Shrine Mont

What Shrine Mont does

Shrine Mont, Inc. is a private nonprofit conference and retreat center located in Orkney Springs, Virginia, operating on a 1,100+ acre campus at the foot of Great North Mountain in the Shenandoah Valley. The organization was founded in 1925 with the consecration of the Cathedral Shrine of the Transfiguration, which serves as the cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia. The Bishop of Virginia chairs the Board, and the Diocese directly manages the summer camp program, making the Episcopal affiliation the structural foundation of both governance and demand generation. The center accommodates groups of 20 to 550 people across 70+ housing units including historic cottages, the 50-room Maryland House, the 21-room Pennsylvania House, dormitories, and specialized camp facilities.

Shrine Mont generates revenue through an American Plan pricing model ($93-144 per person per night inclusive of lodging and three meals), supplemented by summer camp registrations managed by the Diocese, the hosted Shenandoah Valley Music Festival, conference and retreat services, weddings at the Cathedral Shrine ($500 facility fee), winter stay rentals (January-March), and charitable donations including the active Living Stones capital campaign. Distribution is entirely direct via website request forms, phone (540-856-2141), and email reservations, with no third-party intermediaries except music festival ticketing through musicfest.org. Marketing relies on the website, a monthly email newsletter, and active social media presence across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and LinkedIn, supplemented by referrals through the Episcopal Diocese parish network and strategic partnerships with Bryce Resort (golf packages) and the Virginia Association of Teachers of English (Camp Curious).

The technology footprint is minimal and consists of standard property management systems, a WordPress Events Calendar plugin, and Stripe payment processing. The operating season runs from early spring through the second Sunday in November, with limited winter availability extending into January-March. The permanent staff is small (~7 named full-time including Executive Director Kevin Moomaw and Director of Development Churchill J. Gibson IV), augmented by seasonal hires for summer camp operations. The organization celebrated its centennial anniversary on August 6, 2025, with no disclosed external investors, parent company, or public funding.

Name

Shrine Mont

Legal name

Shrine Mont, Inc.

Website

https://shrinemont.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Shrine Mont is a nonprofit Episcopal-affiliated conference and retreat center in Orkney Springs, Virginia, offering all-inclusive lodging, dining, summer camps, music festivals, and programming on a 1,100-acre historic campus serving groups of 20 to 550.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conference and Retreat Hospitality

NAICS

Historical Sites (71212), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Hotels & Motels (7011)

akta.pro primary industry

Historic/Heritage Conference Hotels (THAGALAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL), Mountain & Alpine Lodges (THAGAIAE), Religious & Sacred Sites Tours (THAJAAAF)

Keywords

• Conference center
• Retreat facilities
• Hospitality services
• Lodging accommodations
• Event venues

Headquarters

HQ city

Orkney Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Lodging and Meal Plan Revenue: Shrine Mont operates on The American Plan, charging per person per night rates that include accommodation and three meals daily (breakfast, lunch, dinner). Standard double occupancy ranges from $93-106/night depending on diocesan status, with single occupancy at $121-144/night. Children's rates (ages 4-13) are $63/night.
2. Summer Camp Programs: Revenue generated from summer camp registrations for youth ages 7-17, including All Saints camps, St. George's camp, Explorers, and Family Camp. Camps are managed by the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia from mid-June through early August.
3. Music Festival Venue Hosting: Shrine Mont serves as the venue for the Shenandoah Valley Music Festival, hosting outdoor concerts under the stars. Revenue comes from hosting concert attendees, with gate opening at 6:00 PM for performances.
4. Conference and Retreat Services: Groups hosting conferences and retreats pay additional conference charges ($30/day for non-residential participants), meeting space rental, and optional services such as bonfires and hayrides. The venue offers various meeting spaces from 50 to 400 person capacity.
5. Winter Stay Rentals: Select cottages are available for winter rental (January-March) at weekend rates ($695-735/weekend) with extra night options at $180/night. This extends revenue generation into the off-season.
6. Cathedral Shrine Weddings: Wedding services may be held in the Cathedral Shrine of the Transfiguration with written approval of the Bishop of Virginia. The rate for Cathedral Shrine use is $500, with additional charges for reception facilities based on guest room bookings.
7. Donations and Planned Giving: Shrine Mont accepts charitable contributions for operational support, facility upkeep, renovations, and scholarships. The Living Stones Campaign is their current capital campaign for future foundation laying.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Shrine Mont operates a conference and retreat campus on 1,100+ acres in Orkney Springs, Virginia, providing lodging, meals, and meeting/event facilities for groups of 20 to 550 people. It hosts summer camps, religious retreats, conferences, weddings, and seasonal music and arts festivals under a nonprofit, faith-affiliated model.

