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Fredericksburg Attractions
A majority of the Historic District attractions are along Princess Anne Street within an easy walk from the visitor center, but don't miss several notable monuments along broad Washington Avenue north of Kenmore Plantation & Gardens. Mary Ball Washington is buried at Meditation Rock, a spot where she often came to pray and meditate; there's a monument there in her honor. Just across the way is the Thomas Jefferson Religious Liberty Monument, commemorating Jefferson's Fredericksburg meeting with George Mason, Edmond Pendleton, George Wythe, and Thomas Ludwell Lee in 1777 to draft the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom. The Hugh Mercer Monument, off Fauquier Street, honors the doctor who died fighting in the Revolutionary War and whose apothecary shop is now a museum.
Semper Fi -- The U.S. Marine Corps Museum
Rising like a beacon beside I-95 about halfway between Fredericksburg and Alexandria is the sloping steel tower atop the terrific National Museum of the Marine Corps, 18900 Jefferson Davis Hwy. (U.S. 1) in Triangle (tel. 877/635-1775 or 703/784-6115; www.usmcmuseum.org). The shape of this stunning, modernistic building evokes the famous scene of leathernecks raising the U.S. flag over Iwo Jima during World War II -- the 210-foot-tall tower slopes at the same angle as their improvised battlefield flag pole. It stands above a glass-ceiling rotunda at the museum's center, from which are suspended Marine Corps aircraft dating back to World War I. Exhibits in a labyrinth of rooms trace the corps' history since its inception in 1775. Sounds from numerous audiovisual effects can be a bit distracting, but many of the high-tech exhibits are especially good at re-creating battlefield reality. For example, a Korean War battle takes place in a chilled room to capture wintertime conditions in that conflict, while a Vietnam skirmish takes place in stifling tropical heat. You'll also feel what it was like to fly in a noisy, shaking Vietnam-era helicopter. You will need at least 3 hours to digest it all. Two cafes are present, so plan to have lunch before or after a 1 1/2-hour tour, usually guided by an ex-Marine docent; tours depart at 10am, noon, and 2pm. Admission is free. The museum is open from 9am to 5pm daily except Christmas. Take Exit 150 off I-95 at Triangle, go east to U.S. 1, and turn south to the museum.
River Cruises
Operated by the same company that goes to Tangier Island from Reedville on the Northern Neck, Rappahannock River Cruises (tel. 804/453-2628; www.tangiercruise.com) sends the stern-wheel City of Fredericksburg down the river from the city dock on Sophia Street from May through October. Most popular are the 2-hour lunch trips departing at noon Tuesday through Saturday. Fares are $26 for adults, $16.50 for children. The company also has dinner and Sunday brunch cruises. Call for reservations.
10 Results
Belmont: Gari Melchers Home and Studio
Situated on 27 hillside acres overlooking the falls of the Rappahannock River, Belmont began as an 18th-century farmhouse (the central six rooms of the house date to the 1790s) and was enlarged to a 22-room estate by a later owner. Although the house has historic attributes, its fame…- Historic Site
Chatham
Across the river from downtown, this mansion was built between 1768 and 1771 by wealthy planter William Fitzhugh, who supported the Revolution politically and financially. George Washington visited twice. Now the headquarters of the Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military… - Historic Site
George Washington's Ferry Farm
The first president was 6 years old in 1738 when his family moved to this farm across the river from Fredericksburg. It was here that George purportedly confessed to chopping down the cherry tree. He and his siblings took a ferry across the river to school in Fredericksburg. After… - Historic Site
Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop
Born in Scotland in 1726, Dr. Hugh Mercer became friends with George Washington when they were colonels during the French and Indian War of the 1750s. He opened this apothecary shop in 1761 and practiced here until returning to service as a brigadier-general in the American… - Historic Site
Kenmore Plantation & Gardens
This stately Georgian mansion was built in the 1770s for George Washington's only sister, Betty Washington, and her husband, Fielding Lewis, one of Fredericksburg's wealthiest men and a financier of the American Revolution -- so much so that he had to sell Kenmore to liquidate his… - Historic Site
Mary Washington House
George Washington bought this white-frame house in 1772 for his mother, Mary Ball Washington, so she would be near her daughter's home at Kenmore Plantation . Mary Washington was then 64 years old and had been living across the river at Ferry Farm since 1738. Legend says that… - Tour
Rising Sun Tavern
The Rising Sun was originally a residence, built in 1760 by Charles Washington, George's youngest brother, but beginning in the early 1790s it served as a tavern for some 30 years. You'll be thoroughly entertained during the 30-minute tours, perhaps led by a tavern wench -- an… - Religious Site
St. George's Episcopal Church
Martha Washington's father and John Paul Jones's brother are buried in the graveyard of this church, and members of the first parish congregation included Mary Ball Washington and Revolutionary War generals Hugh Mercer and George Weedon. The original church on this site was built in… - Landmark
The Courthouse
Built in 1853, this courthouse is a fine example of Gothic Revival architecture. In fact, its architect, James Renwick, also designed St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York and the original Smithsonian "Castle" and Renwick Gallery in Washington, D.C. Exhibits in the lobby include copies… - Religious Site
The Presbyterian Church
The local Presbyterian congregation, which dates to the early 1800s, completed this Greek Revival building in 1833. It was shelled during the Civil War, and, like St. George's Episcopal Church, served as a hospital where Clara Barton nursed Union wounded. Cannonballs in the…
More About Fredericksburg Attractions
Fredericksburg Shopping
Fredericksburg is one of Virginia's top treasure-troves for antiques and collectibles shoppers, as you will quickly note by more than 40 stores along Caroline, Sophia, and William streets. My antiques-hunting friends come here for more reasonable prices than in metropolitan areas such as Alexandria, Richmond, and Norfolk. The visitor center has brochures describing each store's specialty.
