<p>Mysterious caverns. Hungry giraffes. A spooky ghost tour. And a couple of creaky swinging bridges. Yep, kids are spoiled for choice when it comes to having fun in Lexington and Rockbridge County.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Follow the geocache trail </strong></p><p>Ten geocaches are hidden in Lexington and Rockbridge County on the <a href="https://lexingtonvirginia.com/articles/geocaching" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gems of Rockbridge Trail</a>. Pick up a geocache passport at the Lexington or Buena Vista visitor centers, then search for the caches at the listed GPS coordinates. Answer questions about each stop then trade in your passport for a commemorative coin. Caches are hidden at historic, cultural, and scenic destinations.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Feed a giraffe</strong></p><p>Kids can feed giraffes at the Virginia Safari Park near Natural Bridge - just climb the raised wooden platform. The park is a 180-acre drive-thru zoo filled with exotic animals, which will wander up to your car window for a snack. Hold tight to you feed bucket! In the Safari Village you can feed budgies, potbellied pigs, and giraffes up close. Animal encounters with penguins and rhinos are available too.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Explore Dinosaur Kingdom II </strong></p><p>Enormous fiberglass dinosaurs chew through Civil War history – and a few soldiers – in this wacky roadside attraction created by local artist Mark Cline. Families step into a time tunnel for a trip to a fantastical past, brought to life by dinosaurs scattered through the woods. The park is 12 miles south of Lexington on Route 11 in Natural Bridge.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Wander past stalactites and stalagmites</strong></p><p>Ready for a guided tour 34 stories underground? Yep, the 45-minute tours at the Caverns at Natural Bridge wander past geologic formations that have formed over the millenia deep below the surface of the earth.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Hold tight on swinging bridges </strong></p><p>Two creaky pedestrian bridges await your footsteps in Rockbridge County. Both are located beside Rte 39, also known as the Appalachian Waters Scenic Byway. You’ll find the first footbridge beside the post office in Rockbridge Baths. The second one swings above the Maury River, connecting the parking lot at <a href="https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/natural-area-preserves/goshen" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Goshen Pass Natural Area Preserve</a> with several trails.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Explore a Fairy Forest </strong></p><p>The Pioneer Forest, one of five ecosystems protected at Boxerwood Nature Center, is home to a whimsical collection of fairy houses. A separate fenced-in Play Trail encourages unstructured fun for younger kids, with a Mud Kitchen and a China Dig, complete with buried “dinosaur bones.”</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Get spooked on the Haunting Tales Ghost Tour</strong></p><p>Learn about Lexington’s most famous haunted houses and historic buildings on an entertaining evening walk through downtown streets and alleys. The tour stops in Oak Grove Cemetery, where the statue of Stonewall Jackson seems to play eerie tricks in the dark. Tours run Thursday through Saturday from late May through October.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Play immersive board games </strong></p><p>Kids can join weekly game nights at Just Games in downtown Lexington. Dungeons &amp; Dragons nights are geared to either kids or teenagers, and various games are played on different nights. Check their online event calendar to see what’s coming up. They also sell discs if you want to play disc golf at W&amp;L or Glen Maury Park.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Watch movies at Hull’s Drive-in </strong></p><p>Families relax on blankets and lawn chairs to watch current movies on the big screen at Hull’s Drive-in. With concessions, family friendly movies, and a communal vibe, this is the place for families to be on weekend nights in summer.</p>