and plays an important role in the professional development of practising geoscientists and geoscience educators in Michigan. After an announcement of plans to expand the city's water treatment plant, adjacent to the cyclothem exposure, geologists from academia, government, and industry united to support preservation of the outcrops. City officials, previously unaware of the geoheritage value of the rocks exposed in their parks, are willing to work with geoscientists to preserve the site. This experience underscored the importance of documenting the geoheritage of the Grand Ledge area and establishing relationships with those who have oversight of these ‘greatest outcrops’ to ensure their preservation for future generations.