20 Cool Things to do in Fredericksburg, Virginia (updated)

Founded in 1728, Fredericksburg, Virginia is a city of 30,000+ people on the I-95 corridor, halfway between Richmond and Washington in north central Virginia. This article covers 20 of the best things to see and do in the city, from family sites of George Washington and Civil War battlefields to a craft beer trail, riverfront kayaking and family-friendly attractions. The surrounding counties still consist of rural farmland and charming towns, although the Richmond and Washington metro areas are expanding rapidly along the corridor. The city is the center of a four-county area including Caroline, King George, Stafford and Spotsylvania Counties.  With Fredericksburg, they have a combined population of over 407,000 as of 2024, one of the fastest-growing regions in the Old Dominion.

Fredericksburg is closely connected with the Rappahannock River, forming the city’s northern boundary. This is one of the longest free-flowing rivers in the eastern United States, running from the mountains in western Virginia to Chesapeake Bay.

This area is a history buff’s delight, with its many associations of George Washington and his family, proximity to four major Civil War battlefields, and the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park. It contains several museums and other historical sites.

Key Takeaways

1. Fredericksburg sits on I-95, about an hour drive from Washington and Richmond, also easily reached by VRE or Amtrak train.
2. Here blends deep George Washington family history with four major Civil War battlefields and a growing craft beer scene.
3. Downtown’s Historic District is walkable, home to museums, First Friday events and a weekend Farmer’s Market.
4. Outdoor options include Rappahannock River paddling, hiking trails at Belmont and a family-friendly otter scavenger hunt.
5. The best weather for sightseeing falls in spring (April to June) and fall (September to November).
6. History passes like the XPass and FAB Trail Passport let visitors bundle multiple sites into one ticket.

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Virginia holds a prominent place in our nation as one of the original 13 Colonies and the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents. The state offers diverse natural beauty, from the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah National Park to the beaches of the Atlantic coast and the Chesapeake Bay.

Here are 20 cool things to do in Fredericksburg, Virginia:

1. First Friday Fredericksburg

For the past 30 years, the city has held a First Friday event on the first Friday of each month. The location is downtown. Event options vary, but always include open art galleries, sip and stroll restaurants and occasionally music. Many restaurants and galleries are open late. This is an evening event running from 5:00 till 9:00 p.m. A free trolley loops through downtown.

2. Tours of Fredericksburg

A number of walking tours are available, including a candlelight Ghostwalking Tour. These tours last 90 minutes and are guided by a local expert in the downtown Historical District. Other topics focus on architecture and local history. There are plenty of other options, including those in horse drawn carriages, tours of the local wineries and breweries, even biplane rides to see the city and its area from overhead. Check the city website for information because these change from season to season.

3. The Farmer’s Market at Hurkamp Park

A cool place to visit is the Farmer’s Market, which runs about six months, from mid-April to the end of October. You’ll see the rich variety of fruit and vegetables grown locally, as well as produce from the fabled Shenandoah Valley. Cherries, peaches, apples and melons are specialties in season.

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4. Chatham Manor

An interesting visit is to Chatham Manor, a real Southern manor house that was once part of an enormous plantation of thousands of acres and worked by an enslaved workforce of at least a hundred people. Completed in 1771 after roughly three years of construction, the Manor was built by William Fitzhugh, a wealthy planter and friend of Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and other Virginia elite families.

During the Civil War it was a Union headquarters and was used as a hospital. Such notable figures as Clara Barton and Walt Whitman cared for wounded soldiers there. Today, it is owned by the National Park Service and serves as the headquarters of the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, with several rooms of exhibits about life in Virginia over the centuries since the Manor was built.

5. The Fredericksburg Area Beer Trail

The area has an astonishing number of craft breweries. The Fredericksburg Area Beer Trail is a self-guided tour that now links 11 breweries across Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania and Stafford, up from the nine that originally launched the trail. You can pick up a FAB Passport at a visitor center. When each of the breweries has stamped your Passport, you submit it to a visitor center and obtain a prize, although the real prize is tasting some of Virginia’s finest craft beers.

6. The Fredericksburg XPass Ticket

If you have a serious interest in history, buy one of these at the Visitor Center. It is good for one-time admission into eight museums, including the Fredericksburg Area Museum, the James Monroe Museum, Historic Kenmore, the Rising Sun Tavern, the Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop, Mary Washington House, George Washington’s Boyhood Home at Ferry Farm and Gari Melchers Home and Studio at Belmont.