Product overview

Shrine Mont is a conference and retreat center offering a unified hospitality experience centered around its Cathedral Shrine of the Transfiguration. The core offering comprises overnight retreat and conference hosting services with included dining, supported by diverse housing options ranging from historic cottages and houses to camp facilities. Additional offerings include summer camp programs, family camp, weekend retreat workshops, the hosted Shenandoah Valley Music Festival, and seasonal winter stay packages. The property spans over 1,100 acres and accommodates groups from 20 to 550 people.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Conference and Retreat Lodging with Meal Plans Multi-day on-site lodging and meal packages for groups of 20 to 550 guests at the Orkney Springs, Virginia campus, serving individual retreatants, families, and organized groups.
• Meeting and Event Venue Rental Rental of meeting rooms, event spaces, and the broader campus for conferences, organizational retreats, weddings, and milestone events with on-site lodging and catering.
• Summer Camp Programs Seasonal summer camp programming hosted on the Shrine Mont campus for youth and families.
• Music and Arts Festival Hosting Hosting of seasonal music and arts festivals on the campus, including accommodations and meals for festival attendees.
• Winter Stays and Seasonal Retreats Off-season and winter retreat accommodations and programming on the mountain campus for individuals and groups.
• Wedding and Milestone Event Packages Full-service wedding and milestone event packages combining ceremony space, lodging, and meal service for guests on the campus.

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bryce ResortcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShrine Mont and Bryce Resort partner to offer golf packages providing guests with combined lodging at Shrine Mont and access to Bryce's 18-hole championship PGA golf course located 2 miles from the retreat center. Package prices start at $138 per person including one night's stay, two meals, and a round of golf with cart rental. Special rates are available for other discounted activities at the resort including skiing, snow tubing, and mountain biking.
• Virginia Association of Teachers of English (VATE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration between Shrine Mont and VATE to hold Camp Curious, a summer reading and writing enrichment camp for rising 3rd-6th grade students. The camp's mission is to infuse struggling readers and writers with the joy of reading and writing. VATE works with camper families, teachers, and reading specialists to provide resources. Shrine Mont provides the facilities and trained counselor staff.
• Orkney Springs OutfittersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership offering immersive fly fishing weekend courses at Shrine Mont. Programs cover fly tying, casting techniques, and hands-on river fishing at the South River for trout. Multiple skill levels offered including beginner, intermediate, and advanced courses.
• Tri-Diocesan Council on AgingcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Tri-Diocesan Council on Aging hosts the annual Fall Camp conference at Shrine Mont, sponsored by three Episcopal dioceses in Virginia. This four-day conference serves retired seniors and has been an annual tradition at Shrine Mont for many years.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• The Greenbrier: Iconic luxury resort in White Sulphur Springs, WV with historic heritage, conference facilities, and recreational amenities. Broader incumbent in the regional heritage conference/hospitality market where Shrine Mont operates.

Direct peers

• Massanetta Springs Conference Center: Presbyterian-affiliated conference and retreat center in Harrisonburg, VA offering summer camps, family programs, and church retreats. Comparable in geography (Shenandoah Valley), target market (Virginia churches), and programmatic structure.
• Montreat Conference Center: Presbyterian-affiliated retreat and conference center in Black Mountain, NC offering lodging, conferences, summer conferences, and youth programs. Mirrors Shrine Mont's faith-affiliated hospitality, mountain setting, and multi-generational programming.
• Kanuga Conferences: Episcopal conference and retreat center in Hendersonville, NC serving the Diocese of Western North Carolina with camps, conferences, and heritage lodging. Closest comparable to Shrine Mont by denomination, mission, and operating model.
• Lake Junaluska Assembly: Methodist-affiliated conference and retreat center in Western NC hosting retreats, summer programming, and music events. Closely parallels Shrine Mont's denomination-tied hospitality model and event-driven calendar.
• Lutheridge Conference Center: Lutheran-affiliated retreat center in Arden, NC providing summer camps and adult retreats. Comparable in denomination-tied programming, summer camp operations, and group retreat mission.
• Ridgecrest Conference Center (LifeWay): Baptist-affiliated conference center in Ridgecrest, NC providing lodging, camps, and ministry retreats. Directly comparable in scale, programming mix, and denominational sponsorship model.

Regional players

• Wintergreen Resort: Four-season mountain resort in central Virginia offering lodging, golf, skiing, and conference facilities. Comparable Virginia-region competitor for group retreats and outdoor hospitality, but commercially operated rather than faith-affiliated.
• Bryce Resort: Virginia mountain resort 2 miles from Shrine Mont offering golf, skiing, and lodging. Functions both as Shrine Mont's golf-package partner and as a regional competitor for Shenandoah Valley group leisure demand.

Emerging players

• YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly: Nonprofit conference and retreat center in Black Mountain, NC offering family camps, conferences, and outdoor recreation. Comparable mission-driven, multi-segment retreat and camp programming to Shrine Mont.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/shrinemont
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/about
• Instagraminstagram.com/shrinemont
• TikToktiktok.com/@shrinemont
• Pinterestpinterest.com/shrinemont

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shrine Mont