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7. Fredericksburg Area Museum and Market Square

Much of the city is accessible by just walking. A visit to the Fredericksburg Area Museum (FAM) can be entertaining for the whole family. FAM is the hub of the city’s 40-block Historic District, with Market Square, an open square, adjacent. The district is full of history, galleries, restaurants and stores. The building, the historic Town Hall and Market House, dates to 1816 and once housed the city government. The museum features a variety of exhibits preserving the history of the city and its diverse community, spanning more than ten thousand years of regional history.

During summer, FAM presents weekly Sounds of Summer concerts in Market Square on Friday evenings. The Square often hosts community festivals, concerts and other events.

8. James Monroe Museum and Library.

James Monroe, the 5th President of the U.S., was a Fredericksburg resident. The James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library has the largest collection of materials anywhere about President Monroe and his family. Guided tours are available, and the museum grounds feature a garden open to the public that may also be rented for events such as weddings.

9. Riverside Center for the Performing Arts

A center for regional theater and performers is the Riverside Center for the Performing Arts. The Riverside Center is a much larger venue than is typical for a city of Fredericksburg’s size. The Center brings a wide range of musicals and plays to the Fredericksburg area. The performances have included traveling Broadway shows, productions from Washington and Richmond. It hosts local performances. An unusual feature is a dinner theater seating several hundred diners for evening and matinee performances. Children’s theater is also a major emphasis, and there is a children’s theater and summer camp program.

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10. The Washington Heritage Museums

Fredericksburg has multiple museums linked to George Washington and his family, operated under the Washington Heritage Museums umbrella. Each has exhibits with a tour available, and often with events scheduled on the museum grounds. They include the Mary Washington House, Kenmore, the Rising Sun Tavern and the Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop.

11. Kenmore and George Washington’s Ferry Farm

This is where George Washington spent much of his boyhood. Tours are available of the house, which last about 60 minutes, allowing visitors to step into their shoes and see what life was like living in such a mansion during this time period. There are gardens on the grounds that visitors can walk through.

Kenmore was where George Washington’s sister Betty and her husband, Fielding Lewis, lived. The museum showcases what life was like for a family of the Tidewater gentry before the Revolution.

For the last 20 years, in summer, Shakespeare on the Lawn has been offered, with various performances of Shakespeare’s plays performed by the Fredericksburg Theatre Ensemble.

12. Rising Sun Tavern.

Interested in the history of taverns? Check out the Rising Sun Tavern. This building dates to about 1760, and was built by George Washington’s youngest brother, Charles, as his private home. It became a tavern in 1792, and today, the museum presents a history of tavern life. No, they don’t have a bar, but the next time you visit one you’ll have some talking points.

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13. Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop.

Intrigued by an age when leeches were used as treatment? Then visit the Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop. It’s like a pharmacy from 250 years ago. The current building dates to about 1772, sitting near the site of Mercer’s original 1771 shop. Hugh Mercer was a doctor treating the Fredericksburg community for more than 15 years before joining the Continental Army, dying at the Battle of Princeton as a brigadier general.

It contains several parts including the Shop, the doctor’s office and his personal quarters. There’s even a place where gentlemen of that era stuck their heads into while attendants or enslaved workers powdered the gentlemen’s wigs. The guides will explain how Dr. Mercer used leeches and blood cupping on his patients.

14. Mary Washington House

Get a sense of a patriot’s affection for his mother by visiting the Mary Washington House. George Washington bought this house for his mother, Mary, in 1772, and she lived here for the last 17 years of her life, dying of breast cancer at around 80 on August 25, 1789. A costumed interpreter guides visitors through the house, which includes a period kitchen. Events are sometimes scheduled for the gardens on the grounds.

15. Gari Melchers’ Home and Studio at Belmont

If you are interested in artists who are being rediscovered as major figures, try a visit to Gari Melcher’s home and studio. This early 20th century Fredericksburg artist is well worth finding out about. The Melchers Home and Studio is a 27-acre estate called Belmont, in Falmouth near Fredericksburg on the Rappahannock. The site contains their historic home, his gallery, gardens and several miles of nature trails. Dogs are welcome on the trails if they are leashed. You may see some interesting birds.

There are occasional events held on the Melchers grounds, such as the city’s Art After Hours programs, which sometimes include a local concert band. There are more events in the summer season, but the grounds, home and studio are open all year except Wednesdays.

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16. Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park

The Military Park is expansive, more than 8,000 acres, so it’s best to map out what you want to see before visiting.. Four major Civil War Battles were fought in the area, including Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness and Spotsylvania Court House.

Materials for self-guided tours of the battlefields are available at the National Park Service website for the military park, as are downloadable maps. The website has downloadable materials for teachers planning lessons related to the battlefields. There are a variety of places that Civil War hobbyists might want to visit, including Guinea Station, where Stonewall Jackson died. It may take several days to fully explore the military park.

17. Battlefield Tours of Virginia

If you are especially interested in the battles that took place in the Fredericksburg area, this outfit offers professional guides for a fee. One option is for a professional to accompany you in your car for a tour of one or more of the battlefields. This is an intense, usually four-hour tour.

18. Otter Scavenger Hunt

Fredericksburg has a unique Otter Scavenger Hunt. You start at a bronze sculpture of a mama otter and two cubs, and then go looking for other sculptures of otters. Scanning a QR code at the base of each sculpture provides information about that spot. When you have completed the hunt, you head for the Visitor Center to claim your prize. It’s all within walking distance in the center of the city, and it’s popular with children.

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19. Virginia Outdoor Center

The Virginia Outdoor Center is located in downtown Fredericksburg on the riverfront. It offers a variety of canoe, kayak, tube and paddleboard recreational opportunities on both the Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers (the Rapidan joins the Rappahannock near the city). Some trips drop the canoeist upstream in near-wilderness drop off points for a paddle to the city.

A variety of trips are available with groups and for individuals and families. The Center offers training, including a whitewater essentials course and wilderness first aid. A highlight is a summer Mountain Adventure School for middle-school aged kids.

The section from Mott’s Run to the Fredericksburg docks offers some rapids. Sections of the river above Mott’s Run offer class I and class II rapids. Rapids will vary with river flow and weather. This is serious kayaking and canoeing, so training and proper equipment is called for.

20. Fun Land Fredericksburg

Not every amusing attraction in the city is related to George Washington or the battlefields. When the kids (and you) are tired of the museums, Fun Land is a commercial venue that offers a wide array of family entertainment, from laser tag to go karts, sky trail, batting cages, mini bowling, rock climbing, a roller coaster, miniature golf, and a large game arcade.

Bonus: Fredericksburg Links to Metro Areas

Richmond is around an hour drive to the south, and Washington is about the same distance to the north on I-95. Be aware that traffic can be extremely heavy and that driving times will vary, depending on traffic conditions and weather.

The Virginia Railway Express and Amtrak connect Fredericksburg with Washington’s Union Station, with a train ride of a little over an hour. VRE does not yet extend to the Richmond metro area.

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FAQs About Cool Things to do in Fredericksburg, Virginia

1. What is the best time of year to visit Fredericksburg?

Spring (April through early June) and fall (September through early November) offer the most comfortable temperatures, typically in the 60s to 80s Fahrenheit, making them ideal for walking tours and outdoor activities. Summer can be hot and humid, while winter is mild but occasionally sees snow and colder days.

2. How far is Fredericksburg from Washington, D.C. and Richmond?

Fredericksburg is approximately 50 miles from Washington, D.C. and about 55 miles from Richmond, with each drive taking approximately an hour depending on traffic.

3. Is downtown Fredericksburg walkable, and is parking easy to find?

Yes, the Historic District is compact and walkable alongside offering numerous free and paid parking lots downtown, including free options at the Library Lot, Sophia Street Lot and City Dock, plus a paid garage on Sophia Street with a daily maximum rate.

4. Can I visit Fredericksburg without a car?

Yes, both the Virginia Railway Express and Amtrak connect Fredericksburg to Washington’s Union Station in a little over an hour, and once downtown, most historic sites and attractions are within walking distance.

5. Is Fredericksburg a good destination for families with kids?

Yes. In addition to hands-on history museums, families can enjoy the Otter Scavenger Hunt, Fun Land’s arcade and rides, kayaking with the Virginia Outdoor Center, and children’s theater programs at Kenmore and Riverside Center.

6. How many days do I need to see Fredericksburg’s main attractions?

A weekend, roughly two full days, is enough to hit the downtown historic sites, a museum or two and a battlefield tour, though serious history enthusiasts may want several days to fully explore the 8,000-plus-acre National Military Park.

7. Are there discount passes for visiting multiple attractions?

Yes, the Fredericksburg XPass covers one-time admission to eight museums and historic homes, while the FAB Trail Passport rewards visitors who tour all the local breweries with a prize once completed.